Charming Beijing: Photographs of the Chinese Capital
Dates: Oct 1 - 10, 2005
Venue: Hall of States
Tickets: FREE!
This large collection of photographs elegantly portrays Beijing's extraordinary past and modern transformation in the new millennium.

Qin's Terra Cotta Warrior Exhibition
Dates: Oct 1 - 30, 2005
Venue: North Gallery, Roof Terrace Level
Tickets: FREE.
The Kennedy Center displays selections from the terra cotta statuary at Emperor Qin's tomb, featuring two life-sized terra cotta warriors and a horse.

Transferred Landscape: Contemporary Sculpture from China
Dates: Oct 1 - 30, 2005
Venue: Throughout the Kennedy Center
Tickets: FREE!
Elements of Chinese culture are transformed into modern sculptural expressions by various Chinese artists, juxtaposing the natural with the manual, the traditional with the avant-garde.

Beijing Prepares for the 2008 Olympics
Dates: Oct 1 - 9, 2005
Venue: Nations Gallery
Tickets: FREE!
This multimedia display includes photographs and models of the new Olympic Stadium, plus mascots, badges, brochures, and the official Chinese seal for the Beijing Olympiad.

Enjoy Beijing: Open-air Marketplace
Dates: Oct 1 - 9, 2005
Venue: North Plaza Outdoors
Tickets: FREE!
Shop old Beijing-style with this re-creation of a Chinese open-air market fair featuring handicrafts made on-site and for sale, including Chinese knots, cloth arts, kites, pinwheels, calligraphy, and painting.

Tim Yip's China Red
Dates: Oct 1 - 30, 2005
Venue: Various Kennedy Center Locations
Academy Award(r) winner Tim Yip adds décor and design to the Kennedy Center during the Festival of China, inspired by the auspicious nature of red in Chinese culture.

Festival of China & Beijing Cultural Week Opening Night Performance
Dates: Oct 1, 2005 at 7:30 PM
Venue: Eisenhower Theater
Tickets: BY INVITATION ONLY
The Festival of China officially begins with a captivating Opening Night Performance, which also marks the beginning of "Beijing Cultural Week"--an exciting series of events celebrating the ancient and thriving metropolis of China's capital city.

The Kennedy Center launches the festival with some of Beijing's leading performance ensembles in a dazzling variety of Chinese folk music, dance, Peking opera, costumes, acrobatics, drumming, drama, and much more. Featured artists include members of the China National Acrobatic Troupe, Beijing Peking Opera Theatre, China National Oriental Song and Dance Ensemble, Beijing Peking Opera Academy, and China Guangdong Acrobatics Troupe.

Wong Chinese Lion Dancers with Step Afrika!
Dates: Oct 1, 2005
Tickets: Free.
The Wong Chinese Lion Dancers, a nationally acclaimed local company under the direction of Sifu Raymond Wong, has dazzled audiences with traditional Southern Chinese Lion Dancing for more than 20 years. They join local ensemble Step Afrika! -- which specializes in high-energy percussive dance -- to celebrate the relationship between the sister cities of Beijing and Washington.

Cai Guoqiang's Tornado
Dates: Oct 1, 2005 at 9:50 PM
Venue: River Terrace
Tickets: FREE!
Experience a state-of-the-art pyrotechnics and choreographed fireworks event along the Potomac River, to include an awesome tornado spiraling across and punctuating the sky.

(China.org.cn September 22, 2005)