Shanghai Grand Theatre

Introdution
The Shanghai Grand Theatre is located at the intersection of People's Avenue and Huangpi Road South in northern part of the People's Square in Huangpu District, Shanghai, China. Designed by French architect Jean-Marie Charpentier, the building covers a floor area of 11,528 square meter. Interior design was by Studios Architecture. 

The Shanghai Grand Theatre regularly hosts the city's most notable classical music, dance, opera and theater performances.Opened to the public in 1998, the Grand Theatre houses three separate auditoriums, the largest of which seats 1,800, while two smaller, more intimate halls are reserved for chamber music and private events.

Structure
The theater occupies an area of 2.1 hectares, facing the People's Boulevard in the south, along Huangpi Road North in the west, next to the Shanghai Municipal Building in the East. The new style architecture combines the Eastern and Western flavor. While naturally choosing to represent Chinese tradition, Jean also wished to make a dynamic architectural statement with his surrounding complex, at the historical center of the city. The roof is constructed as an upturned segment of a circle, symbolizing The Sky. Thus, with the surrounding glass facades and pillared entrance hall, a symbolically rich structure is created to contain mostly Western art, and this duality plays a central role in the architecture. The structure accommodates two stages, an auditorium and a foyer, as well as shops and other public spaces, and is based on a square, which in Chinese tradition represents The Earth.

The lyric theatre is divided into an auditorium, second and third floors, and six balconies. It was designed by Mitsubishi and boasts world-class stage facilities including moving wings. It is here that large scale operas, ballets and orchestral works are performed. Home to smaller performances, chamber music and fashion shows are the drama theatre which has 750 seats, and the studio theatre which holds 300.As well as performance space, the theatre has a banquet hall on the eighth floor, a culture exhibition hall on the first floor, a coffee house and an underground garage which can hold more than 170 cars.

A symbol of Shanghai's cultural emergence, the Grand Theatre remains one of the city's most recognizable and important buildings.

Background
Shanghai Grand Theatre owns the reputation of the “First Far-east Cinema”. It is founded in 1928, and Peking Opera Master Mei Lanfang cut the ribbon for the Grand Theatre. It was redesigned by Hungarian Architect L.E.HUDEC and reconstructed in 1933. As one of the oldest cinemas existing in China, it not only witnessed the vicissitudes of China’s film in 80 years but also gained numerous glorious achievements. However, after 1990, the Grand Theatre was on the decline due to the marketing process of Chinese film industry and its aging facilities. In 1999, several Cineplex was opened, which posed a huge threat to old cinemas, and the Grand Theatre was losing market little by little. 

In 2008, the Grand Theatre spent 120million Yuan to do repair work. The brand new Grand Theatre regained the “western flavor” of the old Shanghai with sail-shaped fa?ade, lotus-shaped roof, circular-curved hall, grand entrance hall. The magnificent design of occidental architecture style deluded the audience dating back to 1930s. The reconstructed Grand Theatre adopted the structure of “one big hall and five small ones”. The original 1,900-seat hall was cut to 600 seats. It remains two-story structure, namely, 800 seats on the first floor and 500 seats on the second floor. Besides, the Grand Theatre newly opened 5 small auditoriums including one VIP hall, which provided more choice for the audience. 

Feature
As you know, "The Blue Danube "is a very popular piece of music created by the famous Austrian composer Johann Strauss. People all over the world love this famous waltz and many have danced to it . But have you ever heard of the crystal chandelier which is called "The Blue Danube"?

If you step into the lobby of the Shanghai Grand Theatre, a huge crystal chandelier will immediately catch your eye. This chandelier was designed and made in Austria. It is more than seven meters high and three meters wide, and it has three hundred lights. Think how bright it is when it is switched on! The whole lobby of the theater is lit up with magical effect. No wonder it is called "The Blue Danube"!

Information
Opening Time: 09:00-11:00 and 13:00-16:00 to visit the theatre; 12:00-24:00 to dinning hall.
Admission Fee: CNY40 per person, CNY100 for a family of three people.

Transportation 
Bus routes:No.17, 20, 23, 37, 46, 48, 49, 72, 108, 109, 112, 123, 505, 506 and get off at the stop of Ren Min Guang Chang (人民广场, People's Square)
Subway routes: No.1, 2 and 8 and get off at the station of Ren Min Guang Chang (People's Square)
Address:No. 272 Fengxian Road, Shanghai
Booking Hotline: (86-21) 62172426 62173055