By Xinhua writer Yang Jianxiang

BEIJING Matt Judon Jersey , Dec. 22 (Xinhua) -- To the west of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, a dome-shaped construction is impressively unique among its generally square neighbors.

"The Giant Egg", it is the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA).

Sheltered under the dome are four theaters. The opera house, capable of seating an audience of 2,398, is the main stage for operas, dance-dramas Michael Pierce Jersey , ballet and large-scale performances. The concert hall, with 2,019 seats, is dedicated to orchestral and folk music. The 1,035 seat theatre is for drama and folk dances and the smaller MF theater, capable of accommodating 556 visitors, is a quiet Austin Howard Jersey , elegant place for chamber music, solos, little theater dramas and modern dance.

In the heart of the capital, the NCPA seems determined from the very beginning to justify its name by taking lead in development of the performing arts.

NCPA tries to suit both refined and popular tastes. It is engaged in five categories of the performing arts: opera, concert, ballet, drama and traditional Chinese opera. It does not cater to the pop industry.

Thanks to its design and state of the art acoustics Ryan Jensen Jersey , performances in NCPA are almost invariably without electronic sound enhancement, making performances immune to accusations of fakery. That's also why the opera house has never staged a western musical.

NCPA is not content with being a mere performance venue. Looking up to the world's leading players, it is committed to the production of old and new performance programs. In the past six years the center has staged 35 productions,including grand opera , Peking opera, stage plays and dance drama. Most are outstanding works, both thought provoking and entertaining. The western opera Turandot James Hurst Jersey , the Peking opera Red Cliffs, and the stage drama Wangfujing gained wide popularity among the theater goers.

Opera production takes three forms. In the initial period, NCPA imported productions such as " Rigoletto ", with foreign casts and directors. Chinese casts were sometimes used as a backup and for learning purposes. Later it collaborated with foreign or Chinese companies in production, often using Chinese casts but inviting foreign artists for leading roles or as directors. Now it invites renowned directors, conductors and singers to independently produce NCPA programs.

The NCPA set up a resident chorus in December 2009 and an orchestra in 2010. These have greatly enhanced its ability to produce programs and run performances.

Earlier this year, the NCPA completed the production of three opera films. Two of them Brandon Carr Jersey , Verdi's Nabucco, starring Mexican tenor Placido Domingo and Masques, starring Chinese soprano Sun Xiuwei, are premiered in the venue today. NCPA has designated this Sunday a public open day with special offerings including 19 stage shows, 11 arts lectures, 6 exhibitions and more than 50 public space performances.

Production is costly, especially with foreign artists. But more and more internationally renowned directors and performers are prepared to accept reasonably payments to perform in China Tony Jefferson Jersey , because the China stage is so big and performing at the NCPA has become a new trend in the world arts circle.

A nonprofit organization, the NCPA manages to make ends meet. The center gets one third of its funds from the state government. Revenues from ticket sales made about 300 million yuan in 2013. It has other forms of funding such as donations and sponsorships from various social groups. Venue visits is another major source of income.

The "giant egg" first opened for public visits on October 1, 2008. A visitor is charged 30 yuan for a tour inside the venue, from basement 1 up to the top fifth floor.

The venue was controversial before construction and remains so even now, chiefly because its outward appearance looks weird among the buildings around it. But the design by the French architect Paul Andreu is itself quite remarkable.

It is said that in the first few years, visitors to the NCPA for the architecture outnumbered people who went there for the performances. The NCPA has received more than 3.7 million tourists.

Visitors at the north entrance usually begin the trip by taking the central path on basement 1. Many will be impressed by the transparent glass ceiling, which reflects rippling Danny Woodhead Jersey , glistening water on a sunny day. The water is part of the shallow water ring that encircles the dome. The path leads to an oval space, where escalators on either side take people to the five upper floors.

In addition to the theaters, visitors may pass through exhibitions related to the performing arts in two exhibition halls and a museum. They may also browse stores for souvenirs or sit in cafes or a western restaurant.

A music bookstore on the 1st floor offers a rich variety of books on music and arts, as well as audio & visual products. The arts library on the 4th floor is reserved for NCPA club members. In its exterior ring corridor, a gallery of posters gives an introduction to the world's most eminent musicians and composers.

Arts popularization and fostering artistic talent is another important undertaking for the NCPA. As part of its outreach program, the NCPA runs regular weekend concerts by conservatory faculty and students. It also invites artists, scholars and critics to give lectures and pre-show talks Maxx Williams Jersey , and host album listening sessions and costume & props exhibitions.

As a government institution, the NCPA strives to achieve a balance between social and economic benefit. In the past six years, it hosted 5,776 free activities, engaging a total audience of 2.9 million.

In the same period, the NCPA received 544 foreign or Chinese performance organizations and over 177,000 foreign or Chinese artists. It has established communication relations with 175 foreign arts organizations and signed strategic partnership agreements with 18 internatioIf you?re even slight.