Renmin Theatre

吹你一脸灰

5.0/5

Outstanding

Beijing People's Theater was built in 1953 and officially opened in 1955. It is one of the first modern opera performance venues after the founding of New China. The building was selected into the third batch of China's 20th century architectural heritage projects in 2018, listed in the Beijing Excellent Modern and Contemporary Building Protection List in 2007, and recognized as a historical building in Beijing in 2019. The theater adopts a classical symmetrical shape, and the hip roof is decorated with peace dove carvings, combining traditional architectural aesthetics with modern facilities. Mei Lanfang once performed the opening performance of "Mu Ke Zhai" here, and it has become an important stage for Peking Opera masters to show artistic innovation. In 2023, the theater will reopen after technical transformation, and a Peking Opera Art Exhibition Hall and an immersive experience area will be added to form a cultural heritage base integrating performances, filming, and exhibitions. The exterior of the building adopts an antique hip roof, a brick-red facade with green glazed tile trimmings, and the beams and rafters are painted with blue and green ink lines and gold-dot techniques. The roof ridge beasts are replaced with doves of peace instead of traditional decorations, echoing the characteristics of the early days of the founding of New China. The front hall adopts a classical symmetrical layout, and the columns and carved doors and windows reflect the traditional architectural aesthetics. It is also equipped with modern stage lighting and digital recording systems. As a witness to the development of opera art in the 20th century, the theater preserves performance archives, props and artist manuscripts from its establishment in 1955 to the present. The building itself combines Soviet architectural techniques with traditional decorative techniques, and is an important specimen for studying cultural buildings in the early days of New China. Its renovation project follows the principle of "repairing the old as it is", and completely retains the exterior features of the building in the 1950s. After restarting in 2023, it will launch the "Heroes Gathering" performance plan, selecting 30 small theater Peking operas for concentrated performances each year.