Art beat in Beijing

Beijing

Word art

The National Art Museum of China invites viewers to appreciate the beauty of calligraphy and literature with a display of more than 100 refined couplets, or yinglian. The recently created exhibits, by such established calligraphers as Ouyang Zhongshi and Wang Xuezhong, fall into three categories of couplets. They are composed to celebrate Spring Festival, or to admire natural and human landscapes, or to express emotions and opinions on social affairs. They vary in styles including xingshu (semi-cursive or running script), caoshu (cursive script), kaishu (regular script) and zhuanshu (seal script).

9 am-5 pm, no admission after 4 pm, Jan 18-Feb 24. National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Dajie, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6400-1476.

Wintry wonderland

Cross-talk tribute

A group of cross-talk performers, including Kang Songguang, Jiang Kun, Li Zhengrui and Chang Guitian, will gather for a show to celebrate the late crosstalk master Wang Changyou's centennial. Born in Beijing, Wang started learning crosstalk at 19 and was known for his good memory and skill of imitating other cross-talk performers. One of his students, Li Jindou, who is also a renowned cross-talk artist, will conclude the show by performing with Wang Wenlin, the late master's oldest son.

7:30 pm, Jan 26. Forbidden City Concert Hall, Inside Zhongshan Park, West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 6551-3348/3349.

Voice, guitar, images

Cheng Fangyuan studied erhu (Chinese two-string fiddle) at the Central Conservatory of Music in 1977. But the Beijing native became one of the first mainland singers to sing English songs while playing guitar in the early 1980s. With 10 albums under her belt, the 52-year-old will celebrate her passion for English songs at her upcoming concerts in Beijing. The style of the concerts is skewed toward drama rather than the normal singing and guitar playing. Cheng will tell the story of her life, and share her reflections on life and marriage. Along with her music, she will display her photography at an exhibition inside the venue.

7:30 pm, Jan 18-20. 5 Guanghua Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 400-610-3721

Related: City guide: Beijing