Fan reprises classic film role

Actress Fan Bingbing reprises a classic role in Hong Kong action cinema - the white-haired witch Lian Nishang, originally played by Brigitte Lin in a 1993 action thriller. In the 2014 3-D version of the story, The White Haired Witch of Lunar Kingdom, Fan appears opposite Huang Xiaoming, who plays her love interest. The film tells the story of a woman whose hair turns white overnight after her lover's betrayal. At a recent conference in Beijing, Fan promised if the film, to be released on April 25, grossed more than 1 billion yuan ($160 million), she will reveal the identity of her boyfriend. Rumors about Fan and Hong Kong actor Aarif Rahman, her co-star in romantic comedy One Night Surprise last year, have been circulating but the rumored couple have never made it official.

Violin competition begins in Qingdao

The fourth China International Violin Competition (Qingdao) will kick off its first round in June, and the final contest will be held from Oct 16 to 29. Ten world-renowned violinists and teachers, including Felix Andrievsky from Ukraine and David Cerone from the United States, will take part. The competition is open to violinists of all nationalities, aged from 16 to 36. First prize is $50,000. Starting in 2005 and organized by the Ministry of Culture, China International Violin Competition (Qingdao) is one of three international music competitions and plays an important role in discovering talented young violinists and promoting cultural exchange. According to Hu Kun, president of the judging panel, who was the first Chinese citizen to win a prize at a major international violin competition in 1980, his late teacher, established violin educator Lin Yaoji, initiated the idea of organizing the competition and Hu hopes to carry on Lin's mission.

Exhibit to feature young artists

To encourage young people to work in fine arts, China Federation of Literary and Art Circles and the Chinese Artists Association are calling for works of fine arts made by people aged between 18 and 45. Artists and art lovers have to submit their works created in the past two years before June 15. Works wanted range from Chinese ink painting, oil painting, watercolor and wood block to sculptures from wood, stone and bronze. The final 260 works selected will be displayed in a show held at the National Art Museum of China in October.

Exciting season of avant-garde theater

The National Theater of China will cooperate with non-government theater troupes to deliver its avant-garde theater season starting on April 16. Nearly 20 shows will be performed until July 20, with more than 70 performances. Audiences can enjoy excellent works, such as The Unburied Dead by French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and 1988: I Want to Talk with the World by Chinese author and rally driver Han Han. To attract audiences and promote theater, the National Theater of China will offer cheap tickets. The most expensive ticket fee is 120 yuan ($19), and 40 percent of the tickets of each performance cost no more than 100 yuan.

Teen campaign urges healthy living

The Exercise and Healthy Diet Promotion Project for Urban Chinese Teenagers, a project that aims to promote a healthy environment in schools, communities and families, recently kicked off in Beijing. Sponsored by Ferrero China, the project will be launched in 12 schools in Shandong and Qinghai provinces from April, with another 12 schools serving as controls of the test. Government officials with the National Health and Family Planning Commission and Chinese Center for Health Education, representatives from the health education institutes in Shandong and Qinghai, and executives of Ferrero China attended the launch ceremony, and expressed their good wishes for the project.

(China Daily USA 04/04/2014 page14)