Head to Great World for a bit of nostalgia
Print Edition
SHANGHAI Dashijie, or the Great World, officially reopened to public on the last day of March after being shut down for a decade.
Masters of traditional skills are invited to the century-old compound, which now mainly showcases China’s intangible cultural heritages, and teach visitors some of their skills.
The first batch of invited masters are artisans skilled in traditional costume-making, wooden plate painting, clay sculpture, jade carving and fine embroidery.
Traditional Chinese operas are performed on the stage.
Shanghai-style and Mediterranean cuisines are also available. At the teahouse theater on the fourth floor, visitors can go in and watch performances.
Platform for new talents
First opened in 1917, the Great World entertainment center was built by Huang Chujiu, a local businessman. At the beginning, it was nicknamed the “No. 1 Club of the Far East.” Cinema and theater were its main attraction.
In 1930, Huang Jinrong, a police-detective-turned-mob boss in Shanghai, took over the Great World from Huang Chujiu and expanded the site, turning it into an entertainment venue with restaurants, stage shows, shopping malls and rides for children. The trademark distorting mirrors were installed during this time.
For years, the Great World has been a bridge to the films of the golden age of Hollywood. It also provided a platform for new talents — young singers, dancers and opera actors who would go on to become famous performers.
The European-style tower of the Great World was a landmark for decades.
After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the Great World was renamed the People’s Playground and later became the Shanghai Youth Palace.
It remained a popular entertainment venue in Shanghai. During its heydays in the 1990s, it set a record attendance of some 20,000 people on May Day holiday in 1995.
However, with Shanghai’s deepening development, new theme parks and aquariums became the new attractions in Shanghai.
Young people were no longer interested in traditional Chinese operas and folk arts that once so fascinated their parents. The Great World was on the skids.
In 2004, after the outbreak of SARS epidemic, shutters came down on the Great World. Since then, its facade has been redecorated, but the interior remains empty. Last year it went on a trial run and on December 28 it announced its return after a complete renovation.
The newly opened Great Wall can handle 3,000 people at a given time. The programs change on a monthly basis.
Date: Daily, 9am-10pm
Admission: 60 yuan (half price for children under 1.3 meters tall and senior citizens aged 60 and above)
Address: 1 Xizang Rd S.
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