The warm fuzzy love of Valentine's Day might be over and the days might still be cold but Beijing is starting to heat up. Event-wise, that is. There's plenty on the calendar in the next few weeks, from basketball playoffs to literary festivals. Read on to find out more.

Notable News

Photo: sina.com

1) Beijing Ducks playoff bound!
Led by ex-NBA star Stephon Marbury, the Beijing Ducks CBA basketball team has clinched a second seed in the CBA playoffs that will begin on February 22nd. The Beijing Ducks made the CBA playoffs last year as an eighth seed but were quickly dispatched by the Xinjiang Tigers. This year, re-energized by new signing Marbury, the Ducks are hoping to go further. If basketball is your thing then get out there and support the Ducks!

2) The real-name rage
Real-name registration (knives, express delivery, etc.) is all the rage these days in Beijing. Real-name micro-blog registration has been in the works for a while, and according to a decree from the Beijing Internet Information Office all micro-bloggers must now authenticate their blogs with their real names by March 16th in order to continue posting. So far over 3 million bloggers have complied, encouraged to do so my incentives like free mobile phone recharge cards and lucky draws. However, while the registration guidelines are clear for Chinese users, foreign users of Chinese micro-blogging sights are confused on how they should register. According to a China Daily article, Chinese companies are looking into this issue but no clear answer has been provided. Stay tuned, Weibo fanatics.

3) New subway cars
Anyone who has lived in Beijing more than a few months knows that subway line 1 is a nightmare; it's the least modern and the most crowded. But according to reports, by the end of March things should be getting a little better, as all old trains currently running on line 1 will be replaced by newer and more passenger friendly trains.

4) Beijing divorces decreasing
Over the last few years the national divorce rate in China has been climbing on terms with the Middle Kingdom's development. Beijing may be bucking the trend, however, as the official number of divorces in Beijing in 2011 was 32,998, representing an eight year low. Perhaps Beijingers are more romantic?

Events:

1) Capital M Literary FestivalView In Map
Most people know the Capital M restaurant as an excellent place to go for a meal or a drink. It's more than that, however, as starting on February 25th they will be holding their second literary festival. The festival features 29 speakers spread over 20 events that mostly focus on food and travel. Tickets for most events cost 65 RMB (includes a drink) and can be bought online (http://www.mypiao.com/2012CapitalLiteraryFestival) or at the Capital M itself. So check out the line-up and head on out to the first official literary festival of 2012.

Where: Capital M, 3F Qianmen Pedestrian Street, Beijing 
地址:北京市前门大街2号3层
Tel: 010 6702 2727

2) Sally Can't Dance music festival
The closing of D-22 earlier this year was a blow to the capital's indie rock scene. But luckily for Beijing's rockers the folks behind D-22, the Sub Jam crew and pangbianr.com's Josh Feola have joined forces this year and are trying to organise the Sally Can't Dance experimental music festival in early March. Right now the tentative dates are March 3rd and 4th with one-day tickets costing 80 RMB (60 RMB for students) and two day tickets are 150 RMB (100 for students). As of now, no location has been set, thought it will supposedly happen somewhere around Pingan Dajie. Watch for updates!

 

3) Jue Festival
If the upcoming literary festivals aren't enough, or you just don't like books, don't worry, there's also the Jue Festival! As its name implies, the Jue Music and Arts Festival will focus on bringing Beijingers a wide variety of art and music. The festival runs from March 9th to the 25th. You can visit the official website for more details: http://juefestival.com/12/en.

4) Bookworm Literary Festival
Mark your calendars because this March 9th through 23rd, the Bookworm is holding their annual literary festival. By far the biggest in Beijing, with the most comprehensive list of authors and events, it is a must attend event for anyone even remotely interested in literature. If you want to know what is on tap take a visit to the Bookworm's website and browse for yourself (http://bookwormfestival.com/bookworm-events). Tickets are on sale now (prices vary based on event) so act fast before they're all snapped up!

Openings:

1) New Brasserie Flo to open in March
For over ten years, Brasserie Flo has been bringing quality French cuisine to Beijing. Sadly, this last October Brasserie Flo closed its old location in Rainbow Plaza so it could move to an expanded location on Xiaoyun Lu. While the relocation has taken a little longer than expected management says it will be ready to reopen this March. For pics and more info on the new location visit Brasserie Flo's website (http://www.flo.cn/restaurants/beijing). 

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Keywords: Beijing watchdog Beijings events 2012 Beijing news 2012 Beijing literary festivals Beijing Ducks basketball