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National Grand Theatre Construction Coming to an End

National Grand Theatre Construction Coming to an End

Construction on the National Grand Theatre, on Chang’an Jie west of the Great Hall of the People, is nearing its end. The Proprietary Committee for the National Grand Theatre Project said it could conclude as early as July 2007. The entire theatre will be unveiled in May 2007 when the construction barrier around it is removed. The public will then be able to visit its grounds and its artificial lake and gardens. More than 1,500 workers are involved in decorating the theatre.

The theatre, whose construction was envisioned in the early days of New China, will become a singular monument on Chang’an Jie, because of its futuristic titanium dome. When completed, the building will cover 149,500 square metres of ground and will house three enormous halls. At a cost of 2.69 billion yuan (US$341 million), the theatre was the biggest cultural project included in China’s 10th Five-Year Plan (2001–2005).