New cultural landmark opens in Luzhou

Guojiao 1573 Grand Theatre, a new cultural landmark in Luzhou, Sichuan province, officially opened its doors Saturday. As the third venue directly operated by CPAA Theatres in the province, it joins the CDHT CPAA Grand Theatre and the CPAA Chengdu Grand Theatre to form a strategic three-theater network across Chengdu and Luzhou.

According to CPAA Theatres, the venue will integrate commercial performances with public cultural services. It will host international and domestic productions while providing arts education and outreach programs. The theatre's annual schedule will feature concerts, plays, dance performances, and various community-based cultural activities.

The theatre's opening season features a diverse program of high-caliber concerts, dance, drama and family-oriented shows. Highlights include a family musical by the China National Theatre for Children, a dance production by the Sichuan Song and Dance Theatre, a contemporary dance performance, the play The Awakening Age by the Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre, and the classic opera La Traviata presented by the China National Opera House.

The theatre will also host themed outdoor cultural events in its plaza and surrounding green space, featuring poetry, traditional etiquette and local heritage.

In conjunction with the opening, the venue is hosting a thematic exhibition featuring 50 significant Chinese figure paintings from the China Arts and Entertainment Group's collection. Spanning from the late Qing Dynasty to the contemporary era, the showcase includes works by renowned masters such as Ren Bonian, Qi Baishi, Jiang Zhaohe, Li Keran, Huang Zhou and He Jiaying.

The exhibition places special emphasis on the works of Jiang Zhaohe, a local Luzhou native celebrated for his profound influence on the evolution of modern Chinese figure painting.

Spanning a total area of 15,600 square meters, the complex is structured across two basement levels and five floors above ground. It houses a 1,100-seat main auditorium, a multifunctional theatre, rehearsal studios, and dedicated spaces for arts education.

As the largest newly built comprehensive theatre in southern Sichuan, the facility provides state-of-the-art infrastructure and versatile functional spaces to support a wide range of artistic endeavors.