For each of these categories, regular listings can be found in the Boston Globe (www.boston.com), the Boston Phoenix (www.bostonphoenix.com), and the Weekly Dig (www.weeklydig.com).  Also be sure to check the multiple listings at the Harvard University Asia Center’s Asia Bulletin (http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~asiactr/bulletin.htm).

Museums and Galleries

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, MA) http://www.mfa.org/. The MFA holds one of the finest Asian art collections in the country, and displays it in beautiful and illuminating ways. 

Arthur M. Sackler Museum, Harvard University Art Museums (Cambridge, MA) http://www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/sackler/. Includes strong collections of Chinese jade, bronzes and ceramics, and offers excellent special exhibitions.

Peabody Essex Museum (Salem, MA) http://www.pem.org/homepage/. In addition to housing one of the essential collections for studying early Chinese-American trade, the PEM offers an exhibition not to be missed:  Yin Yu Tang, a 19th century house transported in its entirety from the Huizhou region of central China.  Worth the trip to Salem.

Qingping Gallery and Teahouse (Boston, MA) http://www.qingping.org/. A little slice of the Beijing art world in the South End.

In addition, the following university museums are worth checking for special exhibitions of past or contemporary Asian art:

Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley University (Wellesley, MA) http://www.davismuseum.wellesley.edu/index.html

The Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University (Waltham, MA)  http://www.brandeis.edu/rose/index.html

Many of the local organizations listed under “Community and Outreach” also run exhibitions and media projects.

Film: 

The following theaters frequently show films from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, often with director’s appearances:

The Brattle Theatre http://www.brattlefilm.org/

The Coolidge Corner Theatre http://www.brattlefilm.org/

Harvard Film Archive http://hcl.harvard.edu/hfa/

The Museum of Fine Arts Film Program http://www.mfa.org/film/

Also keep an eye out for annual film festivals, such as:

Films at the Gate http://www.filmsatthegate.org/. Five nights of free screenings of kung fu and classic Chinese-language movies in Boston Chinatown. Takes place in early September.

Music:

There are a number of professional and amateur groups in the Boston area who perform various forms of traditional Chinese music:  a good way to find out about them is through newspapers and the links in the “Community and Outreach” section.  In addition, venues such as Symphony Hall, Berklee Performance Center and the concert halls at MIT and Harvard regularly feature the work of Chinese musicians and composers.  

More and more major and up-and-coming pop and rock acts from Hong Kong, Taiwan and the PRC are adding dates in and around Boston to their tours – you might find Beijing punk groups and Taiwanese rappers at the Middle East, or glossy pop idols at the Foxwoods casino.  Listings for some of these concerts can be found in the Globe, the Phoenix and the Weekly Dig as well as the local Chinese-language press and the Sampan.  Otherwise, look for posters in Chinatown and at universities with large populations of students of Chinese descent, and check with student groups.

Boston Progress Radio: http://www.bprlive.org/ An online radio station for independent Asian American music. A project of the Boston Progress Arts Collective, an APA artists' network (http://www.bostonprogress.org/home.html).