Some visitors seemed confused by the concrete walls on both sides of the lobby when they visited the new Shanghai Poly Grand Theater in Jiading during its recent opening. But a theater guide explained that the design was deliberate. The minimal decoration sought to create a feeling of purity and simplicity.
Everyone was impressed by the theater's sightseeing terrace, which overlooks Yuanxiang Lake's clear water.
A small boy named Chen Yang felt nervous when he saw a feature of suspended rods falling and rising according to the rhythm of a melody being played.
"Mommy, I’m scared," he said as he covered his eyes, while the amused adults were busy taking photos of the dancing rods.
More than 1,000 people attended the theater’s three open days.
Shen Zhongmin, the Poly Grand's marketing director, said the events were intended to let the public see the beauty of the theater and discover the stories behind it, as well as listen to the lectures about music.
He said there had been long queues for free opening day tickets, and they were quickly snapped up.
Most of the visitors were middle-aged or elderly, and the theater will work with Internet companies to issue tickets online to attract more young people.