Jet Li is bitten but not shy in new film

Jet Li will combat a white snake in his latest kungfu film.

In It's Love, a fantasy/kungfu flick, Li plays a monk who masters martial arts.

The film, adapted from a classic Chinese tale, involves the romance between the intellectual Xu Xian and Bai Suzhen, a white-snake-turned woman. Li's Fahai is a monk who tries to separate them, in the belief that people should not fall in love with goblins.

In the trailer, Li uses prayer beads and a wand to fight the white snake goblin, played by young actress Huang Shengyi. He shows up throughout the two-minute-trailer, making the film seem more like a biopic of Fahai instead of a love story between the snake and the intellectual.

The film will premiere at the end of September.

Open the Door to children at arts festival

The annual Open the Door to Arts Summer Art Festival will run until Aug 31.

First established in 1994 by the Forbidden City Concert Hall, it enables children and parents enjoy a music-themed summer vacation.

The festival of 2011 will have more than 65 performances staged by domestic and international musicians, ranging from classical and traditional Chinese music, to jazz, Peking Opera and acrobatics.

Children are also encouraged to attend arts lectures and learn various instruments by attending summer music camps.

China Fashion Week on the up and up

China Fashion Week in October is seeking an international standing and as such automobile giant Mercedes-Benz recently announced its three-year sponsorship of the event.

The company has been a sponsor to New York and Berlin's fashion weeks. Eying the fast growing fashion scene in China, it will get involved in the country's fashion industry, helping promising Chinese designers present their works.

Now named MBCFW (Mercedes-Benz China Fashion Week), it will become one of the most important fashion events in the world after Milan, New York, London and Paris, according to Wang Qing, chairman of the event's committee.

Wool textile institute to develop high-end material

A wool textile research institute has been founded in Longkou, Shandong province.

At present, most of the top-quality wool is imported. Nearly 80 percent of the wool produced in China is of low quality, which is an obstacle for the development of the country's fashion industry, says Song Riyou, general manager of Shandong Nanshan Textitle Apparel Company.

The institute, co-founded by Xi'an Polytechnic University and the company, aims to develop top materials for China's fashion industry.

China Daily