National Centre for the Performing Arts 🇨🇳

The National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), colloquially called "The Boiled Egg," is Asia's largest theatre complex, located in Xicheng, Beijing, right next to Tiananmen Square and Chang'an Street. Designed by French architect Paul Andreu and opened in 2007, this futuristic arts centre features a semi-ellipsoidal steel structural shell surrounded by an artificial lake. Its distinctive dome is built from over 18,000 titanium metal plates and more than 1,200 pieces of ultra-white glass, housing a vast subterranean structure extending ten stories underground.

When you visit, you enter through a striking 80-meter underwater passage below the lake's surface. Inside, the facility boasts world-class venues: the magnificent 2,207-seat gold Opera Hall for ballet and opera, the 1,859-seat Music Hall housing the nation's largest organ, and the 1,036-seat Chinese red Theatre Hall designed for traditional and modern drama. Beyond the main performance spaces, the NCPA houses art exhibition halls, audio shops, and restaurants.

Whether you are admiring its pillarless dome engineered with specialized noise-prevention technology or exploring its underground architectural marvels, the NCPA offers a unique fusion of modern international design and Chinese performing arts right in the heart of Beijing.

What to see at National Centre for the Performing Arts

• An 80-meter underwater passage providing entry beneath an artificial lake.
• A pillarless steel and titanium dome covered with over 18,000 metal plates.
• The magnificent 2,207-seat gold Opera Hall equipped with an advanced multi-functional stage.
• The Music Hall featuring the country's largest organ and specialized acoustic design.
• Subterranean engineering extending ten stories deep to preserve local building height limits.

Visiting tips

To enter the performance halls, walk through the 80-meter underwater passage located beneath the surrounding artificial lake.

How long: 2-3 hours · Best time: Flexible

How to get there & what’s nearby

National Centre for the Performing Arts is easy to reach on Beijing’s public transport, and pairs naturally with Forbidden City and Summer Palace. For where to stay, the weather and full itineraries, see our Beijing travel guide.