Timeline
2011-05-06 07:50:53
Cixi, 16, enters the Forbidden City. She competes with 60 other Manchu girls to win a berth as Emperor Xianfeng's concubine-in-waiting.
Portraits of Cixi
2011-05-06 07:50:53
Two books about the Empress Dowager cast new light on the iconic ruler and controversial historical figure.
Rodeo to spur desire for wild west culture
2011-05-05 07:56:34
Beijing's cowboys and cowgirls will get a chance to dust off their chaps and saddle up when one of the United States' oldest extravaganzas rides into town.
Artist of a million cuts
2011-05-04 08:01:03
In most people's eyes, the dark-glazed ceramic plate is nothing more than a cheap tool to be put under a flower pot to stop water leaking; but under Mao Zifang's hands it is turned into something valuable, and has even become a gift China gives to foreign leaders.
Ancient jade still has magic to enthrall
2011-05-04 08:01:03
The Chinese have a special affection for yu, or jade in English, that foreigners cannot match. A jade exhibition at Beijing Art Museum traces this love back to its origin at the beginning of Chinese civilization.
Bookworms burrow at conference on Chinese literature
2011-05-03 07:54:37
More than 180 novelists, poets, literary translators and researchers shared their opinions at the International Conference on Chinese Literature in Global Contexts.
Reinventing China
2011-05-03 07:54:37
Pottery Workshop chief Caroline Cheng has dedicated herself to improving the country's ceramic products.
The seed of a musical evolution
2011-04-30 07:45:55
Midi Music Festival started out in life as a graduation ceremony and was the country's first of many music festivals.
The final countdown for lingerie designer
2011-04-29 07:58:29
A lingerie model made up to look like the inner mechanism of a clock may sound like a bold gambit, but it paid off for winning designer Bai Ge at this month's Triumph Inspiration Award in Shanghai.
Intimate encounters
2011-04-29 07:58:29
Chamber music is the focus of this year's The May Festival, with musicians from 12 countries, Chen Jie reports.
Shanghai festival presents a world of 'heritage' music
2011-04-29 07:58:29
Fourteen groups from home and abroad will hold live concerts and shows across Shanghai as part of the 2011 World Music Shanghai festival, which runs from May 21 to 25.
The truth behind fakes
2011-04-29 07:58:29
The dubious offerings of our culture industry are sapping people's creativity, stifling innovation and giving a diverse nation one voice.