Pioneering theatre fest
China’s theatre scene has witnessed a burst of energy this year. Initiated by three Chinese theater big shots, Stan Lai, Huang Lei and Meng Jinghui, the first Wuzhen Theater Festival was held in the riverside town in May. Classic plays were performed, alongside new, in an immersive theatre experience taking over the entire town. Performers from all over China and the world attended, testimony to the burgeoning fringe scene in China.
Dad! Where are we going?
And TV hasn’t been doing too badly this year either. Reality shows have sprouted up all over the small screen, hot on the heels of the success of reality talent show The Voice of China in both 2012 and 2013. Dad! Where Are We Going, a new reality show, debuted in October. The show sees celebrity dads taking their kids to experience life in the countryside, and has turned into a new hit.
Making history
Record-breaking art in China next. Chinese artist Zeng Fanzhi’s oil painting "The Last Supper" was sold for 180 million Hong Kong dollars at an auction in Hong Kong. The sale was the most expensive contemporary Asian art piece ever sold. The piece is hailed as encapsulating the transforming fabric of Chinese society during the economic reforms of the 1990s.
The wonder of Wanda
And it’s been a year of expansion, culturally, for one of China’s biggest real estate developers, the Wanda Group. The group acquired a Picasso painting for a cool 172 million yuan this year. They have also invested in a movie studio, ploughing 50 billion yuan into the sprawling 5 million square meter studio in Qingdao. The opening of the Oriental Movie Metropolis was attended by A-listers from Hollywood and China.
China lures stars
And China has provided a stage for some of the world’s biggest stars this year. Tom Cruise came to Beijing to climb the Great Wall, promoting Oblivion. Justin Bieber was also in town, famously caught on camera being carried by his bodyguards along the Wall. Keanu Reeves also came to Beijing to screen his directorial debut Man of Taichi. Helen Mirren, Robert Downey Jr, Metallica, the Pet Shop Boys and David Guetta also made appearances.
Ang Lee wins third Oscar
An Oscar hat-trick next. At the end of February, Taiwan born director Ang Lee won the Best Director gong at this year’s Oscars, for his adventure film Life of Pi. In 2001, 58-year-old Lee won his first Oscar, taking home the Best Foreign Language Film for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. And in 2006 he won another Oscar for "Best Director", for Brokeback Mountain.
Breaking box office records
More big film news this year. Lost in Thailand earned 1.2 billion yuan at the box office at the beginning of 2013, breaking records for domestic Chinese films. And 20 homegrown films have surpassed the 100 million yuan benchmark so far in 2013. Several low-budget films including Finding Mr. Right, So Young, and American Dreams in China have each earned more than 500 million yuan- business is booming at the box office.
Lang Lang: Messenger of peace
And finally, China’s superstar pianist Lang Lang became a United Nations Messenger of Peace at the end of October. He says the role is even more important to him than his music because it can help improve the lives of children around the world through education. Lang Lang has been dedicated to music education for the younger generation for the past five years through the foundation he set up.
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