The Children and Women's Chorus affiliated to the China National Symphony Orchestra will sing Christmas carols for the peaceful, holy holiday. Yang Hongnian will conduct.

Programme: "Jingle Bells", "Peaceful Night", "Happy New Year" and others.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, December 24

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall, in Zhongshan Park, to the northwest of Tian'anmen Square

Tel: 6559-8285

Suffocation

The drama "Suffocation" will be staged in Beijing. It will highlight the cruel side of human nature. The drama explores the dark side of human nature amid vanity and wealth. Six college students attend a quiz show, in the hopes of winning the game to capture the cash prize. They play well and are poised to win, but then make two crucial mistakes. After the game, two of the students die mysterious deaths.

Tickets: 80-180 yuan (US$10-22)

Time/date: 7:15 pm, December 24-28

Location: Bei Theatre, Beibingmasi Lane, 67 Jiaodaokou Nandajie, Dongcheng District

Tel: 6404-8021, 6406-0175

Red lantern

The Central Ballet of China will perform the Chinese ballet "Raise the Red Lantern" adapted from film director Zhang Yimou's film of the same name.

Tickets: 180-1,000 yuan (US$22-120)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, December 24-26

Location: Poly Theatre, Dongsi Shitiao

Tel: 6506-5343, 6506-5345

From Austria

Musicians from the Austrian Festival Orchestra will tour Beijing and celebrate New Year with Beijingers.

Founded 76 years ago, the troupe, regarded as being amongst the world's most brilliant orchestras, will add to the season's festive spirit.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, December 28, 29

Location: China National Library Concert Hall, Zhongguancun Nandajie

Tel: 8854-5501

Patriotic songs

Cheng Zhi, Dong Wenhua and Wang Xiufen, among 200 other vocal artists, who belong to Zongzheng Song and the Dance Ensemble affiliated with the General Politics Department of the People's Liberation Army will perform a concert entitled "Long Live China".

Zheng Jian, a first-grade national conductor, will conduct the orchestra.

Programme: "Beautiful Grassland", "My Hometown", "The Spring Story" "Song of Yangtze River" and "The Place Far Away" and others.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, January 2

Location: The Great Hall of the People, west of Tian'anmen Square

Tel: 8589-5049, 8589-5149

Solid folk songs

Original folk singers, who are actually villagers and shepherds rather than performing artists, will display the beauty of real folk songs from over 20 ethnic groups in China.

There are over a dozen types of folk song genres, which include those from Tibet, Inner Mongolia, or songs by Zhuang, Yao and Yi minority nationalities. This is an effort to call for the awareness from the public to help preserve the Chinese folk songs, which come from the daily activities of peoples.

Tickets: 100-180 yuan (US$12-22)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, December 29-January 8, 2005

Location: Bei Theatre, Beibingmasi Lane, Jiaodaokou, Dongcheng District

The New Munich Philharmonic Orchestra will make its Beijing debut to celebrate the New Year.

The troupe has performed at the Berlin International Music Festival and the Vienna and London music festivals. It has been conducted by some of the greats, including Charles Dutoit, Seiji Ozawa and Zubin Mehta.

The troupe is composed of 80-plus musicians, and has toured the world.

Programme: "Die Fledermaus (the Bat)", "Kaiser-Walzer" and "Blauen Donau-Waltz" by Johann Strauss, "Cello Concerto" by Dvorak, "Symphony No 6" and "Violin Concerto in D Major" by Beethoven, and "Symphony No 41 Jupiter" by Mozart.

Tickets: 180-1,080 yuan (US$22-130)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, December 28, 29

Location: Beizhan Theatre, Xizhimenwai Dajie

Tel: 6835-4455

Pipe organ

American pipe organ player Ronald Ebrecht will perform in China, accompanied by the China Youth Symphony Orchestra, under the conducting of Zhu Yibing.

In China, there are few musicians who are specialized in playing the pipe organ. There are only four such giant instruments in China, one in the Forbidden City Concert Hall, one in the Beijing Concert Hall, which has not been reopened due to maintenance, one in the Central People's Broadcasting Station which is not open to the public, and another in Guangzhou.

It is a true, rare opportunity to enjoy pipe organ during the New Year celebration.

Programme: "Fantasia and Fugue" by Bach, several European Christmas selections, "Pipe Organ Concerto" by Poulenc, and others.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, December 31

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall, in Zhongshan Park, to the northwest of Tian'anmen Square

Tel: 6559-8285

New Year gathering

Under the baton of Tan Lihua, the Beijing Symphony Orchestra will hold a New Year concert, inviting Fan Cong, a promising Chinese pianist who is now based in America, to appear as the show's soloist.

Tan has been artistic director of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and an active conductor in China. Pianist Fan is an international figure, who has performed in many famous concert halls worldwide.

Programme: "Blue River Danube", "Voice of Spring", "Hungarian Dance No 5", "Swan Lake" and "Piano Concerto No 5 (Emperor)" by Beethoven and more.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, January 1

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall, in Zhongshan Park, to the northwest of Tian'anmen Square

Tel: 6559-8285

American pianist

David Deveau, an American pianist who has enjoyed a smooth music career since he made his debut in 1982 New York's Lincoln Centre. He has appeared with many famous orchestras worldwide.

Programme: "Moonlight Sonata" by Beethoven, "Nocturne" by Chopin, "Carnival" by Schumann.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, January 3

Location: Forbidden City Concert Hall, in Zhongshan Park, to the northwest of Tian'anmen Square

Tel: 6559-8285

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Love in dreams

Cao Xueqin's classic novel "A Dream of Red Mansions" will be performed as a dance drama choreographed by Zhao Ming.

The dancers come from the Zhanyou Song and Dance Ensemble, Beijing, and the Shanghai City Dance Company.

The age-old novel, written during the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), will be presented in a modern way - with versatile body language and a brilliant staging and props.

The show will be staged this month at the Poly Theatre.

Time/date: 7:30 pm, January 7-9

Tickets: 180-1,000 yuan (US$22-120)

Location: Dongsi Shitiao

Tel: 6506-5345

Mao and Marx

Clay sculptor Wang Wenhai presents his latest creations at 798 art zone as a commemoration to celebrate the 111th birth anniversary of late chairman Mao Zedong.

Entitled "Mao Zedong and Marx", the exhibition displays the latest sculptures of Mao Zedong and Karl Marx in Wang's bold and unique style, which has won him the title of "master clay sculptor".

As a child, Wang showed a great interest in folk art like clay sculpture, grotto sculpture, Chinese New Year paintings and opera figure painting. The inspiration and enlightenment he received from teachers and students at Xi'an Institute of Fine Arts helped him to focus on the creation and research of clay sculpture Wang has spent many years making his clay sculptures of various prominent historical figures , among which late chairman Mao Zedong has been the centre of his creations. Time/date: 9 am-6 pm until December 31

Location: 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu

Tel: 6438-7107

Watch the world

A total of six avant-garde artists jointly present an exhibition at the New Millennium Gallery to reveal their angles of viewing world.

On show are the latest works created by artists who employ unique painting elements to visualize their original imagination, representing the non-traditional spirit and nature that modern art possesses.

Time/date: 9 am-6 pm until December 30

Location: Diyang Building, 2 Dongsanhuan Beilu

Tel: 8453-6193

Empty feeling

A collection of He Sen's oil paintings is on display at Art Now Gallery.

He's works mostly depict fashionable young people sitting in empty rooms, which are dimly lit to reflect the empty feeling of the new generation.

Time/date: 11 am-7 pm until January 23

Location: opposite gate 12 at Workers' Stadium

Tel: 6551-1632

New wave

The Art Seasons Gallery is hosting a modern art exhibition that highlights the bold artworks of artists who are blazing their own trails.

Time/date: 10:30 am-6:30 pm until February 5

Location: 2 Jiuxianqiao Lu

Tel: 6431-1900

Dream factory

Artist Zhang Xiaotao's personal art exhibition is on at Beijing Tokyo Art Projects. The exhibition presents bold works made by the artist between 1998 and 2004 as a record of the changing reality that contains different meanings to different people.

Time/date: 10:30 am-5 pm until February 5, 2005

Location: 4 Jiuxianqiao Lu

Tel: 8457-3245

Group show

A group exhibition will take place at the Red Gate Gallery in January. The exhibition will feature paintings, prints and sculptures made by artists Zhou Jirong, Tan Ping, Wang Yuping, Shen Ling, Su Xinping, Lv Peng and Yang Mian who have touched on different aspects of life with their works representing the feelings of people in modern society.

Time/date: 10 am-5 pm, January 1-February 28, 2005

Location: Dongbianmen Watchtower Chongwenmen

Tel: 6512-2561

Western soul

Artist Jiang Zhixin's personal painting exhibition is underway at the Treasure Art Museum.

Born in Gansu Province in Northwest China, Jiang has distinguished himself as a rugged painter specialized in depicting landscapes and abstract paintings characterized with western traces such as straight lines, open scenes and wilderness. The exhibits are latest works Jiang has created in succession to the dedicated pursuit of portraits of his western home.

Time/date: 10 am-5 pm until January 5

Location: Wangfu Apartment Club, Beiqijiazhen, Changping District

Tel: 8178-4081

Winter oils

The Qin Gallery is presenting a modern oil painting exhibition throughout the month.

The works of a dozen artists, who reveal their feelings about life and society, are on display.

Time/date: 9:30 am-7 pm until December 31

Location: 1-1E Huaweili, north of Beijing Curio City

Tel: 8779-0461