BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The following are the highlights of China's key cultural news from the past week:
-- Chinese sci-fi movie "Shanghai Fortress" set for August premiere
Adapted from a novel of the same name by Jiang Nan, Chinese sci-fi movie "Shanghai Fortress" is set for premiere on Aug. 9 in China, according to the film's official Weibo account.
Starring Shu Qi and singer-turned-actor Lu Han and directed by Teng Huatao, the film tells of the city of Shanghai's battle to defend itself against an attack by an alien force that has laid siege to numerous cities around the globe in its quest to harvest a hidden energy only found on earth.
-- Research program on communication history of Chinese civilization starts in Beijing
The Peking University International Association of China Studies (IACS) started a research program on the communication history of Chinese civilization Monday.
Researchers plan to publish a series of research papers, reports and a book on the communication history of Chinese civilization in the next five years, said Yuan Xingpei, IACS director.
The program aims to conduct research of Chinese civilization from a perspective of international communication, Yuan said, adding that the program will cover the research of various fields including literature, history, philosophy, art, religion, language and custom.
-- China to boost traditional vocal arts
China will step up its support for folk vocal arts, according to a guideline from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Folk arts, named "Quyi" in Chinese, refer to various narrative and singing forms including ballad singing, comic dialogues, clapper talk and crosstalk, which remain popular among the Chinese people.
The guideline aims to better preserve these traditional art forms and promote their development. Enditem
