STYLE
Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous
Inside Report on the Imperial City
How to Score the Right Look in Peking This Season
The Emperor Altoum runs the Imperial City with a tight fist and a traditional sense of style. But we all know that it is really his daughter, Princess Turandot, who is responsible for the glamour and elegance of this royal dwelling. No one is allowed to enter or exit the palace without the Emperor’s permission, since it is seen as an extension of heaven and the Emperor as the earthly counterpart to god. However, our reporters found a way to beat the system and give you this never-before-seen inside report! As we crossed the 52 meter wide moat and entered through one of the five gates in the wall enclosing the city, we got our first glimpse of this expansive kingdom. The guards on the watch towers kept a careful eye on us as they held their crossbows ready. The palace is certainly fit for an emperor, complete with 9,999 rooms! The buildings have sloped roofs adorned with ornate carvings and lanterns. Statues of lions and other exotic animals are littered throughout the grounds. Inside the palace the Emperor dines in the imperial dining room where each meal is comprised of eight main dishes, four side dishes, and three soups. The Emperor Altoum even has a separate kitchen reserved solely for the preparation of beverages. To ensure that the Emperor’s food has not been poisoned, a servant pre-tastes each dish. In the afternoon the Imperial Court can be seen engaged in leisurely activities such as painting, calligraphy, listening to or playing music, playing Chinese chess, kite-flying, or even lighting fire-works! All of this takes place in the perfectly manicured Imperial Gardens where labyrinths of old trees, pavilions, flowers, and footpaths with mosaic patterns made from small stones wind throughout the grounds. The rooms go on forever as do the services and people that come with them. It’s good to be the Emperor!
With a new season around the corner, it is time to look in the wardrobe, throw out the old, and find new trends that will transform your look! This season long t-shirt-like tunics are all the rage. Tunics coming in a variety of fabrics. Women are wearing long tunics down to the ground with fashionable belts, while men are wearing shorter ones down to their knees revealing a bit of calf. If you catch a chill, throw on a classy padded jacket over a pair of pants. If it’s a special occasion, ditch the hemp and go for sleek silk instead. Ladies, try the new “Slave Liù” look with a yellow tunic and purple belt! When it comes to hair, both men and women are continuing to go for long styles. Remember, your hair comes from your ancestors and you wouldn’t want to be disrespectful by cutting it! Now that you’ve gotten in touch with the new fashions of the season and found the perfect style, you are ready to strut down the streets of Peking with confidence!
Peking’s
People
: t o d n a TAulor ! r o f e i d o t r e v p U s e v i G s s e c Prin – s p i h s t r u o C s u o Murder f a l a C r o f e v o Declares L
Current Education Donors $100,000 and above
Mars Incorporated D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities and the National Endowment for the Arts $50,000 and above
JPMorgan Chase Foundation Mr. and Mrs. John Pohanka
$10,000 and above
$2,500 and above
Bank of America/ US Trust Foundation Clark-Winchcole Foundation Wachovia Foundation The Washington Post Company $5,000 and above
American University Department of Performing Arts The Morningstar Foundation Philip L. Graham Fund The PNC Foundation
Theodore H. Barth Foundation Bonnie and Louis Cohen John and Cora H. Davis Foundation Jacob & Charlotte Lehrman Foundation Mary and Daniel Loughran Foundation, Inc.
Prince Charitable Trusts
The Moriah Fund
$20,000 and above
4
Peking's People
Mr. Walter Arnheim CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation Industrial Bank The K.P. and Phoebe Tsolainos Foundation Verizon $1,000 and above
Bob Craft Dr. and Mrs. Ricardo Ernst Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Professor Martin Ginsburg Horwitz Family Fund Humanities Council of Washington, DC
Credits Carol Dory, Writer Christiane DeVries, Martha Hunt, and Michelle Krisel, Editors Marty Ittner, Graphic Design, m-art.org Illustration Credits Cover and page 2 opera production: Bill Cooper for Royal Opera House Covent Garden; Page 1 and 2 (LiÙ): IStock Photo; Puccini: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division; Page 3 and Imperial City: Bright Qube; Above (tunic): Royal Opera House Covent Garden
Education and Community Programs • 202.448.3465 • education@dc-opera.org • www.dc-opera.org
Stabbing Shocker!
Noted Composer Drops Dead
Local Beauty Commits Suicide
Peking Opera Left Unfinished