Guo Tai Arts Center 国泰艺术中心
The unmissable interwoven blocks of Guo Tai Arts Centre theatre and concert hall and the Chongqing Museum of Art at the heart of the Jiefangbei central business district in Yuzhong first opened to the public at Chinese New Year in 2013.
The centre’s mission is to bring access to cultural experiences to the heart of a major commercial district, and its construction and surrounding public spaces completely opened up the district and changed the way people use the public spaces around Jiefangbei.
Guotai’s stunning modern style actually combines various traditional elements of Chinese and local Bayu culture into a contemporary edifice that has been compared to both an abstract ancient sailing ship and a glowing bonfire.
Recent productions include:
Comedy performance: Decoys
Ballet: Swan Lake
Chongqing Shi Guangnan Grand Theater 重庆施光南大剧院
Staging over 60 productions annually, Chongqing Shi Guangnan Grand Theater at 7 Yanyu Road in Nanan District instantly became a key cultural centre after its opening in 2015.
The 1,200 capacity performance space is a cutting edge centre for the arts whilst also being a major conferencing and events centre.
Recent productions include:
Music Drama: Phoenix A Jia
Concert: The New Year Concert
Chongqing Grand Theater 重庆大剧院
The landmark Chongqing Grand Theater overlooking the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing rivers in Jiangbeizui opened in 2009. The theatre is at the heart of Chongqing’s cultural life focusing mainly on opera, drama, and classical music.
The building’s sometimes controversial light green plexiglass exterior is intended to reflect a lone sail backed by a shadow on the river far shadow. Set over seven floors, it won the 2010-2011 Luban architectural award, and in 2019 the China construction industry association included it in its list of 100 modern classic buildings erected during the past 40 years of China’s reform and opening up.
Productions include:
Drama: Ocean Heaven
Drama: Bai Lu Yuan
Chongqing Cultural Palace Grand Theater 重庆文化宫大剧院
The Chongqing Culture Palace set in the park on Zhongshan 2nd Road in Yuzhong was opened in 1952 and has space for 1,400 people. Following a renovation in 1998 it is one of the most up to date performance spaces in Chongqing, and its location allows audiences and performances to be situated outdoors in the park’s public spaces.
The theatre has been at the forefront of Chongqing’s international engagement with the arts for almost seventy years, and is counted amongst the leading 100 performing arts centres in China.
Productions include:
Play: Sleeping Beauty
Drama: Invitation of Chiang Kaishek