Olympics opening ceremony rehearsal

The opening ceremony for the Beijing Olympics will undergo three rehearsals before it is finally seen by billions of people on August 8th.(File photo)

The first rehearsal was held Wednesday night at the "Bird's Nest" National Stadium. The other two rehearsals are being held on Saturday and next Tuesday.

Olympic performing season starts

The Olympic Games will start one week later -- and Beijing's entertainment market is cookin'. Performances and cultural events are being promoted all over town -- in array, enough to dazzle the eyes. One of the main venues is the brand new National Center for the Performing Arts.

The Olympic Games will start one week later -- and Beijing's entertainment market is cookin'.

The Kunming Symphony Orchestra, from southwest China's Yunnan Province, presented a concert before a full house in the music hall. The performance was carefully arranged to include classical music and authentic Chinese folk pieces.

Li Xincao, Conductor, said, "The key pieces of the concert are by Beethoven. His works are majestic and even heroic. The Olympic Games are starting soon. And we wanted to set the right tone for success with the music. "

The fevered Beethoven "Archduke" Trio -- and Symphony No.7 were concert highlights.

The Olympic Performance Season opened April 15th. It's scheduled for nearly 300 performances over five months. During the time, the National Centre for the Performing

Arts expects to host more than half a million people.