National Grand Theatre

Hours & Admission Price Peak Season
Jan.-Dec.
9:00-17:00
30 Low Season
Jan.-Dec.
9:00-17:00
30 Address & Phone +86 10-66550733 heart of Beijing, west of Tiananmen Square Transportation Take Subway Line 1 and get off at Tiananmen West Station and get out of the station from Exit C (southwest exit). There is an underground passageway to the theater& Notes Monday closed

The National Grand Theatre, also known as Beijing National Center for the Performing Arts, is an egg-shaped Opera House surround by artificial lake. It is a dynamic new icon to the arts in the heart of old Beijing.

Situated in the heart of Beijing, with Tiananmen Square and Grand Hall of the People in the east, National Grand Theatre is an egg-shaped Opera House surround by artificial lake like a pearl in water. Covering an area of 1.189 million square meters, the 46.68-meter high house can seat 5,452 people and it is connected to the shore by way of a 60-meter long transparent underpass.

National Grand Theatre is composed of three functional zones. Zone 201 is north entrance and underground garage while the south entrance and restaurant are in the Zone 203. Zone 202 is the main part including a 2,416-seat Opera house in the middle, a 2,017-seat Concert hall in the east and 1,040-seat Drama theatre in the west.

Design and Construction

The theater was designed by French architect Paul Andreu. He once said: “I want to break the Chinese tradition so when you go to the theatre, you will enter a dream place”. Andreu described his work in this way – the huge semisphere like the seed of life. He continued: “What the National Grand Theatre express is inner vitality under the exterior peace. A single ’egg’ has a life inside.”

In 1999, the design worked out by the Paris Airport Inc led by Paul and Tsinghua University won out in the competition. Ground was broken on December 13, 2001 and the theater was completed and handed over for use in September, 2007. The theater has the largest dome in the world as well as the deepest building with 32.5 meters underground. The total cost of the whole project is more than 3.2 billion CNY.

Visiting Guide

Walking by the 80 meters long under-water gallery and enter the public hall from the Olive Hall, you will see 3 professional theatres: Opera House, Concert Hall and Drama Theatre. They are completely independent and connected only with corridor in the air.

Opera House

The golden Opera House, the most significant building within the theater, is in the center and mainly dedicated to of the performances of operas, dance dramas, ballet and large theatrical festivals. It is equipped with a modern stage and three-storey auditorium which can seat 2398 audiences. The ‘品’ shaped stage can be moved up/down/back/forward or rotated to meet the needs of the artists’ live performances. The orchestra pit which can hold 90-musician orchestra can also move up and down to become auditorium.

Concert Hall

The Concert Hall, boasting a distinct air of exceeding serenity and elegance, is in the east of the National Centre for the Performing Arts. The hall is mainly for large-scale symphonies, ethnic music as well as occasional staging of musicals performances. With 2,019 seats, the two-storey auditorium surrounds the stage. The largest pipe organ in China is housed at here and all the design and construction of the hall serve the acoustic effort of the building, archiving perfect combination of architectural and acoustic aesthetics.

Drama Theatre

The Drama Theatre is designed with a distinctive Chinese national architectural style. Chinese red is the main color and the wallpapers are silk embroidered, express a contagious theatrical atmosphere with tradition and warmness. The theater is mainly used for drama, Peking Opera and other local operas. The three-storey auditorium has 1035 seats and the stage with a unique protruding lip design meets the need of traditional Chinese opera performances.

Besides the three principle halls, the National Grand Theatre also boasts a small test theater catering the needs for relatively small performances. The square surrounding the artificial lake is a good place for recreation in downtown Beijing.

How to Ge to the Grand Theater

Take Bus No. 1, 5, 10, 37, 52, 728, 802, 205 and get off at west Tiananmen station or take bus No. 22 and get off at Shibei Hutong, you’ll find the north of the theater.
Take Bus No. T2, T4, T7, T9, 44, 67, 301, 337, 673, 808, 901 and get off at West Qianmen Station, you’ll find the south of the theater.
Take Subway Line 1 and get off at west Tiananmen station. Passing the Exit C, you’ll find yourself at the theater.
 

 

Beijing Culture