What's on

Naturally figurative

Qi Baishi and Huang Binhong are often hailed as two great reformers of early 20th-century Chinese art. They played an important role in a movement formed to breathe new life into the creation of classical Chinese ink painting, when the genre fell by the wayside as Western art became increasingly popular among city dwellers. Zhejiang Art Museum, Beijing Fine Art Academy and Zhejiang Provincial Museum have come together to present an exhibition that surveys the experimental work by the two master artists. Titled Floral Aroma in Fall, the show juxtaposes the flower-and-bird paintings－a major genre of classical Chinese art－by Qi and Huang, from the collections of the Beijing Fine Art Academy and Zhejiang Provincial Museum. It compares the approaches adopted by Qi and Huang to imbue the traditional style with a modern context. Their renovations in palette and brushwork retain a scholarly elegance, which stands at the heart of the Chinese artistic spirit. Meanwhile, their works deliver figurative vigor to address the varying tastes of ordinary people, rather than agreeing with a limited population of high-end art lovers.

9 am-5 pm, through Oct 18. Closed on Mondays. Zhejiang Art Museum, 138 Nanshan Road, Hangzhou. 0571-8707-8700.

Ladies of the fight

The National Ballet of China's classic production, The Red Detachment of Women, will be staged with dancers, such as Hou Shuang, Li Jie and Yu Zhaohuan, playing the lead roles. Choreographed by Li Chengxiang, Jiang Zuhui and Wang Xixian, the ballet piece, China's first original ballet production, premiered in the capital in 1964 and is best known in the West as the ballet that was performed for former US president Richard Nixon during his historic visit to China in 1972. Based on a film of the same name, it tells the story of a rural girl, Wu Qionghua, who escapes a life of slavery and joins an all-female Communist Party army battalion led by commander Hong Changqing on Hainan Island in the early 1930s.

7:30 pm, Sept 22 and 23. National Center for the Performing Arts. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000.

Violin delights

China's National Symphony Orchestra will perform under the baton of conductor Yu Feng with repertories including German composer Johannes Brahms' Symphony No 4 in E Minor and the composer's Violin Concerto in D Major. Violinist Huang Bin will join the performance. Huang, one of China's most outstanding violinists, first came to international attention when she won the Junior Wieniawski International Violin Competition in Lublin, Poland, at age 14. She is currently director of the orchestral instruments department at the China Conservatory of Music in Beijing.

7:30 pm, Sept 25. National Center for the Performing Arts. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000.

Pandemic response

Fan Bo has continued exploring an abstract, conceptual approach to art for decades. His works touch on the hidden sides of people's spiritual worlds. He examines the changes in people's mentalities when they shift among social roles. The Formless Theater, an exhibition of Fan's work, shows his recent pieces addressing reactions to COVID-19.Fan, who's now a deputy head and professor of the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts, initiates a dialogue with the audience about the physical and mental pain exacerbated by the global health emergency. The Advent, for example, is one of Fan's works on show that enriches the viewers' perceptual experiences. Two huge screens show breathtaking images of the visitors' thermography, while a human figure is projected on a pool's surface. People become co-performers to complete the work, turning the space into a "formless theater". It resonates with people's feelings of loneliness in a fast-paced era. The power of imagination in Fan's works brings comfort to people's minds and souls.

10 am-6 pm, through Oct 8.Closed on Mondays. Beijing's Today Art Museum, 32 Baiziwan Road, Chaoyang district, Beijing.010-5876-0660.