China Travel Guide >>Chongqing >>People's Assembly Hall

People's Assembly Hall

For sight- seeing both at night and during the day, the first place to see is the Chongqing People' s Hall and People' Square in front of the Hall. It is an architectural symbol of Chongqing. It was designed in the traditional symmetrical and beautifully-proportioned style of Ming and Qing dynasties' palaces.

The construction of it began on June 1951 and finished on April 1954. The auditorium consists of three parts: the great hall, the North Wing and the South Wing on each side of the hall (An East Wing was added to it in 1986), and the Pailou Archway by the street. It has the area of 25,000 sq.m. The highest point is 65 meters and the hall is 55 meters high. There are 5 levels. 4 of them are taken into use. It can contains a 4000-seat auditorium.

The round roof with its green glazed tiles makes the building looks like the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, the porch in front of the hall with its red columns and white marble rails reminds people of the Tian An Men gate in Beijing. The building is 65 meters high, with a construction area of 18,500 square meters, built in the traditional Chinese place style, imposing, beautiful and magnificent. In the book History of Comparative Architecture published in Great Britain in 1987, the Auditorium was put in the second place in a list of 43 best Chinese buildings constructed after liberation. In May 1997, People' s Square was completed in front of the Auditorium covering an area of 25,000 square meters, of which 15,000 square meters is planted with trees and flowers. The ground of the square is paved with smooth and shining marble tiles; there is magic music fountain; at the southern end of the square stands a stage for performances in the open air. In the numerous beautiful lights in the evening, you may see thousands of people dancing on the square.

It is a worthwhile place that attracts many people from overseas and domestics.