City guide-Beijing, Shanghai

Beijing

Pictures of spring

Three generations of Chinese artists will put on a painting show themed The Warm Rivers of Spring. On display are 38 works by 22 Chinese artists, from top-notch older generation talents like Tu Ke, who was born in 1916, to contemporary younger ones like Liu Lijuan. In the form of oil paintings, ink wash paintings and prints, the show strings together four seasons to symbolize the cycle of time. 10 pm-6:30 pm, Feb 23-March 24 except Mondays. Soka Art Center, 798 Art District, 4 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang district, 010-5978-4808

Ballet remix

The American Ballet Theater will bring dance lovers three styles of American modern ballet. Drink to Me Only with Thine Eyes is inventive ballet accompanied by nostalgic blues and jazz. The Moor's Pavane distills in one act the passion and dramatic arc of Shakespeare's Othello. Rodeo demonstrates American cowboy culture with enthusiastic and humorous dances.

7:30 pm, March 6-7. National Center for the Performing Arts, 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district. 010-6655-0000

Legendary love

Green Snake is a drama adapted from a well-known Chinese legend, White Snake, and is the major subject of several Chinese operas, films and TV series. It tells of the legendary love affair between a human and demon, kinship between demons, and the tension between demons and Buddha. The story portrays Chinese women's pursuit of love and their fight against traditional views of love and family. The drama is directed by Tian Qinrui.

7:30 pm, April 10-21. The National Theater of China, 227 Guang'anmenwai Dajie, Xicheng district. 400-610-3721

Life is elsewhere

Growing up in the countryside in Northeast China, oil painter Chen Shuzhong shares the life of his hometown with 25 oil paintings from different periods. Titled Watch Weed Beach, Chen's works focus on scenes from nature during the late winter and early spring. Fields and country roads are paired with farm produce to create a nostalgic feeling.

10 am-6 pm, until March 5. Linda Gallery, 2 Jiuxianqiao Road, Chaoyang district. 010-5978-9565

Shanghai

War and love

The second episode of the Love Trilogy created by director He Nian and playwright Ning Caishen, Romeo and Zhu Yingtai, tells the story of a poor rickshaw boy who falls in love with a girl from a prestigious family. The setting is in 1937, when China is at war against Japan, and the star-crossed lovers are faced with many hard choices.

7:30 pm, March 12-24. Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 288 Anfu Road. 021-6473-4567

Group exhibition

A group exhibition of five artists - Wang Qifeng, Wang Xiaojin, Xu Zhigang, Yu Zijun and Mafi Espirito Santo - is being held at Noeli Gallery to celebrate the Lunar New Year. The paintings convey understandings of Chinese traditions based on the artists' life experiences.

Noon-9:30 pm, Tue- Sun, until March 29. Noeli Gallery, 150 Yueyang Road. 021- 6431-9442

Art of the snake

Zhu Qizhan Art Museum is holding an annual exhibition celebrating the Chinese horoscope and this year the featured animal is of course, the snake. Visitors will get to see snake-related paintings, calligraphy, paper-cutting and photography by acclaimed artists and local residents.

9 am-5 pm, until March 3. Zhu Qizhan Art Museum, 580 Ouyang Road. 021- 5671-0742