The year of Lang Lang

The pianist debuted at Ravinia Festival’s “Gala of the Century,” where he was selected as a last-minute substitute for an indisposed pianist. He played Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Healing the rift – Films restore family ties

Qiu Jiongjiong is an oddball – even in the art world. He began painting at the age of two, performed local opera at three, and at 18 dropped out of school to devote himself to his work.

‘I came, I saw, I recorded’ – Enriching life through travel

Tan Huaiyu is a travel legend. He has toured more than 147 world cultural heritage sites in 31 countries and attended the 2005 Aichi World Expo, the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

From woodcuts to new media

Many commercially successful artists got their start by selling prints of their oil paintings. However, many critics decry their work as counterfeiting under the mask of print art.

Crisis of living – Exploring the relationship between human beings and nature through new media

Human development has transformed nature and resulted in ecological disruption and climate change. The hole in the ozone layer, acid rain, deforestation, oil spills, radioactive plumes – these are all imprints of humanity’s desire for development, whatever the cost.

Mining for talent – Ballet competition turns up more duff than diamonds

There’s nothing like the pressure of an international competition to bring out the stars. Since the 1970s, more than 80 percent of the world’s ballet stars have proven themselves by winning awards at international ballet competitions.

Nostalgic for hutong life

Old objects are our touchstones. Whether an old bike, a campstool or an old home, the void they leave in our lives is one filled by nostalgia.

Dancing to the mainland – Hong Kong choreographers chase dreams in Beijing

Two Hong Kong choreographers have broken from the usual path of the graduate. Rather than sign with a major company or teach in a dancer center, they decided to found a studio and create their own works.

No room for imitators – Innovative designs displayed to foreign markets

China’s “Shanzhai” culture of imitation and fake goods has prevailed in recent years. But times are changing.

Road to revival – World artists fight to save opera

It has been a rough decade for classic arts. Countries around the world are slashing their budgets and few people are willing to spend for a night at the opera. But theaters everywhere seem determined to drag old arts into the new millennium by rediscovering ancient stories and creating new works.