Life and Leisure

Culture vultures swoop into Chaoyang

By Chen Nan (China Daily)
Updated: 2010-08-24 11:28

After decades in the doldrums, when it attracted mostly restless retirees from the neighborhood, Chaoyang Cultural Center's snazzier reincarnation of itself is set to make waves across the capital with the makeovers of its Old Beijing Museum, Nine Theater and Center of Rose in Beijing.

Located on the east of Jingguang Bridge on East Third Ring Road, the 9,000-square-meter center - a State-subsidized operation opened in 1957 - is a successful example of the country's cultural industry reforms.

Director Xu Wei, who has been working at the Center for more than 30 years, says: "Since the renovation in 1996, our main focus has been attracting ordinary people to visit the Cultural Center and participate in cultural activities."

From the series of cultural activities on the "One Community, One Family" theme held across Chaoyang district, to outdoor movie screenings for residents and immigrant workers, the center has brought cultural events close to ordinary people.

"All the other programs, such as inviting professional artists from home and abroad to perform at our theaters or inviting them to give talks, are based on the main mission, which is to satisfy the needs of ordinary people," Xu says.

Six years ago, the Nine Theater opened after a face-lift, offering night as well as day performances.

It now has a full calendar of events, including jazz and folk concerts, Peking Opera, cross talk shows, experimental dramas and discussions with artists and scholars. It also hosts various festivals co-organized with foreign cultural organizations, such as the French Drama Festival and the Year of Modern Dance. Within a short period, Nine Theater has emerged as a major cultural center of the capital.

The newly built Center of Rose in the 798 art district mainly organizes exhibitions in collaboration with foreign art organizations and holds various drama festivals.

The renowned Old Beijing Museum, with its collection of more than 2,000 old items collected from Beijingers in the past 10 years, is also a popular place for those wanting a peek into authentic Beijing culture.

"Thirty years ago, if you could read a newspaper and sing, you could get a job at a Cultural Center," says Xu. "But people's interests are now more diversified."

Xu, who is also a poet and drama director, sees the Chaoyang Cultural Center as occupying a distinctive niche in China.

"It's different from a library, and it's different from the art institutes found in foreign countries," he says. "It's a middle ground where ordinary people can come together and share their lives not only in the big cities but also in countryside."

The center attracts not just groups of middle school students who can catch a performance by local independent drama troupes but also retired folks who have organized as a performing group.

"It has always been our hope and dream to create a meaningful space for the cultural community of the capital," Xu says.

China Daily