Capital's festive spirit lasts all year round for art fans

Over the past decade, Beijing has become a global city, combining the best of Chinese and world cultures. Nowhere is this more evident than its festivals showcasing music, art and the written word.

With music, things start hotting up at the end of April with three major events: the Strawberry and Midi rock festivals and Ditan Park International Folk Festival.

Midi Festival in Haidian Park, which is organized by the Midi School of Music, is the granddaddy, showcasing Beijing's vibrant indie rock scene for more than a decade. As well as local favorites Miserable Faith and Brain Failure, last year's festival featured Chinese rap-metal group Chinese MC Brothers and Swedish pop rockers Sahara Hotnights.

Strawberry Festival in Tongzhou started in 2009 and its audience - hipsters in flowing skirts, floppy hats and checkered shirts - is almost as big a draw as the music, which last year included the likes of electro rockers Pet Conspiracy, who teamed up with the Brazilian drummers SambaAsia. Ditan Folk Music Festival is also 2 years old. I didn't go last year, but I enjoyed the inaugural event, particularly the Mongolian throat singing. In August 2010, Ditan Park also hosted Max Star Music Festival.

Aside from these, the 798 Art Zone puts on a festival of electronic music, while Chaoyang Park in the fall hosts another outstanding showcase of big-name bands and local acts. Autumn is a special time for classical music and jazz aficionados, who can look forward to the 13-year-old Beijing Music Festival. Its 2010 lineup included a Royal Liverpool Philharmonic tribute to John Lennon and two Chinese Operas, White Snake and Farewell My Concubine.

Last year, my highlight of the Nine Gates Jazz Festival (it has been merged with Beijing Music Festival) was the fantastic saxophonist, Kenny Garrett. Fall is also marked by the Beijing Fringe Festival, which is especially strong when it comes to theater. In 2010, this 16-day extravaganza featured the works of Harold Pinter, while the previous year several top Chinese dance acts performed programs that combined Western and Chinese styles.

In late August and early September, I try to spend a day at the Beijing International Book Fair, considered one of the best in the world. The first Capital International Literary Festival will also be held in late February.

The most popular event is the Bookworm's literary festival in March, which features both heavy-hitting foreign and Chinese authors. A truly memorable moment in my China adventure was not only seeing writer Mo Yan at the event in 2009 but also being able to ask him about Gabriel Garcia Marquez's influence on his work. This year's festival includes a number of up and coming Chinese writers, including Shanghai novelist Mian Mian.

Unfortunately, one thing is still missing from this embarrassment of riches - an international film festival. Although the city has numerous mini-festivals, it lacks the real deal. Shanghai has an international event, so there's no reason Beijing shouldn't. A two- or three-week festival right after the new year would help complete the capital's burgeoning festival scene and be the perfect winter treat for its cineastes.

(China Daily 02/14/2011)