Now Shenzhen | August 25, 2021
Art Exhibits
andscape of the Arctic
Since October 2005, Chinese photographer Wang Jiannan and his wife have visited 131 settlements of aboriginals in eight countries in the Arctic. Now, the couple have brought many precious pictures to OCT Art & Design Gallery for an exhibition. In 2004, the Arctic Council released a report on human development in that area. After that, the couple traveled to the mysterious land 19 times in the past 10 years. In addition to the natural environment, the couple also focused on the unique human landscape. The couple have taken and classified more than 30,000 pictures of cultures, species, landscapes and the sky and have taken millions of notes.
Dates: Until June 7
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Venue: OCT Art & Design Gallery, Shennan Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山区深南大道华·美术馆)
Metro: Luobao Line, OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit C
.K. photo exhibition
More than 400 photographic works created by 38 British artists since the 1960s will be on display at C2 in OCT-LOFT. The photos will be provided by The Photographers’ Gallery in London and include journalism photos and figure portraits. Highlighted artists include Philip Jones Griffiths, Anna Fox, Toby Glanville, Martin Parr, Derek Ridgers and Terence Donovan. The photos reflect post-industrialism, consumerism, multiculturalism and daily life in Britain.
Dates: May 9-July 5
Venue: C2, North Area, OCT-LOFT, Nanshan District (南山区华侨城创意文化园北区C2)
Metro: Luobao Line, Qiaocheng East Station (侨城东站), Exit A
olo exhibition by Leung Chi-wo
“Press the Button …,” a photography, performance, text, video and installation exhibition by Hong Kong artist Leung Chi-wo, will open Saturday at OCT Art Terminal (OCAT). The exhibition showcases 30 of his works created in the last 30 years. It is relevant that the most recent works in this exhibition are based on his childhood experiences crossing the border from Hong Kong to Shenzhen for weekly medical treatments.
Dates: April 25-June 30
Venue: OCAT, OCT-LOFT, Enping Road, Overseas Chinese Town, Nanshan District (南山区华侨城恩平路创意文化园OCT当代艺术中心)
Metro: Luobao Line, Qiaocheng East Station (侨城东站), Exit A
Music Performances
Maksim Mrvica
Croatian pianist Maksim Mrvica will give a recital in May at Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center. Mrvica studied at the Franz Liszt Conservatoire in Budapest. During that time, he won first prize at the Nikolai Rubinstein International Piano Competition. In 2000, he moved to Paris to study with Igor Lazko and earned the first prize in the Pontoise Piano Competition in 2001. Mrvica has performed in a couple of international beauty pageants and MTV awards. His image and charisma also attracted the interest of global brands such as American Express, who sponsored him in Singapore. Mrvica’s piece “Exodus” was also used as the floor music for Russian artistic gymnast Anna Pavlova in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Time: 8 p.m., May 27
Tickets: 280-1,080 yuan
Reservation: 400-185-8666
Venue: Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center, 2106 Nanshan Boulevard (南山大道2106号南山文体中心)
Metro: Luobao Line, Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B
Ballades Enfantines
French duo Ballades Enfantines (Childhood Ballads) will present a night of ballads at Shenzhen Children’s Palace and Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center. With some of the most iconic French childhood songs, the concert is sure to captivate children and parents alike through its catchy lyrics and timeless style. In a jazzy-swing musical universe, fantasy becomes reality in this joyful and charming performance by Domitille and Amaury de Crayencour.
Time 1: 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., May 30
Tickets: 60-200 yuan
Venue: Shenzhen Children’s Palace (深圳少年宫)
Metro: Longgang or Longhua Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit B
Time 2: 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., May 31
Venue: Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center (南山文体中心)
Metro: Luobao Line, Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B
I Musici
Italian chamber orchestra I Musici will perform Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” Piazzolla’s “Le Grand Tango” and a few South American pieces June 3 at the Shenzhen Concert Hall. From Rome, I Musici, also known as I Musici di Roma, was formed in 1951. They are well-known for their interpretations of Baroque and other works, particularly Antonio Vivaldi and Tomaso Albinoni. I Musici’s repertoire spreads from the 18th century to contemporary music, including important works by composers such as Nino Rota, Louis Bacalov and Ennio Morricone among many others.
Time: 8 p.m., June 3
Tickets: 80-480 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D
Free piano, cello concert
Belgian cellist Thomas Landschoot will collaborate with Taiwanese pianist Wang Liang-yu for a concert May 31 at the Shenzhen Concert Hall. Free tickets can be claimed at szyyt.com. The program will be Bruch’s “Kol Nidrei,” Franck’s “Sonata in A Major” and Saint-Saens’ “The Swan.”
Time: 3 p.m., May 31
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D
Folk music by Stars and Rabbit
Indonesian folk music duo Stars and Rabbit will present a show June 1 at B10 Live.
Formed in early 2011, the group consists of singer-songwriter Elda Suryani and arranger Adi Widodo. Their music is a melding of pop and folk influences with raw simplicity of composition, arrangement and performance. As the duo complements each other perfectly in both songwriting and performing, with Widodo’s strumming and falsettos that harmonize in sync with Suryani’s melodic voice. It is no wonder that their music has reached so many ears in such a short span of time. Suryani’s unique vocal projection and eye-catching body movements that blend smoothly with Widodo’s charming guitar strumming and plucking helped them stand out from the crowd, becoming today’s center of attention among the indie pop/folk communities in Indonesia. Their songs are constantly changing as they allow themselves to be spontaneous and react to their mood, as well as the vibe they pick up from the audience.
Time: 8:30 p.m., June 1
Tickets: 40-60 yuan
Venue: B10 Live, North Area, OCT-LOFT, Nanshan District (南山区华侨城创意文化园北区B10现场)
Metro: Luobao Line, Qiaocheng East Station (侨城东站), Exit A
Wang Yujia
Young Chinese pianist Wang Yujia will give a recital in early June at the Shenzhen Concert Hall. The program will be Chopin’s “Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Op. 35,” “Piano Sonata No. 3 in B Minor, Op.58,” Scriabin’s “Prelude for the Left Hand Alone, Op. 9, No. 1,” “Prelude Op. 11, No. 8 in F-sharp Minor,” “Fantasie in B Minor, Op. 28,” “Prelude Op. 37, No. 1 in B-flat Minor,” “Black Mass Sonata” and Balakirev’s “Islarney.”
Born in 1987, Wang, at only age 11, was accepted as the youngest student to the Morningside Music Bridge International Music Festival at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Canada. Starting at age 15, she studied for five years with Gary Graffman at the Curtis Institute of Music.
Time: 8 p.m., June 6
Tickets: 180-780 yuan
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D
Free piano concert by Gustavo Romero
American pianist Gustavo Romero will give a free concert in the afternoon June 7 at the Shenzhen Concert Hall. Tickets can be obtained at www.szyyt.com. Romero’s playing has a stellar reputation for both its technical brilliance and interpretive depth. He is known for his commitment to in-depth exploration of individual composers.
Time: 3 p.m., June 7
Inquiries: 8284-1888
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit C or D
ts: 40-60 yuan
Venue: B10 Live, North Area, OCT-LOFT, Nanshan District (南山区华侨城创意文化园北区B10现场)
Metro:Luobao Line, Qiaocheng East Station (侨城东站), Exit A
Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc Choir
French children’s choir Les Petits Chanteurs de Saint-Marc (in English The Little Singers of Saint Marc) will give a show in early June at the Shenzhen Concert Hall.Founded in September 1986 by Nicolas Porte, the choir is a mixed unit composed of 75 to 80 children from 10 to 15 years old. All are provided education by Saint-Marc College in Lyon.
Time: 8 p.m., June 7
Tickets: 80-580 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D
Three Beethoven concerts by the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra
The Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra (SSO) will present three concerts of Beethoven’s works in June and July. German conductor Christian Ehwald will wield the baton for the July 17 and 24 concerts.
Chinese pianist Zuo Zhang will collaborate with the orchestra on June 12 to perform “Name Day Overture” and “Piano Concerto No. 5.”
The orchestra will play “Coriolanus Overture,” “Violin Concerto in D Major” and “Symphony No. 3” on July 17. “Symphony No. 3” is a structurally rigorous composition of great emotional depth, which marked the beginning of Beethoven’s creative middle-period.
The orchestra will play “Symphony No. 1” and “Symphony No. 9” on July 24. Featured singers include soprano Guo Chengcheng and mezzo-soprano Liu Yun.
Dates: June 12, July 17, 24
Tickets: 50-280 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D
Chinese Pianist Zuo Zhang
Chinese pianist Zuo Zhang will collaborate with the Shenzhen Symphony Orchestra to perform Beethoven’s “Name Day Overture” and “Piano Concerto No. 5.”“Name Day Overture” is a symphonic overture in C major that Beethoven completed in 1815 and first performed on Christmas Day, 1815. The piece is seldom played.
With her remarkable musical gift, Zuo has achieved great success in competitions and performances in China and abroad. She has participated in many national and international competitions and continuously receives high praises from juries and audiences alike. Zuo’s solo repertoire is expansive, as she has collaborated with a number of prestigious orchestras.
Time: 8 p.m., June 12
Tickets: 50-280 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longgang or Longhua Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit C or D
Italian Pianist Gilda Butta
Veteran Italian pianist Gilda Butta will give a recital in June. Butta won the Franz Liszt Prize in 1976 and started a concert pianist career. She has recorded 400 film soundtracks, most notably ones arranged by Academy Award-winning composer Ennio Morricone. At the Shenzhen concert, Butta will perform scores from “The Legend of 1900,” “Shine,” “Cinema Paradiso,” “Love Affair” and “The Pianist.”
Time: 8 p.m., June 19
Tickets: 180-480 yuan
Reservation: 400-185-8666
Venue: Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center, 2106 Nanshan Boulevard (南山大道2106号南山文体中心)
Metro: Luobao Line, Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B
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Kousuke Atari
Japanese enka artist Kousuke Atari will perform in town in June. Atari is a self-trained musician and performs in the difficult shimauta (island-song) style of his hometown. While his style of music is close to mainstream pop, his vocals have an undoubtedly traditional Japanese flavor, and his inspiration still comes from his roots.
Shimauta is a genre of songs originating from the Amami Islands, Kagoshima Prefecture of southwestern Japan. It became known nationwide in the 2000s with the success of young pop singers from Amami Oshima, such as Hajime Chitose and Atari.
Time: 8 p.m., June 26
Tickets: 180-680 yuan
Reservations: 400-185-8666
Venue: Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center, 2106 Nanshan Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山大道2106号南山文体中心)
Metro: Luobao Line, Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B
Nashville SMZ Trio
Nashville SMZ Trio, comprised of three teachers from Belmont University School of Music in the United States, will perform at the Shenzhen Concert Hall. The three musicians, violinist Elisabeth Small, cellist Zhang Xiaofan and pianist Robert Marler, will perform Dvorak’s “Trio No. 4 in E Minor,” Corigliano’s “Red Violin Caprices,” Shostakovic’s “Trio No. 1 in C Major, Op. 8,” Debussy’s “Reflets Dans L’eau,” Sibelius’ “Malinconia Op. 20,” Schubert’s “Trio No. 2 in E-Flat Major, Op. 100, D929” and Morricone’s “Cinema Paradiso.”
Time: 7:30 p.m., June 27
Tickets: 80-280 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D
Charles Dutoit, Li Yundi to present classics
Chinese pianist Li Yundi will collaborate with the National Youth Orchestra of the United States of America for a concert July 23. Swiss conductor Charles Dutoit will wield the baton. The program will be Beethoven’s “Piano Concerto No. 5” and Berlioz’s “Fantastical Symphony.” Berlioz’s “Fantastical Symphony” is an important piece from the early Romantic period and is popular with concert audiences worldwide because of its hallucinatory and dreamlike nature and because history suggests Berlioz composed at least a portion of it under the influence of opium. According to American composer Leonard Bernstein, “Berlioz tells it like it is. You take a trip, you wind up screaming at your own funeral.”
Time: 8 p.m., July 23
Tickets: 180-880 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longgang or Longhua Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit B
Sophie Zelmani
Swedish singer Sophie Zelmani will give a show in September at Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center. Despite no professional music training, Zelmani became a songwriter and recorded some songs at a studio in Stockholm when she was a teenager. After she mailed the demos to three record companies, Zelmani was offered a record deal by Sony Music Sweden. Zelmani has also contributed music to TV series “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Dawson’s Creek.” Her cover of Bob Dylan’s “Most of the Time” appears on the soundtrack to “Masked and Anonymous.” Her song “Stand By” appeared in the film “Independence Day” (1996). Her song “Always You” appeared in the film “My Best Friend’s Wedding” (1997). Zelmani’s “Going Home” from “Sing and Dance” was covered in Mandarin as “Passenger” by Faye Wong on “To Love.”
Time: 8 p.m., Sept. 3
Tickets: 80-280 yuan
Venue: Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center, 2106 Nanshan Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山区南山大道2106号南山文体中心)
Metro: Luobao Line, Taoyuan Station (桃园站), Exit B
Theatre Performances
Duckling
Shenzhen audience members will be electrified by the U.S. Lightwire Theater’s presentation of “The Ugly Duckling” at Shenzhen Concert Hall on May 30. Led by choreographer/director/dancer Ian Carney, the four-person cast swirl and stomp through a high-spirited performance. The show is performed in total darkness, illuminated only by the thin light strips that outline the mechanical costumes worn by the dancers.
The handmade neon costumes are fascinating by themselves. Carney and company have complicated the traditional tale of a swan born among ducklings by adding an antagonistic poultry-craving alley cat. The ugly duckling does not simply grow into a beautiful adult; she rescues one of the ducklings from the clutches of a cat in a thrilling ninja-like battle of beasts. The threat posed by the hungry predator will provoke a flicker of fright from small audience members. But the action-packed climax will cause small faces to beam. All ends happily amid good feelings and gratitude. “We didn’t want it to be just about beauty. I’m a boy. I wanted a fight,” said Carney.
Time: 8 p.m., May 30
Tickets: 60-380 yuan
Venue: Shenzhen Concert Hall, intersection of Hongli Road and Yitian Road, Futian District (福田区红荔路和益田路交汇处深圳音乐厅)
Metro: Longhua or Longgang Line, Children’s Palace Station (少年宫站), Exit D
Steamy Dance Show ‘Golden Lotus’
“The Golden Lotus,” a modern dance show adapted from the Chinese erotic novel of the same name, will be staged at the Shenzhen Grand Theater in May. Presented by Beijing Dance Theater, the show is a mix of modern dance and ballet. It was very successful when it was presented at the Hong Kong Arts Festival in 2011. Passion and lust feature prominently in the version created and directed by Wang Yuanyuan, one of China’s leading modern dance choreographers. “The Golden Lotus” follows three female protagonists in their pursuit of desire and ambition.
Written by an anonymous author under the pseudonym “Lanling Xiaoxiaosheng,” “The Golden Lotus” is a Chinese novel circulated as early as 1596. The graphically explicit depiction of sexuality garnered the novel notoriety in China. “It’s true that a large part of ‘The Golden Lotus’ has to do with sex, but it also focuses on other aspects such as lust, desire and jealousy. It’s art and it connects with audiences,” she said.
Time: 8 p.m., May 23
Tickets: 180-880 yuan
Venue: Shenzhen Grand Theater, 5018 Shennan Road East, Luohu District (罗湖区深南东路5018号深圳大剧院)
Metro: Luobao or Shekou Line, Grand Theater Station (大剧院站), Exit B
‘Beauty and the Beast’ by State Street Ballet
“Beauty and the Beast,” a ballet presented by U.S. State Street Ballet, will be staged at the Shenzhen Poly Theater in June. Created in 2000 by Emmy Award-winning choreographer Robert Sund, State Street Ballet brings to life one of history’s most enduring fairy tales, crafting a beautiful and poignant production that shows the truly powerful, healing nature of love. Based on the timeless 1946 film by Jean Cocteau, the story unfolds on stage through stunningly romantic choreography, lavish masks and costumes, virtuoso performances, and the luscious music of Tchaikovsky. A tale as old as time, State Street Ballet has performed this delightful and emotional production for audiences of all ages. Sund has had a long and versatile relationship with State Street Ballet, creating original, full-length productions of “Beauty and the Beast,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Taming of the Shrew.” As the child of deaf parents, Sund’s ability to express emotion through movement is extraordinary, as are his diverse and imaginative musical choices. With an extensive background in theater and film, costume designer Mary Etta Lang successfully blurs the line between reality and fantasy with her dreamy, enchanting, and fanciful designs. Combined with magical and mysterious sets and lighting design and characters that will dazzle the imagination of both children and adults, “Beauty and the Beast” is the ideal visual treat for the whole family.
Time: 8 p.m., June 10-11
Tickets: 100-380 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Poly Theater, intersection of Wenxin Road 5 and Houhaibin Road, Nanshan District (南山区后海滨路与文心五路交界处深圳保利剧院)
Metro: Shekou Line, Houhai Station (后海站), Exit E
‘Odyssey’ by The Paper Cinema from Britain
“Odyssey,” a silent film created live before your eyes and accompanied by a captivating live score, will be presented by The Paper Cinema from Britain. The Paper Cinema’s “Odyssey” is a magical and resourceful piece of storytelling for all ages that frames Homer’s classic myth in a totally new and highly imaginative way. Homer’s cornerstone of literature “The Odyssey” is vividly told with beautiful illustrations and masterful puppetry. Cinematic projection and cunning tricks transform a suitcase full of cutout puppets into an array of living characters and striking landscapes.
In this feature-length adaptation of Homer’s “Odyssey,” The Paper Cinema uses a unique blend of animation, music, film and theater to magical effect. Founded in 2004 by Nicholas Rawling with Imogen Charleston and Christopher Reed, The Paper Cinema creates unique, magical performances that combine the languages of animation, music, film and theater to lead viewers through a variety of stories. Intricate pen and ink illustrations are skillfully manipulated in real-time in front of a live video camera and projected onto the big screen alongside live music, which is integral to the work.
Time: 8 p.m., June 19-21
Tickets: 50-380 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shixia Theater Hall, Futian Cultural Hall, 3006 Fuqiang Road (福强路3006号福田区文化馆石厦戏剧主题馆)
Metro: Longgang Line, Yitian Station (益田站), Exit B
Movies Now Playing in English
Tomorrowland
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Chappie
I, Frankenstein
12 Citizens (Mandarin with English Subtitles)
Trade Fairs
International Small Motor, Electric Machinery & Magnetic Materials Exhibition
Dates: May 26-28
Inquiries: (020) 2919-3588
Power Industry and Electric Transformer Exhibition
Dates: May 26-28
Inquiries: (020) 2919-3588
Shenzhen-Hong Kong-Macao Intl. Auto Show
Dates: June 6-14
Inquiries: 8389-0611
Venue: Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center, Fuhua Road 3, Futian District (福田区福华三路深圳会展中心)
Metro: Convention and Exhibition Center Station (会展中心站), Exit C
Other
South Korean kung-fu show
“Jump,” a popular show from South Korea, will hit Shenzhen Poly Theater on May 30. Based on the traditional South Korean martial arts of taekkyeon and taekwondo, this hilarious show tells the story of a martial arts family who encounter thieves in their house one night.
Time: 8 p.m., May 30
Tickets: 180-480 yuan
Venue: Shenzhen Poly Theater, intersection of Wenxin Road 5 and Houhaibin Road, Nanshan District (南山区后海滨路与文心五路交界处深圳保利剧院)
Metro: Shekou Line, Houhai Station (后海站), Exit E
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA), an American privately held professional wrestling promotion from Nashville, Tennessee, will present a night of wrestling May 30 at Shenzhen Gymnasium. Highlighted wrestlers include Jeff Hardy, Montel Vontavious Porter, Eric Young and Bobby Roode.
Time: 8 p.m., May 30
Tickets: 200-1,200 yuan
Reservations: 400-610-3721
Venue: Shenzhen Gymnasium, Sungang Road West, Futian District (福田区笋岗西路深圳体育馆)
Metro: Longgang Line, Tongxinling Station (通新岭站), Exit C
A circus
Time: 7 p.m., May 31-June 1; May 31 also at 3 p.m.
Tickets: 200-500 yuan
Venue: Gymnasium of Shenzhen Bay Sports Center, 3001 Binhai Boulevard, Nanshan District (南山区滨海大道3001号深圳湾体育中心体育馆)
Metro: Shekou Line, Keyuan Station (科苑站), Exit A
Henan relics
An exhibition of cultural relics unearthed from Central China’s Henan Province is being held. Featuring a spectacular selection of articles for daily use or to be buried with the dead, the exhibits span from the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty and showcase the fascinating culture of Henan.
Dates: Until July 12
Venue: Shenzhen Museum, Block A, Civic Center, Futian District (福田区市民中心A区深圳博物馆新馆)
Metro: Shekou or Longhua Line, Civic Center Station (市民中心站), Exit B
Shadow play puppets on display at SZ Museum
More than 300 shadow play puppets are on display at the Shenzhen Museum’s outlet on Tongxin Road.
Shadow play, also known as shadow puppetry, is an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment that uses flat articulated figures to create cutout figures that are held between a source of light and a translucent screen or scrim. The cutout shapes of the puppets sometimes include translucent colors or other types of detailing. A talented puppeteer can make the figures appear to walk, dance, fight and laugh.
Shadow puppetry originated during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220) when one of the concubines of an emperor died from an illness. The emperor was devastated, so he summoned his court officers to bring his beloved back to life. The officers made a shape of the concubine using donkey leather. Her joints were animated using 11 separate pieces of the leather and she was adorned with painted clothes. Using an oil lamp, they made her shadow move, bringing her back to life.
Dates: Until Aug. 2
Venue: Shenzhen Museum, 6 Tongxin Road, Futian District (福田区同心路6号深圳博物馆老馆)
Metro: Luobao or Shekou Line, Grand Theater Station (大剧院站), Exit B
Shenzhen Relics
If you think Shenzhen’s history only dates back 35 years, you are wrong. An exhibition of Shenzhen relics dating back to the New Stone Age, along with ancient objects from neighboring Dongguan, Huizhou, Heyuan and Shanwei cities, is being held at the Shenzhen Museum’s Civic Center outlet. The 143 exhibits, provided by museums from the five cities, are mainly stoneware, pottery, porcelains, bronze weapons and gold accessories. Most Shenzhen relics were unearthed from Xiantouling, Wubeiling, Chiwan and Tiezishan.
Dates: Until Aug. 16
Hours: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Closed Mondays
Venue: Shenzhen Museum, Block A, Civic Center, Futian District (福田区市民中心A区深圳博物馆新馆)
Metro: Shekou or Longhua Line, Civic Center Station (市民中心站), Exit B
List compiled from Shenzhen Daily, Shenzhen Stuff, Shenzhen Party, Love Shenzhen, Shenzhen Exchange
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