The National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) lies just to the west of Tian'AnMen Square and the Great Hall of the People.
It is also known as the National Grand Theater (a direct translation of its name in Chinese) and colloquially as 'the Egg', as it emerged on the Beijing skyline about the same time as the 'Birds Nest' Olympic stadium.
The center is composed of a 46m high, elliptical titanium and glass meta-structure that sits in the middle of a huge square pond; it looks stunning both day and night.
Inside are three performance halls that can seat nearly 5,500 people. The center hosts opera, music, plays, ballet and modern dance.
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