Foreign fans of ‘red’ songs sing their hearts out

Mark Levine, a 63-year-old US professor at Minzu University of China, is an American country music fan. It might make this next part sound strange: he also has an avid interest in Chinese revolutionary – or “red” –songs.

Nobel laureate helps celebrate Spanish Language Day

Hundreds of local fans of Spain joined the Spanish over the weekend to celebrate Spanish Language Day at the Institute of Cervantes in Beijing as part of a global campaign to promote the language worldwide.

Israel’s ‘Madame Curie’ shares Nobel experience with Chinese students

Representing the height of Israeli science, Ada Yonath, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in chemistry, was invited to China last week for a lecture tour in cities including Beijing, Tianjin and Fuzhou.

Grammy-winning musician makes guitar sing in Beijing

Renowned classical guitarist Sharon Isbin performed at the Central Conservatory of Music last weekend to promote her new album, Guitar Passions: Sharon Isbin & Friends, a follow-up to her 2010 Grammy-winning album Journey to the New World.

Paper-cut art, Italian style

Paper-cut art, or jianzhi, is a handicraft art created during the Eastern Han Dynasty (25- 220), extant practically right after paper was invented. Though it has spread around the world, its arrival in Italy was much belated – or at least it seemed.

A bold and beautiful pose – African models persevere to find foothold in China

The fewer the competitors, the better the chance to win: that’s what African model Doris Okaka thought when she came to China to begin a new phase in her career.

Playing from the heart – American’s fascination with imperial music leads to erhu performances

Janelle Smith, an American in her 60s and an auditor at the China Central Conservatory of Music, happened to be walking by Financial Street Community School one afternoon two years ago when the faint sounds of music seized her attention.

American investor thinks highly of Beijing film festival

The inaugural Beijing International Film Festival (BIFF) not only attracted 21 presidents of international film festivals, 334 film studios and 860 filmmakers, but also many investors from home and abroad.

The quest to save China’s moon bears

Last Saturday, Animal Asia Foundation (AAF) held a photo exhibition at the Capital Library and nominated film star Sun Li as the foundation’s “love ambassador” to call on the public to reject the use of digestive juices from bears in medicine.

China top destination for foreign medical students

China has displaced the US, Russia and the UK in the past five to six years as the most attractive place for foreigners to receive medical degrees…particularly students from countries like India, Pakistan and Nepal.