The Dashijie entertainment center — a 16,800-square-meter property — was built in 1917 and used to stage Chinese operas, and host singers and acrobats. It also had cinemas, malls, snack bars and restaurants offering food from around the world.
The 12 "distorting mirrors" imported from the Netherlands in the lobby area became a popular attraction.
The center was once the place to go to, gaining a reputation as the "No. 1 Entertainment Venue in the Far East."
Its popularity soared in the 1990s when some people tried to break a Guinness world attendance record there — and did so by receiving more than 20,000 visitors during the Labor Day holiday in 1995.
But its glory days were soon over after many new entertainment venues, such as amusement parks, opened up.
Traditional Huju and Yueju operas were no longer able to attract younger audiences.
Furthermore, as the French-styled building was listed as a historic protected venue, the operator could not launch major renovations or even install central air conditioning, causing numbers to fall. The center received less than 100 visitors a day after the year 2000 and it was closed in 2003 after an outbreak of the SARS epidemic.
The iconic distorting mirrors will be kept after the reopening, the district government said. Renovation on the building has restored its original appearance.
The building will be able to receive a maximum 3,300 visitors simultaneously after the reopening, and numbers will be limited during holidays and other peak periods.
District fire prevention and police authorities had management plans in place to ensure safety, Qiu said.
Inside the building, the main stage and corridors have also been restored. The decoration style and details on the stairs would be the same as that of a century ago, he added.
