Bohemian rhapsody

A concert version of Italian composer Giacomo Puccini's four-act opera, La Boheme, will be staged on Sept 11 and 12 by the NCPA Orchestra under the baton of conductor Lyu Jia, who is the chief conductor and artistic director of opera at the National Center for the Performing Arts. Featuring soprano Zhou Xiaolin and tenor Wang Chong in the major roles, the concert version of the opera will also be accompanied by the NCPA Chorus. The opera, which debuted in Turin, Italy, in 1896, is based on a collection of related stories by Henri Murger published in 1851, which depicts the lives of bohemian youths living in Paris and focuses on their relationships and lovers.

7:30 pm, Sept 11 and 12. Concert Hall of the National Center for the Performing Arts. No 2 West Chang'an Avenue, Xicheng district, Beijing. 010-6655-0000.

A lyrical view

Late writer, essayist and dramatist Wang Zengqi once said: "My paintings, they are like a cloud over a hill."Wang is often hailed as a "lyrical humanist" who inherited the spirit of Chinese scholar-artists, being well-cultivated in literature, calligraphy and ink paintings. His works are exuberant with delight, wit and serenity. Clouds over the Hill, an exhibition now on at Zhejiang Art Museum in Hangzhou, commemorates the centennial of Wang's birth through the display of nearly 100 paintings and calligraphic works from Wang's oeuvre. Visitors to the exhibition are offered an insight into Wang's world of culture, his understanding of the intimate relationship between Chinese literature and fine arts and his philosophical outlook on life.

9 am-5 pm, through Sept 25. Closed on Mondays. Online reservation needed. 138 Nanshan Lu, Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. 0571-8707-8700.