Opera/Theatre
In China， many of the best companies and theatres are in Beijing. But there is no theatrical centre， like Broadway in New York. Major theatres are scattered in different parts of the city， some of them recognized as special theatres showing a particular kind of performance. For a classical concert， Beijing Concert Hall should always be the first place to check. The Liyuan Thratre， at the Qianmen Hotel， is specially for foreign tourists to appreciate Peking Opera， while the Jixiang Theatre has become well known for putting on different kinds of operas from other parts of the country. The Central Ballet of China， the national ballet company， performs regularly at the Tianqiao Theatre， while Beijing People's Art Theatre always stage their shows at the Capital Theatre.
Most companies perform all the year round but it may be just once or twice a month， for a run of only a few days. Besides the premieres of new works， every company has its classic repertoire and will perform items from it every year. Most theatres sell tickets several days in advance. Theatre tickets are inexpensive， ranging from 3-5 yuan for a Chinese opera and 5-8 yuan for a concert or variety show. Of course， the price is a bit higher - perhaps 10 yuan or more - if you choose to see a performance at a luxury hotel theatre or by celebrated Chinese or foreign artists.
In China， it seems there are no regular performing seasons. But there are some times of the year when many companies will put on shows， such as the periods around the New Year's Day， the Spring Festival and May Day. In Beijing and other big cities， like Shanghai and Guangzhou， the Ministry of Culture and many local cultural institutions often organize national gatherings of theatrical companies from around the country to perform a certain kind of show， as a way of providing cultural treats as well as professional exchanges. China also holds many performing arts festivals regularly around the country， such as the China Arts Festival every two years， and the National Acrobatics Festival every three years.
To find stage entertainment in Beijing， read the daily "What's on" listings on the Entertainment Page of China Daily， or the weekly Beijing Weekend. China Daily also runs monthly schedules of theatrical performances in Shanghai， Guangzhou and Xi'an， as well as Beijing.