Pop star champions porpoise protection

Singer Zhang Liangying was in Beijing recently to launch a foundation to protect the endangered Yangtze finless porpoise, which numbers less than 1,800 in the wild. The porpoise mainly lives in the central and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. Zhang, who is the World Wildlife Fund ambassador for the Yangtze finless porpoise, also released an EP at the event. The EP includes her new song Grateful. The total copyright revenue of 800,000 yuan ($130,000) was donated to the foundation. She visited the Yangtze finless porpoise conservation in March and she will visit again later this year to learn more about the finless porpoise and create public awareness.

Magazine hosts poetry salon

Women's magazine Modern Lady has launched a poem-reading salon. The event will be held monthly, traveling to a new city each time, including Beijing, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hangzhou. The magazine will invite some 100 readers to share poems and present performances. In Beijing, readers enjoyed guqin music, Kunqu Opera and a small-scale fashion show at the 600-year-old temple Dong Jing Yuan. Guqin maestro Li Zejun performed the seven-stringed plucked instrument listed as an intangible culture heritage by UNESCO. The Kunqu Opera performance and the trendy runway show transported people through time from ancient to modern days.

Calligraphy masterand the classics

Calligrapher Wang Ya's latest work, published by People's Fine Arts Publishing House, sums up his explorations of the traditional art over 40 years. In his newly published calligraphy book, Wang rewrote three-character verses of the classic text Di Zi Gui, or Standards for Being a Good Pupil and Child, blending the beauty of kaishu (regular script) and xingshu (semi-cursive script) styles. A native of Shanxi province, Wang began the disciplines of calligraphy at the age of 6. He later improved his writing under the guidance of established painter and calligrapher Dong Shouping. Wang hopes the book will prompt young people's interests in calligraphy and ancient classics.

Ru porcelain's great believer

Ru porcelain master Meng Yusong recently signed an exclusive agency agreement with the Beijing-based China International Showgood Art Museum. The museum will house authentic Meng wares that feature a collection certificate autographed and sealed by the master and a personalized stamp. The move is to better protect Meng's original creations and collectors' rights, because the market has been saturated with poor-quality counterfeits. The Ru kiln, run by the imperial court, used to cater to Northern Song Dynasty rulers and its products are considered the best of Chinese porcelains. Meng started researching and making Ru ware in 1973, and has since reproduced many exquisite Ru porcelains. She will hold a solo exhibition at the China International Showgood Art Museum in August, celebrating her persistence in reviving the art of Ru ware.

Short films make big impact

The award ceremony of the Nine-Minute Film Championship was held at the Beijing Film Academy recently. More than 6,000 people from 350 teams participated in the contest and completed about 90 productions. More than 30 works from the first three championships were nominated in movie festivals such as Cannes Film Festival and Berlin International Film Festival. The fourth championship started in Jiading district, Shanghai, in May. All teams have to finish their short films in four days in the district, with the same equipment provided by the organizing committee. The best film team will receive a venture-capital of 1 million yuan to start their own movie project.

China Daily

(China Daily USA07/09/2013 page10)