The Great Hall of the People
The Great Hall of the People in Beijing has hosted many historic political and social gatherings since being built nearly 50 years ago, in 1959. It is the home of the Standing Committee of the People's Congress of China (SCPCC), as well as hosting a number of large international events.
Built in September 1959, the construction of Great Hall of People took only 10 months despite the scale of the building. It covers an area of 171, 800 square meters, 320 meters long and 206.5 meters wide. The central part of The Great Hall is the highest, reaching 40.5 meters. At the eaves of the main gate, there hangs a national emblem of People's Republic of China. Twelve 25-meters-high pillars are set on two-meters-high marble foundations.
The Great Hall consists of three sections. The centre is the "ten thousand people hall" with volume of 90, 000 cubic meters. The northern section is the banqueting hall covering an area of 7,000 square meters, where 5,000 people can dine. The southern part is the office building of Standing Committee of People's Congress of China.
As well as a 600-seat auditorium, 32 Chinese provinces and two autonomous regions each have their own hall in the Great Hall, decorated with the unique characteristics of the province.
National Grand Theatre
Home for the concerts will be Beijing’s stunning new National Grand Theatre, which was officially opened at the end of 2007 and is already being acclaimed for its qualities as a premier cultural venue by performers and audiences.
The structure is commonly known as ‘The Egg’ as it is said to resemble an egg floating on water. The exterior of the Theatre is a titanium accentuated glass dome, completely surrounded by a man-made lake. Guests enter the building via a glass hallway beneath the lake.
The Theatre is set to become Beijing's foremost cultural centre, situated in the heart of the capital next to the Great Hall of the People, and is approximately 500m from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
