China's Great Hall of the People, once a political holy of holies has been thrown open to business and the public and is pulling in millions of dollars in revenue.
With the winter holiday season approaching many concerts and celebrations are being lined up. In December the hall will host easy-listening piano king Richard Clayderman, and a performance of Swan Lake by the Russian State Ballet.
He Husheng, a Renmin University professor who has studied the history of the Great Hall of the People, said public access to the majestic venue is now unprecedented. "Tours, rentals, and restaurants have all become big revenue earners for the Great Hall of the People."
Social dancing entered the Hall
On September 22, 2006 South Korean singer Kangta, and Taiwan singer Vanness Wu performed together at the Great Hall of the People. After 50 minutes the performance had to be called off when excited fans invaded the stage.
Some felt things had gone too far. "Has the Great Hall of the People been turned into a disco?" asked one irate traditionalist.
But it seems nothing is going to get in the way of further commercialization.
Built for the 10th anniversary of the People's Republic of China, with a total floor space of 171,800 square meters, the Great Hall of the People is bigger than the total floor area of the Imperial Palace.
In fact public access to the Hall goes back further than many think. In December 1978, central government leaders said that when no big event was taking place, the Hall should be opened to the public. In fact, when the Hall was built in 1958, it was thrown open twice a week. It was only during the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) that this practice was suspended.
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The painting "This land so rich in beauty"
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In January 1979, the Spring Festival Gala Evening, which had been suspended for 15 years, was held at the Great Hall of the People. On that evening social dancing made its first re-appearance after having been forbidden for many years as "bourgeois entertainment".