Beijing's oval-shaped National Grand Theater is scheduled to run its first trial performance from September 25 through October 13, 2007. The dates celebrate the 58th birthday of the People's Republic of China and the opening of the upcoming 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China scheduled for October 15.

A night photo of the National Grand Theater

Deng Yijiang, press officer of the theater, said that 23 performances of seven shows will be staged during the trial period, including "The Red Detachment of Women" and "Swan Lake" by the National Ballet of China, "Sister Jiang" by the Shanghai Opera House, "Dream of Grand Dunhuang" by the Lanzhou Song and Dance Company, "Tea House" by the Beijing People's Art Theater, "Mei Lanfang" by the Beijing Peking Opera Company and the eminent "The Peony Pavilion" by the Imperial Granary, a Beijing-based theatrical company.

The trial performances will be held primarily inside the opera house, with the concert hall and theater to formally open by the year's end.

The purpose of the trial is to test equipment. The trial performances will not be open to the public. Deputies of the 17th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, designers and builders of the theater and Beijing Olympic Games venues and the original dwellers who moved out from the sites will be the first to witness these trial performances at the Opera House.

Theater and dance enthusiasts, as well as opera buffs can hope for a formal show by the end of this year. Some 183 shows from China, the United States, Russia, France, Italy and other countries will be staged during the premiere season until the end of March, said Deng.

After five years of construction, the enclosures around the National Grand Theater were removed on June 15, 2007.

Designed by the renowned French architect Paul Andreu, the theater is located near Beijing's famous Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. Undoubtedly it will become an important landmark in the capital.

This photo was shot on September 17 and shows the Opera House inside the National Grand Theater. The 2,398-seat opera house, the most magnificent hall in the Grand Theater, is designated mainly for operas, ballets, and dance dramas.

Another September 17 photo illustrates the Concert Hall of the National Grand Theater. The 2,019-seat concert hall will be used primarily for symphony, ethnic music, and choral concert performances.

(China Daily and China.org.cn September 18, 2007)