Great World, Shanghai, Entertainment complex in Huangpu District, China
Great World is an amusement and cultural complex in Huangpu District, Shanghai, made up of three four-story buildings arranged around a central tower topped with a Baroque-style spire. The different floors contain exhibition rooms, performance stages, and interactive areas spread across the connected buildings.
The complex was founded in 1917 by businessman Huang Chujiu as a place of popular entertainment in downtown Shanghai. Over the following decades, it changed ownership and purpose several times before being restored and reopened as a venue for cultural heritage in the 21st century.
The building hosts live performances of traditional Chinese theater and folk arts that visitors can watch in dedicated spaces. Craft demonstrations by local artists give a direct sense of what these living traditions look and sound like today.
The building sits in the heart of Shanghai and is easy to reach by subway. Arriving in the morning gives you a chance to explore the floors before the crowds build up later in the day.
The entrance hall contains twelve distorting mirrors that were brought from the Netherlands during the venue's early years and are still in place today. They were once a main draw for visitors coming to laugh at their own reflections, and they remain one of the few original features still on display.
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