DK Travel : Beijing : History & Culture

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Paper

A prototype paper was made from mulberry bark, although bamboo, hemp, linen, and silk were also used to write on.
Paper money

Developed by Chinese merchants as certificates of exchange. Lighter than coins, bills were soon adopted by the government.
Peacock

(Gu Changwei; 2005) The tribulations of a working-class family in a small rural town.
Platform

(Jia Zhangke; 2000) Epic account of the changes in China’s pop culture during the 1980s.
Porcelain

The Chinese invented porcelain a thousand years before Europe caught on – and kept production methods secret to protect their competitive advantage.
Printing

In the 11th century, the Chinese carved individual characters on pieces of clay, inventing movable block type.
Puppet theater

Shadow-puppet theater is an art form that has been performed more or less unchanged in China since the 3rd century AD. Shows employ many of the story lines and musical styles of Beijing Opera, while the puppets can be quite elaborate and colorfully dressed. The best place to catch a performance is at the China Puppet Art Theater (Anhua Xili, off Bei Sanhuan Lu).
Raise the Red Lantern

(Zhang Yimou; 1991) Intrigue between the multiple wives of a wealthy overlord.
Repertoire

The traditional repertoire includes more than 1,000 works, mostly based on popular tales. Modern productions aimed at tourists often include English-language displays of the text.
Rock and pop

Beijing is the Chinese city with all the best tunes. It has a thriving music scene supported by a host of small music bars and clubs (see Top 10 Music Bars). Punk and metal thrive but of far more interest are local folk rockers who mix ethnic instrumentation with Western genres.