Construction of a grand theater started Sunday in Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian Province, after 11 years of discussion and preparation.Located opposite to the city's central plaza, the theater will occupy an area of about 31,500 square meters and cost 360 million yuan (about US$43.37 million). It will be the largest cultural infrastructure project of the province, which is making great efforts to build more entertainment facilities for its cultural development.
The petal-shaped glass building will consist of a main hall with a seating capacity of more than 1,400, a multifunctional drama theater, and other facilities.
The theater was designed by Cui Kai, Vice-chairman of the China Architecture Design and Research Group, whose design was chosen from a pool of international bids organized by local government.
As the province's key project in the 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005), the theater is expected to be completed in 2005 and become a new landmark in the city.
