Olympic concert

Doudou, a 12-year-old Chinese singer, will hold her solo concert at the Hackney Empire Theater of London on Aug 8. She was invited by Gerhard Heiberg, chairman of the International Olympic Committee Marketing Commission.

Titled Light Up the World, the concert is in line with the Olympic slogan "Inspire a Generation" and will kick off the "Chinese Culture Week" during the London Olympic Games.

Doudou will perform some of her popular songs, including Light up the World, which is composed especially for the concert. She will also perform English songs, such as We Are the World.

Doudou is a student of renowned Chinese singer Wang Kun, and has performed at such occasions as the first anniversary of the Beijing Olympics and the CCTV Spring Gala.

UK singer Declan Galbraith will be the guest performer.

CCTV-MTC Music Awards

The 11th annual CCTV-MTV Music Awards have announced its nominees. The gala will be held on Aug 12 at Wukesong Arena in Beijing.

Sharing the stage are established singers, including Na Ying, Sun Nan and Han Hong, as well as new popular singers, such as Hao Yun and Qu Wanting. Winners of 22 categories will be unveiled at the gala.

Viewers will be able to vote for their favorite performers and songs at either MtvChina.com or CNTV.cn, or text their votes using their cell phones.

The CCTV-MTV Music Awards has also produced a 40-episode program, looking back at the past 10 years and recording singers' stories. It is considered one of China's most prestigious music awards.

Hani haven

The government of Honghe Hani and Yi autonomous prefecture in Yunnan province has teamed up with Chinese Folk Photographers Association and UNESCO to record and preserve Hani cultures.

Running until June 2013, organizers have invited professional photographers from home and abroad to savor local life, especially festivities, and shoot photos in the area where ethnic Hani people densely inhabit.

Hani, also internationally known as Ahka, is one of the 15 ethnic groups in the province. They have a population of 1.63 million in China. Some of them also inhabit nearby Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand.

Honghe is noted for century-old terraced rice paddies and well-preserved, diverse cultures.

The State Council decided early this year to recommend the unique cultural landscape as the candidate to compete for UNESCO's 2013 World Cultural Heritage honor.

Wiretapper thriller

The Silent War, a spy thriller directed by famous Hong Kong directors Felix Chong and Alan Mak, premieres on Aug 10.

Adapted from mainland writer Mai Jia's novel, the film tells the story of a smart blind wiretapper and his woman boss in the 1950s. It stars Tony Leung and Zhou Xun.

The directors are known for their spy thrillers, such as Infernal Affairs, which was based on Martin Scorsese's The Departed.

In a meeting with the two directors on June 9, Mai said he is a fan of their films. He speaks highly of Overheard, a series of films about wiretapping in the business world, and attributes the two's sophisticated interpretation of the subject as an important reason for their cooperation.

China Daily