Art beat in July

Animation theater coming soon

The first season of the Beijing Animation Theaters will start in August with 12 plays for children that will be performed by actors from the China Puppet Theater, Beijing Children's Art Theater and China National Acrobatic Troupe. Audiences can also watch adaptations of classics, such as Pinocchio and Black Cat Detective.

10:30 am, Aug 2-3; 10:30 am, Aug 23-24. China Puppet Theater, Jia 1, Anhuaxili, Chaoyang district, Beijing. 400-610-3721.

Beijing in oil

Li Shan is holding a solo exhibition showcasing oil paintings she has created since the 1970s. The everyday world has always been Li's subject: Beijing's public parks, ancient gateways and architectural details of traditional residential areas or hutong (alleyways).

10 am-6 pm, Tuesday-Saturday; 12 am-6 pm, Sunday, until Aug 24, and Monday by appointment. James Cohan Gallery Shanghai, 1F, Building 1, 170 Yueyang Lu (Road), Shanghai. 021-5466-0825.

A tree’s life

Shanghai artist Yansha Zi’an has exhibited her paintings extensively both at home and abroad. Her latest series about trees is being put on display from today at Longmen Art Projects. For Yansha, trees symbolize the will to live. Her depiction of their stretching branches shows techniques of traditional Chinese ink art, says curator Liu Enqin.

10 am-6 pm, July 26-Aug 30, Longmen Art Projects, Suite 102, Tian’an Center Building, 338 Nanjing Road West, Huangpu district, 021-6472-2838

Kids create fish at museum

Shanghai World Financial Center invites children to draw their own ocean fish to create a huge sky aquarium on the 94th floor of the skyscraper. The fish will join others in the digital aquarium, where they will "play and feed". Japanese visual artist Inoko Toshiyuki and his TeamLab have built the digital aquarium for children in China.

8 am-11 pm, until Aug 31. Shanghai World, Financial Center, 100 Shiji Dadao (Avenue), Pudong New Area, Shanghai. 400-1100-555.

Teresa once more

The story of late pop diva Teresa Teng was adapted into a musical by producer Li Dun. The musical Love U, Teresa, which debuted in Hong Kong in 2010, will come to Beijing this summer to give fans performances of more than 30 of her popular songs.

7:30 pm, until Aug 31. Oriental Theater, 11, Chaoyangmen Bei Dajie (Street), Dongcheng district, Beijing. 4006-228-228.

Shang relics on display

Panlongcheng, now located in Wuhan, Hubei province, became a military stronghold in the 15th century BC, from which period the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) extended its territory to southern China. An exhibition at the National Museum of China displays relics (pictured above) from the time between the early Shang and Warring States Period (475-221 BC). The exhibits show that brilliant craftsmen made the bronze vessels and musical instruments.

9 am-5 pm, daily except for Mondays, until Sept 3. National Museum of China, east of Tian'anmen Square, 16 East Chang'an Avenue, Dongcheng district, Beijing. 010-6511-6400.