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Mulan heads to Japan

Leading Chinese soprano Peng Liyuan, president of the Performing Arts Troupe of the PLA's Political Department, will lead the company to perform the Chinese opera Mulan Psalm in Tokyo and Sapporo from Nov 8 to 20. Peng, who premiered the opera in 2004, is the artistic director of the new production.\

Soprano Tan Jing and Lei Jia will perform the title role Mulan. Li Yuning, conductor of the Orchestra of the PLA's company, and Shunsaku Tsutsumi, artistic director of Japan's Royal Chamber Orchestra, will take turns to conduct the shows.

Mulan Psalm is based on the well-known Chinese folktale heroine Mulan who disguises herself as a man to take the place of her ailing father in the army.

The opera scored by Chinese composer Guan Xia debuted in 2004 and has toured across China. It has also played abroad, at New York's Lincoln Center in 2005, and at Vienna's National Opera House in 2008.

Roll up for circus

The 12th China Wuqiao International Circus Festival will be held from Saturday until Nov 13, in Hebei province.

Apart from the main venue at the provincial capital Shijiazhuang, circus events will also run in Cangzhou and Wuqiao county.

A total of 32 circus programs to be performed by over 200 artists, from 30 circus troupes and 22 countries and regions, will compete for the coveted Golden Lion, Silver Lion and Bronze Lion awards.

Some of the award-winning programs are expected to tour about 20 Chinese cities starting from early December.