The Du Fu Thatched Cottage in Chengdu, Sichuan Province Photo: IC

'Understanding Du Fu' - cultural event

This event in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, is going to take visitors into the world of Du Fu, a great Chinese Tang Dynasty (618-907) poet whose legacy still inspires people today. 

The event is going to be held at the Du Fu Thatched Cottage, a national-level cultural heritage conservation site in the city dedicated to the poet. It includes a tour of the site for two hours. Unlike standard cultural tours full of explanations provided by tour guides, visitors will be able to enjoy performances reenacting historical events at the site, and also will have the opportunity to interact with them. 

Besides this, experienced English tour guides will also be on site to help visitors from Western backgrounds. 

The event begins early in the morning at 9:30 am. There are a total of 12 spots that tell stories such as how Du Fu once "crowdfunded" the building of his house, and what his relationship was like with Li Bai and Meng Haoran.Li and Meng were also great Chinese poets, and their stories with Du can be reflected from the details at the cultural site. 

Although Du was a Tang Dynasty poet, his spirit has continued to influence lovers of poetry around the world.In 2021, the BBC in the UK produced the documentary Du Fu: China's Greatest Poet. The show followed the journey the Chinese poet took during his time in Chengdu.

Where: Du Fu Thatched Cottage, Chengdu 

When: December 29, 2022

Price: 728 yuan ($104)

'Romantic Classic' - music concert   

This music concert in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, is an event classical music fans will not want to miss out on. 

The Romantic Classic concert will present a total of 15 music pieces. The most popular classics such as Ode an die Freude composed by Beethoven, Swan Lake created by Russian master Tchaikovsky in 1875, and also the globally known Scottish folk song Auld Lang Syne, will all be delivered to audiences. 

Such a "common" selection of classical music aims to be a friendly entry for the public, inviting them to experience the beauty of classical music and learn that this "high class" music is meant for all to enjoy. 

The show will be performed by emerging musical group Music Fans Classical, which is dedicated to fusing contemporary music elements with traditional classical music. 

The group has rich onstage experience. Every year, it tours around the country, performing more than 300 concerts in 50 cities. 

The group has so far released six albums, many of which merge Chinese traditional folk music elements into Western classical music. 

Where: The Lichi Theater, Nanjing  

When: January 1, 2023

Price: From 100 yuan ($14)

'Dong Zhang Xi Wang' - art exhibition  

This art exhibition in Shanghai is a solo show from Chinese artist Wang Xuejun. Taking "gazing around" as its theme, the art show aims to have audiences reflect on the past year.

Through his oil paintings, the artist hopes to inspire visitors to find direction in life despite today's quickly changing times and environment. This has always been the creator's goal in making arts.

Wang is an experienced painter who graduated from the Sichuan Fine Arts Institute in the city of Chongqing. He is known for paintings that show how Chinese and Western cultures merge together. 

Proud of his Chinese identity, Wang believes that art can be a global language for communication as well as a means to reduce cultural bias and stereotypes. 

Besides showcasing painting artworks, the event also features an artist talk led by Wang himself. 

Where: WildHorse, Shanghai

When: Until January 20, 2023   

Price: Free Entry