Zhang Zhengyan： A Life Dedicated to Music

Zhang Zhengyan, a Chongqing native, graduated from China Theatric Art College and is specialized in pipa （Chinese lute） and jing erhu （two-string） as well as guzheng （plucked zither）. She began learning pipa at age 9 and was later admitted in the middle school attached to China Theatric Art College. In 1996, she passed the entrance examination with excellent performance and was enrolled in China Theatric Art College. Her mentors included such master musicians as Prof. Cao Baorong, Wu Chongyi, Li Guanghua, Lin Xueming, Gu Yujie and Zhao Zhiquan.     

Twelve Girls＇ Band＇ A Modern Miracle of Traditional Music

Twelve antique traditional instruments. Twelve spirited, pretty girls. “Twelve Girls‘ Band“ is a traditional instrument orchestra playing well-known folk music in the form of pop. Besides age-old traditional instruments peculiar to China, such as zheng (ancient 21 to 25-stringed plucked instrument), qin (seven-stringed plucked instrument) and erhu (two-stringed Chinese fiddle),     

China, France Co-organize Art Exhibition in Beijing

A Sino-French painting exhibition featuring impressionist and modern art opened at the National .Art Museum of China in the early spring of 2006. The exhibition, named ＂Ici, La-bas＂ （Here, There） features masterpieces of Chinese painter Ding Tianque and French painters, France Mitrofanoff and Francis de Lenclos.     

Tile End Art of the Qin and Han Dynasties

Tile ends are auxiliary building components of ancient China. Thesecylindricallyshaped small accessories are fixed at the end of rafters for decoration and for shielding the eaves from wind and rain. Eaves tiles first appeared during the Shang and Zhou dynasties （c. 16^th century - 221 BC） and were widely used in various types of architecture during     

Diaolou： Watchtowers of Kaiping

My surprising experience began at the balcony on the top of a residence in Zili Village, Kaiping County, the coastalprovince of Guangdong in southern China. A plethora of tall concrete buildings featuring European styles of ancient Greece and Rome quietly stood in the countryside field, looking eccentric, unique and well-fit in the soft morning sunshine. At the residence gate, I saw three black Chinese calligraphic characters reading ＂Yun Huan Lou＂ （tower of cloudy illusion）.     

＂Thunderstorm＂ Touches Japanese Hearts

During 2006 China Culture Festival in Japan, the dassic drama production ＂Thunderstorm （third edition）＂ was presented by Beijing People＇s Art Theatre （BPAT） at Autumn Theatre of the renowned Shiki Theatre Company in Tokyo. This classic program, directed by Gu Wei and starred by such respected drama actors and actresses as Yang Lixin, Gong Lijun, Wang Ban and Bai Hui, attracted the audience with realistic stage design and original story plots. Despite the language barrier, it deeply touched the Japanese audience which almost filled the nearly- 1000-seat theatre.[第一段]     

China,Arab States to Co-build the Belt and the Road in Cultural Field

The China-Arab States Forum of Cultural Ministers under the framework of the 3rd Arab Arts Festival took place at the National Mu- seum of China in Beijing on Septem- ber 10. The participants from the offi- cial cultural delegations of China, 10 Arab states and the League of Arab States conducted discussion and ex- changed views on such topics as increas- ing cultural exchange and cooperation, co-building the Belt （the Silk Road Eco- nomic Belt） and the Road （the 21st-cen- tury Maritime Silk Road） in the field of culture, and enhancing people-to-peo- ple communication. Chinese cultural minister Cai Wu and cultural ministers of the 19 participating Arab States ad- opted the Beijing Declaration.     

OLYMPIC HOST CITY EMBRACES A BIG TRAVEL BOOM

Exhibitors and buyers from more than 80 countries and regions as well as from 24 provinces and municipalities of China brought their best-tailored, up-to-date tourism products to trade at Beijing International Tourism Exposition 2007 （BITE） which took place from June 21 to 23 in Boijing Exhibition Center. With the 2008 Beijing Olympics coming up in one year, China＇s tourism industry is expected to heat up significantly, during which BITE 2007 definitely serves as the vital link between the Chinese and the vibrant global tourism industry in the years to come.     

Evaluation and Research： Habitat Setting of Qujiang New Area New Release of View Point Series of Qujiang Cultural Tourism

On June 6, Xi＇an Qujiang Cultural Tourism Co., Ltd. held a ceremony to release its new book “Evaluation and Research： Habitat Setting of Qujiang New Area” at Overseas Chinese Art Gallery in Xi＇an. This book is the second collection of View Point Series of Qujiang Cultural Tourism planned and compiled by Qujiang Institute of Cultural Tourism （QICT）, following its first collection “Cultural and Historic Theme Attractions in China： Case Study and Analysis of Tourist Behaviors”.     

Puppets in Firework Display

Chinese puppets were invented before Christ and puppet shows prospered in the Tang-and-Song peirod （618-1279）. There are now four major types of puppet shows, including marionettes, bag puppets, iron wire-controlled puppets and stick puppets. Wenzhou and Rugao, two coastal cities in southeast China, are known as the hometowns of the puppet show. Most puppet figures played in these two areas are marionettes. But in 2003 puppet figures driven by gunpowder explosion appeared at Wenzhou Tourism Festival, which stunned all the visitors. In June 2006, this puppet genre was included in the first national list of intangible cultural heritage under the statelevel.     

CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL

The fifteenth of the first lunar month is the lantern festival in China.The lantern festival was called the prime festival in ancient times,because it falls at the first fullmoon night of a new year.The tradition of hanging and appreciating lanterns started in the Eastern Han Dynasty （25-220AD） when Buddhism was imported into inland China form India.     

Wu Guanzhong： An Artist with Unsinkable Ideal

At 2pm on May 8th 2006, buyers from all over the world were gathering at Hong Kong Convention .and Exhibition Center for the auction session inthe ＂20th Century Chinese Art Exhibition＂. The first item was No. 170 - ＂East Lake in Shaoxin＂ by Wu Guanzhong. This small oil painting, only 45.5cm long and 61cm high, was appraised at 2 million Hong Kong dollars and was finally sold at 4.04 million. Later in the auction, the painting ＂Peach Blossom＂ also painted by Wu Guanzhong in 1963 was sold at 4.488 million and his ＂Concord Square＂ painted in 1989 was appraised at 2 to 2.5 million and was sold at 4.824 million. At that auction, 9 masterpieces painted by Wu Guanzhong before the 1980s were auctioned and all sold at high prices.     

China＇s First Art Museum Celebrates Its 80th Anniversary

Suzhou Art Museum, first built nearly one century ago, celebrated its 80th anniversarv this autumn. Despite so many ups and downs, this Greek-style structure, with 14 columns in its facade, still stands chicly at the bank of Canglangting （surging wavepavilion） River, housing art exhibitions and receiving numerous visitors every year.     

Old Beijing： Imperial City Impression

Ararely seen perspective on the Imperial City was unveiled in a just-concluded exhibition of images of old Peking from Western eyes at the time, As part of the 4th China Beijing International Cultural and Creative industry Expo, ＂Imperial City Impression： Old Peking Images in Western Prints＂ opened at Beijing World Art Museum, revealing valuable insights into the old city during the Qing Dynasty （1644-1911 ）.     

SHANGHAI FILM FEST HIGHLIGHTS ASIAN YOUNG TALENTS

The 10th Shanghai International Film Festival （SIFF） was rounded off at Shanghai Grand Theatre on June 24, 2007. The full list of winners from Jin Jue Award was announced at the awarding ceremony and the closing ceremony with all the eight awards in their proper places. The international judges, together with film and TV stars, distinguished guests from home and abroad awarded the prizes to the winners. ＂Flight of the Red Balloon＂, the closing film led the 10th Shanghai International Film Festival to a successful conclusion.     

Liu Hong： Chinese Lute Is My Best Love

Liu Hong, member of Tianjin Musicians Association and council member of the Pipa （Chinese lute） Academic Committee of China Traditional Orchestra Association, currently teaches pipa at Tianjin Music Conservatory. She is openminded and bold and vigorous in her work. Losing her father when she was only one year old, Liu, together with her two elder sisters, were raised only by her mother who is an elementary school teacher. As she liked singing very much, her music teacher at the elementary school recommended her to the choir of the city＇s children place. Unfortunately, the choir had no vacancy when Liu came. She therefore was transferred to the instrument class. There she began to learn pipa. Liu was not exceptional at all in the very beginning, but she liked pipa and practiced very hard. When the class entered into the advanced level, only five children were qualified for further study and Liu was one of them.     

Holy Mountain Embraces International Cultural Gala

From October 28 to 30, 2006 Taishan International Congress of Culture ＆ 1st Taishan Poetry Festival, co-organized by Center of International Cultural Exchange （CICE） and Tai＇an Municipal Government, took place in Taishan Mountain, venerated as ＂the most superior among the five sacred mountains in China＂. More than 100 poets, writers, artists and scholars from home and abroad gathered at the foot of Taishan Mountain to express their admiration for this holy mountain and discuss strategies for the development of Chinese culture.     

The Last Ten Years of Lin Yutang Starting from Lin Yutang Memorial Hall in Taipei

Lin Yutang Memorial Hall is situated at Yangde Avenue, Yangmingshan, Taipei. It was where Lin Yutang lived in his last ten years（1966-I 976）. The courtyard was given as a gift by Chiang Kai-shek, designed by Lin himself and then built by famous architect Wang Dahong.     

Archaeologist Zou Heng： Life Savings Spent on Books

Zou Heng＇s house is nothing but a library. Most of his rooms, even the space beneath the bed, are filled with books. He began to buy books in his college years in the end of the 1940s and has kept doing so until now. The walls of his study are all furnished with bookcases reaching to the ceiling and even the desk and the floor are piled with books. Though in his eighties, he spends most of his time in reading and writing. His wife told me that he got up early at 5 am and work at the desk until late at night.     

Artist He Gong Spans the East and the West

He Gong,a Chinese artist residing in the United Stares,is now teaching at Sichuan University. He studied oil painting and arl education at Southwest China Normal University in 1978 and received his master‘s degree in 1985,