While Cultural Keys can be considered your go-to for a variety of traditional Chinese culture activities, there are of course plenty of other fun and interesting cultural events happening around the capital every month!
Here’s our round-up of activities connected with Chinese culture for October in Beijing!
Please note: Cultural Keys is in no way affiliated with any of the events or organisations listed in this article, unless explicitly stated. We offer no guarantee about the quality of any third party events, and strongly suggest interested participants contact the relevant organizers to clarify event details, including COVID-19-related requirements, before attending.
Exhibition: Treasure Classics Revitalize Spirit – Classic Works Exhibition of National Art Museum of China
宝藏经典 活化精神——中国美术馆经典作品展
Date: August 1st 2022 – February 20th 2023
Location: National Art Museum of China | No. 1 Wusi Street, Dongcheng District, Beijing 中国国家美术馆 | 北京市东城区五四大街1号
Time: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00 – 17:00 (Last admission at 16:00)
Price: Free
Payment: Reservation required via online platform:
http://www.namoc.org/zsjs/zlzx/202209/t20220914_332283.htm
Language: English and Chinese
Among the more than 100,000 pieces in the collection of the National Art Museum of China, there are many classic works of famous masters from ancient and modern times, home and abroad. Representative works of 27 artists including Ren Bonian, Wu Changshuo, Qi Baishi, Wu Guanzhong, Xiong Bingming and Huang Yongyu are exhibited. The humanistic spirit carried by the works and the real emotions of the author is ready to be revealed. Through these works, we can understand how the masters turned ordinary life into art, experience the perceptual manifestation of spirit in brushstrokes, colors, lines, and rhythm of ink, and in viewing and researching, achieve spiritual communication beyond time and space.
Exhibition: Mirroring the Heart of Heaven and Earth – Ideals and Images in the Chinese Study
“照见天地心——中国书房的意与象”展览
Date: August 30th – October 23rd 2022
Location: The National Palace Museum | 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng District 北京故宫 | 北京市东城区景山前街4号
Time: April 1st – October 31st 8:30 AM- 17:00 PM Last Entry:16:10
November 1st – March 31st 8:30 AM – 16:30 PM Last Entry:15:40
Price: Free for those under 18; 30RMB per person for seniors; 60RMB per person for adults; 20RMB per person for students
Payment: Reservation required via online platform:
https://ticket.dpm.org.cn/
Language: Chinese and English
In ancient China, the study was not only a place for reading, writing and collecting books, but also a symbol of personal cultivation and continuing traditional culture. This exhibition aims to explore and explain the cultural core of the Chinese study.
Exhibition: Life in Its Many Forms – Figure Paintings From Across the Ages In the Palace Museum Collection (Phase III)
众生百态——故宫博物院藏历代人物画特展（第三期）
Date: August 30th – October 30th 2022
Location: The National Palace Museum | 4 Jingshan Qianjie, Dongcheng District 北京故宫 | 北京市东城区景山前街4号
Time: April 1st – October 31st 8:30 AM- 17:00 PM Last Entry:16:10
November 1st – March 31st 8:30 AM – 16:30 PM Last Entry:15:40
Price: Free for those under 18; 30RMB per person for seniors; 60RMB per person for adults; 20RMB per person for students
Payment: Reservation required via online platform:
https://ticket.dpm.org.cn/
Language: Chinese and English
This exhibition is the third phase of the special exhibition of historical figure paintings collected by the Palace Museum. A total of 96 traditional figures and genre paintings collected by the Palace Museum are selected and displayed. The gestures, frowns and smiles of the characters in the masterpieces all present vivid and colorful images of ancient life.
Hike: Badaling Ancient Great Wall
徒步：八达岭古长城
Date: October 7th 2022
Location: Beijing Hikers | Rm 601, Bldg 2, Xinhualian Ligang, 26 Jiuxianqiao Zhonglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥中路26号新华联丽港2号楼601室
Time: 8:00AM
Price: ¥460 / ¥415 for members
Payment: Reservation required via online platform:
https://www.thebeijinger.com/events/2022/sep/hike-badaling-ancient-great-wall
Language: English
Way back at the end of the Ming Dynasty, Li Zicheng, the ‘Dashing King’ and leader of a peasant rebellion, broke through the Great Wall at an obscure pass in the mountains just west of the Badaling Great Wall. He went on through the mountains with his army to Beijing, besieged it, and proclaimed himself Emperor of the new Shun Dynasty. You may not have heard of the Shun Dynasty, and fair enough – it didn’t last very long, with the Qing beating them out pretty swiftly. But that’s a different story. The pass where the Peasant King broke through is still obscure, reached by doing a U-turn out of one of those long tunnels that go under the mountains and then driving up to the end of a narrow road. It’s now known as the Badaling Ancient Great Wall, and it has all been repaired and fixed up. But most visitors here just take a look at the lower two towers and head back, as the Great Wall here gets rather steep. What we’ll do for this hike is keep going up, and up, and then over and down, then up and over another hill … all the way to Stone Valley Village.
Hike: Jiankou Great Wall to Beigou Village
徒步：箭扣长城到北沟村
Date: October 8th 2022
Location: Beijing Hikers | Rm 601, Bldg 2, Xinhualian Ligang, 26 Jiuxianqiao Zhonglu, Chaoyang District 朝阳区酒仙桥中路26号新华联丽港2号楼601室
Time: 8:00AM
Price: ¥460 / ¥415 for members
Payment: Reservation required via online platform:
https://www.thebeijinger.com/events/2022/sep/hike-jiankou-great-wall-beigou-village
Language: English
We’ll start off the hike by following a zigzag hillside trail that rises quickly to a Great Wall tower that is almost 1,000 meters above sea level. From the tower we can see the Jiankou basin, as well as the many other sections of the Great Wall in the area.
From there we’ll head east, following the wall towards Mutianyu. There is some steep climbing, and you’ll need a good head for heights and some balancing skills – at some points the Great Wall is overgrown with bushes, and this will force us to walk along the very edge, quite high above the ground.
We’ll end up at the northwestern end of the Mutianyu Great Wall and we’ll follow the wall down towards the main park area. On previous visits here we’ve heard the din of all the visitors to Mutianyu off in the distance—surprisingly loud!
We’re going to avoid all that and hike a paved trail down the hillside to Beigou Village, passing through tidy chestnut orchards on our way down to the village square.
Workshop: Make your own palace lantern!
Date: October 16th 2022
Time: 3-6pm
Location: CK Culture Centre, Songzhuang, Tongzhou District
Places: Maximum 10 people
Price: 288RMB (kids 8 to 16 years old 248RMB). Discounts available for group bookings of 4 or more!
Payment: Prepayment via WeChat, AliPay, PayPal (no PayPal account required) or bank transfer. Fapiao available on request.
Language: English
Lanterns are one of the most iconic symbols of China. You probably know the round red fabric lantern, but have you seen the other type, which is hexagonal and framed with ornate carved wood and painted paper panels? This is a palace lantern! Join Cultural Keys for a workshop where you’ll learn how to make traditional Chinese palace lanterns with an experienced teacher!
We’ll start with an introduction to the history of Chinese lanterns. You’ll then construct your lantern out of balsa wood and paint a design or Chinese character on each panel. We’ll finish up with a dumpling dinner!
Price includes presentation, snacks and drinks, the workshop, materials for one decorative lantern per person and dinner. This workshop is suitable for both adults and kids!
Walking Tour: A Crash Course to the Forbidden City
徒步之旅：紫禁城速成班
Date: October 23rd 2022
Location: Donghuamen, Outside of TRB Forbidden City 紫禁城东华门外
Time: 1:00PM – 4:30PM
Price: 385RMB per person; 210RMB per child (for 7-12 years old)
Payment: Reservation required via online platform:
https://www.beijing-postcards.com/public-events/a-crash-course-to-the-forbidden-city-oct-23
Language: English
During the dynasties the Imperial Palace existed only as an idea to most people. It was the root of power. A mysterious presence that balanced heaven and earth. Present yet concealed right in the middle of the Capital. Stories of the castrated eunuch servants, the beautiful concubines and not least the vast amount of treasure in the palace were told all around the empire, but surrounded by a more than 10 meter high wall. No commoner could freely take a glance at the Imperial residence, in fact people did not even know what the emperor looked like. This was what earned the palace the name the Forbidden City. Today we can freely enter, hordes of people are everyday moving through the most sacred halls of Imperial China, but what is kept away from us, what we cannot readily access is the mindset, the ideas so deeply rooted in the imperial architecture.
“A Crash Course to the Forbidden City” is a humble attempt to unlock the meaning behind the chambers of the Palace. In a condensed and hopefully entertaining way, we wish to give you a comprehensive history of the palace from when it was built 600 years ago until when the last boy-emperor finally left in 1924.
Workshop: Traditional Chinese Horror Halloween!
Date: October 29th 2022
Time: 2-5pm
Location: CK Culture Centre, Songzhuang, Tongzhou District
Places: Maximum 10 people
Price: Adults 288RMB, children 248RMB (children over 8 years old). Discounts are available for group bookings of 4 or more!
Payment: Prepayment via WeChat, AliPay, PayPal (no PayPal account required) or bank transfer. Fapiao available on request.
Language: English
Looking for something different to do for all the family this Halloween? Join Cultural Keys on October 29th for a unique mash-up of Halloween and traditional Chinese culture!
While China has a festival that has some similarities to Halloween, the Ghost Festival (actually a month where the dead roam the earth!), there’s no festival including all of China’s monsters, ghouls and other supernatural creatures! So since they are such a fascinating part of Chinese culture, we thought we’d incorporate them into Halloween!
During this event you’ll pair up to paint each others’ faces like a Chinese ghost or zombie. We’ll tell you spooky Chinese ghost stories and monster tales from myth and legend. You’ll learn about different supernatural creatures, and there will be other fun crafts and activities to do as well!
Price includes all materials, soft drinks and snacks. This event is suitable for both adults and kids!
Presentation: Chinese Myths and Monsters
Date: October 30th 2022
Location: Online via Zoom
Time: 7-8m (Beijing time)
Places: Unlimited
Price: Members of CK’s WeChat group: 50RMB | 8USD | 6GBP. Non-members: 80RMB | 11USD | 10GBP.
Payment: Prepayment via PayPal (no PayPal account needed), WeChat, or Alipay. Fapiao available on request.
Language: English
Celebrate spooky season with a fun presentation about China’s monsters, ghosts, demons and other supernatural creatures!
Did we miss anything? What are you planning on attending this month? Let us know in the comments below. We would love to hear your thoughts and insights on traditional Chinese culture!
Photo Credits
– All from the organisers
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About Cultural Keys – The Chinese Culture Company
Cultural Keys helps people access, understand and experience the traditional culture of China. Click the image above to read more about Cultural Keys and what we can do for you, your school, company or organisation to help you get more out of your time in China!