12 spectacular things to do this week
Featuring Christmas markets, a brilliant Sunday Salon session and Steve Aoki
This week, we're waving goodbye to November and welcoming in the
freezing weather and festive spirit of December. If you're as shocked as
we are about where this year's gone and can't even bear to celebrate
Christmas yet, Beijing's still got plenty going on that doesn't involve
eggnog and mistletoe.
MONDAY
North Korean filmmaking: behind the scenes
Pop-Up Beijing. Mon 27. Free
Koryo Tours founder Nicholas Bonner presents another of his insightful presentations about North Korea's film industry. Giving an illustrated talk that includes his own personal experiences and anecdotes, Bonner will also show never-before-seen photographs from his feature film Comrade Kim goes Flying.
The Unreachable Stars
Beijing Concert Hall. Mon 27. 100-580RMB
Broadway star Jeremy Stolle’s newest show features pop, opera, Broadway and current hits. With a little help from his talented friends Heather Lundstedt O'Neill and Joseph Paul Rykert, Stolle’s vocal show sparkles with hits.
TUESDAY
The Best Years of Our Lives
Starring Fredric March, Dana Andrews and Myrna Loy this classic film follows three World War II veterans who return home to small-town America only to discover that they and their families have been irreparably changed.
WEDNESDAY
Steve Aoki
Sir Teen. Wed 29. Tickets tbc
Steve Aoki has been riding above the EDM wave since the '90s, and now he's bringing his high-energy set to what is sure to be a sweaty crowd of ravers at Sir Teen.
THURSDAY
Pierre-Laurent Aimard
Widely acclaimed as a uniquely significant interpreter of piano repertoire from every age, Pierre-Laurent Aimard enjoys an internationally celebrated career. In recognition of a life devoted to the service of music he was awarded the prestigious 2017 International Ernst von Siemens Music Prize this year. Aimard is set to perform a programme of Chopin, Messiaen and Beethoven.
FRIDAY
88Rising Asia Tour
Tango. Fri 1. 340RMB; 280RMB (presale)
88Rising, the media company responsible for introducing
Asian hip-hop to the world, are bringing its favourite sons to Beijing as part
of a nine-city tour of Asia. The lineup features Indonesian rap phenom Rich
Chigga (best known for viral single ‘Dat $tick’), Chinese hip-hop royalty
Higher Brothers and Japanese-Australian young gun Joji.
Beijing Ducks vs Zhejiang Golden Bulls
Shougang Basketball Centre. Fri 1. 50-800RMB
Coming off last week's surprise win over the Shanghai Sharks, our boys in blue take on the Zhejiang Golden Bulls next week ranked fifth in the league. Having lost only three out of nine matches this season, the Beijing Ducks enter the Round 10 match as the firm favourites. Can they build on their previous two wins and make it three for three?
Scala & Kolacny Brothers
Beijing Concert Hall. Fri 1. 100-680RMB
Directed by the Kolacny brothers, Scala is an indie-rock choir renowned for its creative and intimate reworkings of famous rock, metal and pop songs. Having performed at concert halls around the world and at festivals such as Coachella, SXSW and Latitude, Scala's music has also been featured in the trailer for The Social Network, as well as in TV shows Downton Abbey, Criminal Minds, Homeland and countless more. Arriving in Beijing this Friday, the programme includes covers of hit songs from Radiohead, Iron Maiden, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, The Cure and more.
SATURDAY
Japanese Breakfast
Yue Space. Sat 2. 140RMB; 100RMB (presale)
Korean-American musician Michelle Zauner embarks on her first China tour with her stellar second album Soft Sounds From Another Planet. Beguiling and idiosyncratic, her music falls somewhere between LCD Soundsystem and Lykke Li.
German Charity Christmas Bazaar
German Embassy. Sat 2. 100RMB (adults); 10RMB (children)
Get into the spirit of Christmas at the German Embassy's beloved annual bazaar, a delightful festive market where over 40 stallholders and market sponsors donate 100 percent of their revenue towards carefully-selected charity projects in and around Beijing. Visitors can enjoy delicious authentic German food, festive music, beautiful handmade Christmas decorations, activities for the children, a gigantic raffle with valuable prizes and more – all for a good cause!
Comedy Club China presents: Hutong Heroes
US China Comedy Center. Sat 25. 50RMB
Comedy Club China is bringing English language stand-up back to The US
China Comedy Center with a night of big laughs in an intimate venue. The
night will be hosted by the irreverent David Jacobs and feature a
diverse line up of Beijing's funniest people.
SUNDAY
Sunday Salon: piano collective with Michelle Yip and Cao Hui
The Bookworm. Sun 3. 50RMB; 40RMB (with the latest copy of Time Out Beijing magazine)
Sunday Salon, an interactive performance series that takes you behind the music of China, is back. This month showcases Michelle Yip, a teacher and Fulbright scholar, joined by pianist and frequent collaborator Cao Hui, associate professor of the Central Conservatory of Music. The two award-winning musicians will perform four-handed piano works by composers such as Astor Piazzolla and Wendy Wan-Ki Lee, including the Beijing premiere of Lee's Night Fantasy.
For more fabulous things to do this week, hit '阅读原文'.
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