Art beat in October

Best stone works on display

More than 200 statues, ornaments and seals that represent the beauty of Shoushan stone carving are on show at the Museum of Prince Gong's Palace. The Shoushan Stone is known as one of China's best four stones used for producing seals, and found in Shoushan village, Fujian province. It is divided into three categories according to its origins, namely tiankeng (field), shuikeng (water holes) and shankeng (mountain) stones. The stones have been appreciated as early as the Song Dynasty (960-1279). The works on display are all shuikeng stones and testimony to the exquisite handicraft of masters from across the Straits.

7:40 am-5:20 pm, until Oct 30. Ledao Hall, Museum of Prince Gong's Palace (Gong Wang Fu), Qianhai West Street, Xicheng district, Beijing.010-8328-8149.

Fan paintings on display

An exhibition of ancient Chinese paintings on folding fans is being held. Council Auctions Co. Ltd will present the exhibits on auction in Beijing in early December. More than 100 pieces belonged to the collection of Jiashutang in the 17th century, and feature diverse styles and subjects. Fan painting was at its peak in the 16th-17th century. Among the exhibits are works from great masters such as Wen Zhengming, Zhu Yunming, Shen Zhou and Dong Qichang.

9 am-5 pm, Oct 24-31. Long Museum, 210, Lane 2255, Luoshan Road, Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 021-6877-8787.

Contemporary artists

Longmen Art Projects has moved to a new venue on Nanjing Road West, neighboring People's Square. The new space has opened with a special exhibition of a contemporary artists' group. There is a permanent exhibition space for Walasse Ting (1928-2010), an important artist of the 20th century in China. Besides his paintings that depict female nudes, parrots and exuberant plants in bright colors, the gallery also presents a small library of documents and historical files about the artist.

10 am-6:30 pm, Oct 11-Dec 11. Longmen Art Projects, Suite102 Tian'An Center Building, 338 Nanjing Road West, Huangpu district, Shanghai. 021-6472-2838.

Women and relationships

Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center is presenting a Chinese play based on Simone de Beauvoir's book The Second Sex. Playwright Zhao Lian borrows the storyline to tell the story of a relationship and the challenges that come along with it. "I want to tell more than just a story that has happened. Through the story, I also want to discuss relationships in society today and the existence of women in the contemporary world," said Zhao, the playwright.

7:30 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, Oct 17-Nov 11. D6 Space, Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 6F, 288 Anfu Road Shanghai. 021-6473-0123.

Art depicts journey of life

LWH Gallery is a new establishment featuring contemporary Asian art from Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan and South Korea. Its opening exhibition Journey of Reflection will run until the end of November. The artworks present "each artist's own reflection of the journey of life". Among the artists, Nguyen Minh Phuoc from Vietnam depicts monks walking away from the audience, sometimes alone, sometimes in a group, sometimes with a destination, and sometimes with no clear path. Another artist, Muang Zaw from Myanmar, paints delightful portrayals of the daily life of young novices.

10 am-6 pm,Oct 9-Nov 30. LWH Gallery, 102, Building 14, 50 Moganshan Road, Shanghai. 0187-0171-7975.