THE SHANGHAI OPERA
Read moreInaugurated in 1998, the Shanghai Opera (Dagejuyuan) was designed by the French architect ARTE-Charpentier. Its architecture incorporates the cultural complexity of a millennium civilization that comes into modernity. It builds on the Chinese myth that the sky is round like the roof and the earth, square like the body of the building. Jacques Chirac welcomed the aesthetic quality of the building and the efforts of architects during his presidential visit in May 1997. South of Renmin Square, at the intersection of Xizang Lu and Yan'an Lu, the Grand World (Dashijie) was Asia's largest amusement centre: a mix of casino, tripot, on three floors. Rebuilt on numerous occasions, the building dates back to 1924; the place is always open to the public.