John’s just got back from a business trip to China. Unusually for these things, there was some leisure time built in and while in Beijing he was taken to see a Chinese Opera. He even got to sit in the posh seats at the front where they serve tea – although, given that the opera was two and a half hours long without a break, I think I’d have been wary of drinking too much of it.

As far as I understand it, the story told of a girl who was sold into prostitution by her family. She fell in love with a client, a government official, but a more important client chose her for his second wife. The first wife was jealous, poisoned the husband and allowed the heroine to take the blame. She was imprisoned, but eventually the government official became senior enough to demand a retrial and she was freed. They married and lived happily ever after. I think. Anyway, I enjoy the beautiful colours in these photographs.