Dear CCC friends,

Hope all of you have enjoyed wonderful holidays!  Now it is time to have some insightful and interesting events in Beijing.

We rescheduled our special Mid-Autumn Village Celebration from Saturday to Sunday (Oct.11). So don't miss this unique event in a village one hour's drive from Beijing.

Talk: The Less Known Pumi People
Wednesday, Oct.14, 19:30-21:00
Make sure you squeeze your time to meet Chen Zhe, a famous Chinese musician who had written many popular songs in the 1980's, known all over China. He founded a grassroots NGO six years ago. Chen Zhe will talk to CCC friends about Pumi people, their music and culture, and two typical Pumi villages.

Chinese Music Lectures & Guqin (zither) Classes
Western musician-scholar Dr. Jeff Roberts will give a series of lectures on Chinese music, and will also give small group classes on how to play Guqin (zither). He will give the below three lectures in October, November and December.

Oct. 21: From Beethoven to Boya: The differences between Chinese and Western Music and, How to Listen to Chinese Music as a Westerner
Nov.4: The World of Chinese Guqin
Dec. 4:  Music of the Ethnic Minorities: Beyond Han Chinese Culture

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Cultural Lectures & Courses in details

Ba Zi Destiny Analysis Course
Tuesdays & Thursdays, Oct 13- Nov 5, 19:00-21:30

"Bazi Destiny also know as The Four Pillars - is a technical study on the individual’s destiny, personal characteristics, surrounding circumstances and possible life path. BaZi really is an extremely practical study. The course is in English. >>> more

Talk: The Less Known Pumi People
Wednesday, Oct.14, 19:30-21:00

Chen Zhe, a famous Chinese musician who had written many popular songs in the 1980’s, founded a grassroots NGO six years ago. Chen Zhe will talk to CCC friends about Pumi people, their music and culture, and two typical Pumi villages. >>> more

Cricket (insect) Culture & Fighting
Sunday, Oct.18, 14:30-16:00

Go to a local pet market and take home a cricket songster to keep you company this fall! The Chinese love crickets! Come hear a talk all about crickets (qu qu & guo guo) and their extravagant containers - villas, and cricket apartments. >>> more

Lecture: How to Listen to Chinese Music as a Westerner
Wednesday, Oct.21, 19:30-21:00

This lecture will look both the similarities and differences between Chinese and Western cultural foundations and why these foundations fundamentally make the music of each culture sound different. It is an inroad to appreciating the music of China. >>> more

Ba Zi Destiny Analysis Course
Mondays & Wednesdays, Nov 2-25, 09:30-12:00

"Bazi Destiny also know as The Four Pillars - is a technical study on the individual’s destiny, personal characteristics, surrounding circumstances and possible life path. BaZi really is an extremely practical study. The course is in English. >>> more

Lecture: Compare China and Europe/US from 1368 till 2009
Wednesday, Nov.4, 10:00-11:30

Rob Groenhuijzen, lecturer at the University of Amsterdam, will compare China and Europe/US from 1368 till 2009, covering freedom of speech, mobile capital, China's present leadership and specific economic and characteristic path in 21st century, >>> more

Lecture: The World of Chinese Guqin (Zither)
Wednesday, Nov.4, 19:30-21:00

Western musician-scholar Dr. Jeff Roberts, a former student of the great guqin master Li Xiangting, will give a lecture demonstration on the history and art of guqin performance, and also perform guqin and perform a short concert at the lecture’s con >>> more

Zen Meditation Workshop
Every Thursday evenigns, 19:30-21:30

Join us each week for an insight into the teachings and practices of Zen Buddhism. We'll be guided on our journey of self-discovery by a Buddhist layman and learn about Zen through its music, its stories, its art, its rituals & martial arts. >>> more

Upcoming Out-of-Beijing Tours
 

Sichuan's Fairyland Jiuzhaigou & Huanglong
Oct 14-18

Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area and Huanglong Parklands are two famous World Natural Heritage sites. Jiuzhaigou offers spectacular landscapes with alpine features: crystal clear and serene lakes, snow-capped mountains, countless waterfalls and lush forests. >>> more

Yangtze River Cruise & Dazu Rock Carving
Oct 16-19

The Yangtze, China's longest river, originates on the Qinghai-Tibet-Plateau and flows eastwards. The rushing waters formed the dramatic scenery of the famous Three Gorges. Enjoy the spectacular mountainous landscape of the Yangtze River and its tribu >>> more

Pingyao--Raise the red lanterns
Oct 16 eve.-18

Listed as UNESCO Heritage Site, this exotic ancient city and city walls bring you back to the history and the atmosphere and environment like the Europeans back to the Middle Age Europe, and the awesome walls and carvings of the Wang Family Residence >>> more

Ancient City Xi An (Terracotta Warriors)
Oct 23 eve.-25

Take 2 days trip to visit the famous Terracotta Warrior Site; Ancient City Wall, Shaanxi Museum; Great Mosque and Muslim Street; Wild Goose Pagoda, etc. >>> more

Western Guizhou: Waterfall, Karst Landscape, Old Han & Miao Village
Oct 30-Nov 1

Hidden amongst jagged karst mountains, misty waterfalls and undulating hills, Guizhou is a gem hidden under layers of gorgeous scenery, and with each step, a new vista emerges... >>> more

Datong Trip (Grottoes & Hanging Monastery)
Nov 6 eve.-8

Join this weekend tour to see the second-largest of the nearly 51,000 sandstone statues of Buddha in 53 Yungang grottoes. Buddhist cave art began here in Datong, 160 miles west of Beijing, in the fifth century, by Xianbei minority, which ruled North >>> more

Shaolin Temple & Luoyang Longmen Grottos
Nov 13 eve.-15

Take a weekend trip to Luoyang to visit the Longmen Grottoes, one of 3 most famous Buddhist grottoes in China and Shaolin Monastery, the birthplace of both kung fu and Zen Buddhism. >>> more

Ancient City Xi An (Terracotta Warriors)
Nov 13 eve.-15

Take 2 days trip to visit the famous Terracotta Warrior Site; Ancient City Wall, Shaanxi Museum; Great Mosque and Muslim Street; Wild Goose Pagoda, etc. >>> more

Pingyao--Raise the red lanterns
Nov 20 eve.-22

Listed as UNESCO Heritage Site, this exotic ancient city and city walls bring you back to the history and the atmosphere and environment like the Europeans back to the Middle Age Europe, and the awesome walls and carvings of the Wang Family Residence >>> more

Hakka Earthen Round Buildings & Xiamen
Nov 20-22

Get to know Fujian province, the southeastern end of China's mainland facing Taiwan across the strait. Xiamen, beautiful seaport city with Gulangyu Island; then dirve into the villages in the mountains south and west of Fujian for the magical earthen >>> more