City TextureHutong and Siheyuan in Beijing （Ⅱ）

People will always complain about the dreary air, clouds of dust and few changes of life in Beijing when they are about to leave the city after living there for a couple of years. However, all of these people will miss the city and hope to go back there after living in other places for a year or so, with a wave of strong nostalgia coming over them.Yu Dafu     

The Empire of Women： Not a Fairytale

In China there are small matriarchal societies which survived for thousands of years and whose culture is unknown by the majority of our modern world.One of them is the ancient cuiture of the Mosuo, an ethnic minority group living in the provinces of Yunnan and Sichuan, areas referred to in old Chinese historical records as ＂the empire of women＂. After reading about this culture, Mathilde Heijne, a Berlin-based artist, started thinking about an art proiect that would locus on their social structures and began planning a trip to Lake Lugu - the home of the Mosuo.     

Grand Theatres： Easy to Build,but Hard to Operate

Building theatres has become a trend in China. According to statistics trom the publicchannel, the theatre construction is now spreading from the first-tier cities to the second and third-tier cities, with ever increasing investment volume and land areas. It is estimated that in the next 3-s years, there will be about 10 theatres completed and delivered for operation every years. However, how to operate the newly built theatres is a key issue, among which, the management and provision of contents are major challenges.     

＂City of Museums＂： a New Brand for Qujiang,Xi＇an

Modern museums are striving to keep pace with the rapidly evolving modern art and the changing needs of audience. Accordingly, the concept of museum has developed and trans- formed. Imagine the future of Xi＇an as a city of museums. It will be a city immersed in a profound artistic atmo- sphere, embracing broader space for exchanges, exhibiting higher educa- tional value, thus truly demonstrating the cultural background required for an international city. This is exactly what we have been hoping for a city＇s cultural inheritance.     

CELEBRITIES＇ FORMER RESIDENCES IN BEIJING

As a historical capital city ill dynastic China, Beijing is famous for many celebrities＇ .former residences which have been considered major attractions to tourists. Statistics indicate that there are so far 310 recognized former residences of celebrities in the city - Cao Xueqin, the author of the classical novel ＂A Dream of the Red Chamber＂, Guo Muoruo, a great writer and poet of modern China, and Shao Piaoping, a famous journalist in the early 20th century, to name a few.[第一段]     

Dalian Acrobitic Troupe——Messengers of Good Will,Culture and Art

IF yon open the map of theworld.yon will see that Chinalooks rather like a rooster.Da-lian.a coastal city on the LiaodongPeninsula in northern China,is onthe tip or the rooster’s beak.Bounded on three sides by thesea,this beautiful city is one of theimportant ports of foreign trade,shipping out rich farm and industri-al products to the four corners orthe world.But the city also ex-changes culture and the arts withother countriesand the Dalian Ac-robatic Troupe,which has made aname for itself far and near,hasmade one of the greatest contribu-tions to this exchange.     

Cultural Trials Launched in Shanghai Free Trade Zone

Professionals from the sector of cultural industries note that in a short term, open policies for cultural service will bring new opportunities for the performing and entertainment indus- tries of Shanghai Free Trade Zone （SFTZ） and the city of Shanghai as a whole; in a long run, SFTZ＇s practices and experiences will have extensive impacts on the country＇s performing and entertainment industries. What is the scenario of SFTZ~ cultural industries and what trend will they embrace？     

A School on Roof

March 23, Wednesday, Wuhan. It was a raining and cloudy day. One month passed but still more than 20 students had yet registered in Lingzhi Elementary School in Jianghan District, Wuhan, capital city of central Hubei Province. Zhu Zhongfan habitually looked out to the stairway of the building. “Whenever a new semester begins, a dozen of students will not come. They either go back to their hometowns or transfer to other school or even drop out.” Zhu, 49 years old, is the headmaster of the school. He began teaching at 19 and founded this school in 1999. Currently, there are 406 registered students, most of which are children of migrant workers from the countryside. As it is extremely hard to find a cheap place for school, Zhu had to locate his school on the roof of a vegetable fair building. Everyday, student‘s reciting of textbooks mixes with shouting of vendors, orchestrating unique symphonic melodies.     

A Package Program Launched to Promote China-UK Cultural Exchange

Royal Shakespeare Company （RSC） recently announced that it planned to translate and pub-lish all works of Shakespeare under the sponsorship of the British Govern- ment in order to attract more Chinese readers. As an exchange, 14 Chinese drama classics will English, providing ish readers to learn be translated into a window for Brit- about Chinese dra-ma traditions. These translation and publication projects are just part of the British Government＇s ambitious Pack- age Program to speed up China-UK exchange and cooperation in the field of culture.     

NEWS FROM QINGDAO——Exhibition on Qingdao-born artist＇s takes place in Beijing

Unlike many large Chinese cities with a long history, Qingdao is relatively a newcomer, being nothing but a fishing village until the end of the 19th century. The area of which Qingdao is located today is called Jiao＇ao. In 1891, the Qing Government decided to make the area a primal, defense base against naval attacks and planned the construction of a city. Little was done, however, until 1897 when the city was ceded to Germany. Soon after the outbreak of World War Ⅰ in 1914, Japan occupied Qingdao and the surrounding province after its declaration of war on Germany.     

A Way of Life

"Life is like a card game: the cards you get are a matter of chance; how you play them is up to you." Philosophers and artists all over the world have produced thousands of analogies about the puzzles of life, but this epigram by Indian politician Nehru is especially noteworthy. Eventually, the cards in my hands will be played out. There is one card - life - that will be taken away without warning. Fortunately, it is still in my hands, and I am searching for the best way to play it. I will do so freely and handsomely; meanwhile, I'd like to share my pleasures with those who appreciate my game. This game needs a plan, as well as some dedication.- from Life is a Game by Fu Weici     

Beijing＇s Subway Stations Highlight Art and Design

Since my grand grandfathers, my family has dwelled in Beijing for 300 years. I have untold feelings about this historic city In my childhood, I took the city＇s subway for fun; now it has become a major means of transportation for me. Over the past three decades, I have witnessed the transformation and progress of Beijing＇s subways.     

Forbidden City on the Film

The film-production in the VISION BEIJING project has concluded after more than 600 days of planning, filming and post production work.The VISION BEIJING Organizing Committee invited five of the world＇s most famous film directors, Giuseppe Tornatore （Italy）, Majid Majidi （Iran）, Patrice keconte （France）, Daryl Goodrich （Great Britain） and Andrew kau Wai-Keung （Hong Kong） to make a five-minute film each about Beijing and its people＇s enthusiastic preparations for the 2008 Olympic Games. The final products of the project will serve as an audio-video record of the rich connotations of Beijing＇s ＂People＇s Olympics＂.     

Eye-catching National Pavilions of Shanghai World Expo

On May 1, 2010, Shanghai World Expo will embrace visitors from across the world. Like previous expos, Shanghai World Expo will also address significant issues of common concern of the world, with the theme of ＂better city, better life＂. Over centuries, encouraging progress and addressing the future has always remained a pivotal objective that all World Expo participants have tried to pursue. This global event fully expresses spirits and values of a time and provides an excellent opportunity for all participant countries to demonstrate their creativity and initiative.     

Aromatic Tea in Wuyutai’s Nanchang Store

Nanchang enjoys a reputation for numerous lakes in the city. The mother river, Ganjiang River traverses the city, and the Teng Wang Pavilion nestles near water, constituting a magnificent picture of autumn scenery. My visit to Nanchang this time was totally for tea. Jiangxi province is traditionally noted as a tea     

Shaoxing East Lake： A Miniature Landscape

The East Lake is situated five kilometers to the east of the historic city of Shaoxing. With a wonderful combination of a hill, grottoes and stone bridges, it might pass for a miniature landscape. On a par with the West Lake in Hangzhou and the South Lake in Jiaxing, it is one of the three most famous lakes in southeast Zhejiang Province. Although it is quite small, its delicacy and elegance rank it among the best resorts in Shaoxing.     

National Indoor Stadium： A Fan Unfolds

National Indoor Stadium of China is one of the three main venues for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Located in the southern part of the Olympic Green, the National Indoor Stadium joins the group of landmark structures in the area, including the National Aquatics Center to the south and the National Convention Center to the north. It consists of a main structure, a warm-up gym nearby and other outdoor facilites, with a seating capacity of 18,000. The National Indoor Stadium will be the competition venue for the Olympic Artistic Gymnastics, Trampoline, and Handball competitions and the Paralympic Wheelchair Basketball competition.     

THE MYSTERY OF SANXINGDUI CULTURE

Stories about Sanxingdui Culture published in the magazine before have caught readers' great interest. So far there are three major viewpoints about the origin of this mysterious culture. Some experts note that unearthed artifacts in Sanxingdui were legacies of the ancient Shu Kingdom and have nothing to do with foreign cultures. But since no written records have been left about this culture existing more than three thousand years ago, those who support this hypothesis have to resort to a smattering of clues in ancient documents of ensuing periods as well as legendary stories. A rivaling opinion argues that this culture has some relation with the ancient civilizations of Western Asia, Central Asia as well as Aegean Sea. It is believed that Ancient Egyptians already knew how to produce bronzes in the period between 3 800 and 3 500 BC and it is quite possible that the technology was imported to China in some way. In recent years, however, some scholars, based on extensive studies, assert that Sanxingdui is a result of cultural exchange and assimilation. They hold that some tribe lost its way during the great migration of the ancient India-Iran tribes and misled itself to Sanxingdui. The tribe settled there and developed a culture that blends elements from both ancient central China and ancient India-Iran areas.     

THE MYSTERY OF SANXINGOUI CULTURE

Stories about Sanxingdui Culture published in the magazine before have caught readers＇ great interest. So far there are three major viewpoints about the origin of this mysterious culture. Some experts note that unearthed artifacts in Sanxingdui were legacies of the ancient Shu Kingdom and have nothing to do with foreign cultures. But since no written records have been left about this culture existing more than three thousand years ago, those who support this hypothesis have to resort to a smattering of clues in ancient documents of ensuing periods as well as legendary stories. A rivaling opinion argues that this culture has some relation with the ancient civilizations of Western Asia, Central Asia as well as Aegean Sea. It is believed that Ancient Egyptians already knew how to produce bronzes in the period between 3 800 and 3 500 BC and it is quite possible that the technology was imported to China in some way. In recent years, however, some scholars, based on extensive studies, assert that Sanxingdui is a result of cultural exchange and assimilation. They hold that some tribe lost its way during the great migration of the ancient India-lran tribes and misled itself to Sanxingdui. The tribe settled there and developed a culture that blends elements from both ancient central China and ancient India-lran areas.[第一段]     

New Year Print of Yangliuqing

Yangliuqing in Tianjin, Yangjiabu in Weifang, Shandong, Taohuawu in Suzhou, Jiangsu and Mianzhu in Sichuan are known the four most famous places to produce Chinese New Year prints. Yangliuqing, about 10 kilometers west from the city proper of Tianjin, is an ancient town with a long history. With high intensity of population and rich natural resources, this historic town has enjoyed prosperity as a transportation hub.