Patrons of traditional Chinese folk art forms like Peking opera will expect a line-up of splendid plays as the first festival of Beijing traditional culture is set to kick off on Friday.

"Nu Er Feng Liu," or "Heroic Girls," a music and dance show featuring women musicians "flying" while playing their instruments, will be the curtain lifter at Tianqiao theater in Beijing.

"The show toured Japan from May to August, attracting an audience of 200,000 in total," said Yan Shuang, an official with the Liaoning Performing Arts Group which produced the show.

In the next two weeks, along with Peking operas and music shows, Xiangsheng (crosstalk), a kind of Chinese comic dialogue, Chinese acrobatics performances, and tea ceremonies will also be staged in performance venues around Beijing, like Laoshe Teahouse and Liyuan Theater.

The event is co-sponsored by Beijing Xuanwu District Government and China Arts and Entertainment Group (CAEG).

Aiming at attracting young faces, troupes and companies have updated traditional tales using multi-media techniques.

China National Acrobatic Troupe, for example, will apply sound, light, and electricity to present an acrobatic performance.

The gala will end on November 20.

(Xinhua News Agency November 6, 2008)