Art beat in August

Life as one-way train

An original physical theater production Way to Love will be staged at Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center. Four actors will present love stories set in several different eras on a minimal stage setting: two folding chairs and cloths. The director Guo Hongbo believes that life is a one-way train. No matter whom you've met, what you've done, one should remain thankful and hopeful. It's the leading drama of the second episode of the "Post Wave" campaign, from July to November, in which five plays will be staged.

7:30 pm, Tuesday-Sunday, July 31-Aug 11. Shanghai Dramatic Arts Center, 288 Anfu Road, Shanghai. 021-6473-0123.

Beijing A day dedicated to undying love

On Chinese Valentine's Day why not have a little love in the air with a romantic concert. The aptly named My Heart Will Go On show will be staged at the Beijing Concert Hall. The concert features songs from romantic classics such as Titanic, Swan Lake and Cinema Paradiso. Songs from well-known Chinese romantic films, like Under the Hawthorn Tree and In the Mood for Love, will also be performed.

7:30 pm, Aug 13. Beijing Concert Hall, 1 North Xinhua Street, Xicheng district. 010-6605-7006.

Trilogy explores various types of romance

Meng Jinghui, one of China's most successful theater directors, presents his famous trilogy for lovers. The director's interpretation of Romeo and Juliet presents a black comedy of Shakespeare's love tragedy while his First Love shows tough choices being made. Meng's box-office hit, Rhinoceros in Love, demonstrates the anguish of a lonely man's secret love for a woman. On Aug 13, couples can enjoy a discount of 85 percent if they buy tickets for any two of the three.

2:30 pm and 7:30 pm, Aug 13. Fengchao Theater, 3 Xinzhongjie, Dongzhimenwai, Dongcheng district. 010-8404-9981.

Songs of romance

Qixi, or Chinese Valentine's Day, falls on Aug 13 this year. To mark the occasion, a concert of music from famous romantic movies will be held in Beijing. Led by veteran conductor Fan Tao, the concert will feature music from movies like the Oscar-winning film Titanic, Tchaikovsky's masterpiece Swan Lake, and Chinese director Zhang Yimou's Under the Hawthorn Tree.

7:30 pm, Aug 13. Beijing Concert Hall, No 1, Beixinhuajie, Xicheng district,

Beijing. 010-5166-4511.

Songs of sweet devotion for young couples

A pop concert focusing on love songs seems the perfect way for young couples to enjoy the day. The concert features pop stars Jam Hsiao, Zhang Liangying and Christine Fan. Chinese folk music band Phoenix Legend and pop band Sodagreen from Taiwan will also be performing.

7:07 pm, Aug 13. Beijing Capital Stadium, 56 Zhongguancun Nandajie, Haidian district. 400-610-3721.

Woodcuts record changes in rural life

One year before the 100th anniversary of Chinese woodcut artist Luo Yingqiu's birth, his family members have donated 180 pieces of woodcuts and 23 blocks of wood he used in his work to the National Art Museum of China. Now more than 200 woodcuts Luo created from the 1930s to the 21st century are on display at the museum. Luo's woodcuts mainly feature the rural landscapes and farmland activities of villages in Guangdong province. He moved on to making large-size woodcuts that depicted the changes southern villages since the reform and opening-up of the 1970s.

9 am-5 pm, until Aug 14, National Art Museum of China, 1 Wusi Street, Dongcheng district. 010-6400-1476.

Cartoon festival

The monthlong Beijing Cartoon Festival was recently unveiled. The festival features hybrids of comics and travel books, with various cartoon figures showcasing the wonders of numerous travel destinations across the globe.

8 am-10 pm, until Aug 15. Old CCTV Tower, 11 Xisanhuan Zhonglu, Haidian district. 010-6845-0715