Beijing

Performing Arts

Beijing has traditionally been the cultural and educational capital of China, a legacy that dates back to the Ming dynasty. The political upheavals of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries led to a decline in the traditional Chinese arts, which reached a low point during the Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s. Since the late 1970s, however, government support for the arts has revived, and Beijing has become an active venue for both traditional Chinese and Western performing arts. Classical concerts by both Chinese and foreign artists can be heard at the Beijing Concert Hall, and the capital has its own symphony orchestra. The Central Ballet of China performs both foreign and Chinese works on several different stages. Chinese folk dance is performed by the Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble. The traditional Beijing Opera was revived in the 1990s although it has been popular primarily among China's older residents.

There are more than 25 theaters in Beijing, and theatrical presentations range from the works of British playwright William Shakespeare (1564– 1616) to American dramatist Arthur Miller (b. 1915) to contemporary avant garde Chinese works. The major theatrical venues are the Capital Theater and the Central Academy of Drama Experimental Theatre. The traditional performing arts of puppetry and acrobatics remain very popular.