National Center for the Performing Arts
National Center for the Performing Arts
4.5
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
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- Tian'anmen West • 3 min walk
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4.5
756 reviews
Excellent
473
Very good
218
Average
54
Poor
8
Terrible
3
These reviews have been automatically translated from their original language.
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OJ
Sydney, Australia17 contributions
Apr 2024 • Solo
What a great place to visit
I booked a ticket to watch Chinese opera and I was really surprised by the size of thos venue. It's huge, modern, very well organized with some great staff working around. Also the security guards inside the venue looked so amazingly weird 😁
I booked a ticket to watch Chinese opera and I was really surprised by the size of thos venue. It's huge, modern, very well organized with some great staff working around. Also the security guards inside the venue looked so amazingly weird 😁
Written 22 April 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Алексей М
Ussuriysk, Russia237 contributions
Aug 2024 • Family
Were not inside, but outside is a very futuristic building.
Park around, around the building itself is an artificial lake, ducks swim. People walk, run. Very nice for a walk. No noise whatsoever. It must be high inside too, but didn't even try to figure out how to get there, how to buy tickets and stuff.
Park around, around the building itself is an artificial lake, ducks swim. People walk, run. Very nice for a walk. No noise whatsoever. It must be high inside too, but didn't even try to figure out how to get there, how to buy tickets and stuff.
Automatically translated
Written 28 August 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alexey G
Moscow, Russia14,741 contributions
July 2023 • Business
I was lucky enough to see our Bolshoi’s production of “Don Quixote” here. After a 4-year isolation break, the local public understood with a bang, an ovation. It was strong. Well, the center itself is a work of modern architectural art. French architect, futuristic design, huge capacity, scope!
Written 28 August 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,581 contributions
Nov 2018 • Friends
This is my third visit in 2018 to this beautiful titanium-accented glass dome theatre of the performing arts (aka, The Giant Egg). Over my past two visits, I’ve watched a performance and toured the National Grand Theatre. Although I didn't see Lang Lang himself, I did get to see his handprints. It is an incredibly beautiful venue for seeing performances, and likely the nicest in the world.
Written 10 December 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Eegulleye
Albany, NY21 contributions
Nov 2013 • Friends
The NCPA is a stunning venue. There are three aspects to visiting, which can be combined in one trip (with good planning and timing) or can be done individually.
The building and surrounding man-made lake are both exciting and calming to view from the outside. By day, the dull gray structure seems to float on the water. It is especially stunning on a clear blue-sky day, but also has character when the skies are half gray, as they more often are. By night it is illuminated with lights of varying color, and is very striking against the black water and sky. It is quite large so allow extra time of you wish to walk all the way around. No charge for exterior viewing.
To visit the inside, one can either buy a ticket to attend a performance (usually evening) or by day, buy a ticket to tour the building. The daytime tour ticket gives access to the inside of the shell, but not to the inside of the three theaters within the shell. If visiting when it is light outside (daytime, or prior to a performance during summer) it is quite an experience to walk through the long entry corridor and gaze upward to the glass ceiling with the man-made lake above. The interior walls, floors, and fixtures are expertly crafted with unique and costly marbles, woods, and metals. There is a small but interesting museum along the entry corridor, and there is a cafe on the main theater level. The cafe food is limited to sandwiches and cakes, but at least there is something if you've arrived hungry. The gift shop has some unique items.
The three theaters are, as their names suggest, differentiated for concerts, theater, or opera. The acoustics are very good, and the views are generally very good from all seats. The seats themselves are comfortable, however all of the theaters have a MAJOR flaw which is that there is very little space between the rows - so little in fact that an average sized person will find his/her legs right up against the row in front, or will struggle to claim a few inches to the left or right.
Planning: as others have mentioned, those who have tickets to performances cannot enter until one hour prior, which severely limits the amount of time one can visit the museum, gift shop, cafe, and enjoy the public spaces. But for visitors who wish to see it all and must do it on one day: first purchase a ticket for a 7:30pm performance, which can be done online in advance or at the box office; arrive at 5:30-6:00pm to spend 30-60 minutes walking around outside; enter the theater at 6:30pm and spend 45-60 minutes in the public spaces; 7:30pm enjoy your performance.
There is a bag and coat check immediately beyond the ticket and security checkpoint. No food, drink, or cameras are allowed (but no limitations on smartphones - go figure) however if you don't have any of those things you can keep your bag/coat if you prefer. As mentioned seats are tight so checking what you don't want to carry is convenient.
The performances are well-done and often presented by the best of Chinese and foreign troupes and musicians.
Program literature is usually available for performances, but only in Chinese, so if you are really attending for the performance and don't read Chinese, then do your online research before you go.
The Centre can be directly accessed from the subway (but note the last train is around 11pm). There is also underground car and bicycle parking.
As a resident of Beijing, I often visit for performances. NCPA is a must see for anyone interested in architecture or who needs a bit of culture.
The building and surrounding man-made lake are both exciting and calming to view from the outside. By day, the dull gray structure seems to float on the water. It is especially stunning on a clear blue-sky day, but also has character when the skies are half gray, as they more often are. By night it is illuminated with lights of varying color, and is very striking against the black water and sky. It is quite large so allow extra time of you wish to walk all the way around. No charge for exterior viewing.
To visit the inside, one can either buy a ticket to attend a performance (usually evening) or by day, buy a ticket to tour the building. The daytime tour ticket gives access to the inside of the shell, but not to the inside of the three theaters within the shell. If visiting when it is light outside (daytime, or prior to a performance during summer) it is quite an experience to walk through the long entry corridor and gaze upward to the glass ceiling with the man-made lake above. The interior walls, floors, and fixtures are expertly crafted with unique and costly marbles, woods, and metals. There is a small but interesting museum along the entry corridor, and there is a cafe on the main theater level. The cafe food is limited to sandwiches and cakes, but at least there is something if you've arrived hungry. The gift shop has some unique items.
The three theaters are, as their names suggest, differentiated for concerts, theater, or opera. The acoustics are very good, and the views are generally very good from all seats. The seats themselves are comfortable, however all of the theaters have a MAJOR flaw which is that there is very little space between the rows - so little in fact that an average sized person will find his/her legs right up against the row in front, or will struggle to claim a few inches to the left or right.
Planning: as others have mentioned, those who have tickets to performances cannot enter until one hour prior, which severely limits the amount of time one can visit the museum, gift shop, cafe, and enjoy the public spaces. But for visitors who wish to see it all and must do it on one day: first purchase a ticket for a 7:30pm performance, which can be done online in advance or at the box office; arrive at 5:30-6:00pm to spend 30-60 minutes walking around outside; enter the theater at 6:30pm and spend 45-60 minutes in the public spaces; 7:30pm enjoy your performance.
There is a bag and coat check immediately beyond the ticket and security checkpoint. No food, drink, or cameras are allowed (but no limitations on smartphones - go figure) however if you don't have any of those things you can keep your bag/coat if you prefer. As mentioned seats are tight so checking what you don't want to carry is convenient.
The performances are well-done and often presented by the best of Chinese and foreign troupes and musicians.
Program literature is usually available for performances, but only in Chinese, so if you are really attending for the performance and don't read Chinese, then do your online research before you go.
The Centre can be directly accessed from the subway (but note the last train is around 11pm). There is also underground car and bicycle parking.
As a resident of Beijing, I often visit for performances. NCPA is a must see for anyone interested in architecture or who needs a bit of culture.
Written 30 November 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
CDEMOM
new york177 contributions
June 2012 • Couples
Its very pretty space to view the architecture, the art etc. Take a coffee break at the coffee shop and enjoy the free afternoon concert if they have one.
The gift shop has a nice assortment of souvenirs (better than the street vendors and reasonable prices).
Visiting ticket is $40 Rmb
Easy access via the Subway Line #1, get off at Tiananmen Xi Station (Tiananmen West), walk to exit C which will lead you directly to the entrance of the NCPA.
The gift shop has a nice assortment of souvenirs (better than the street vendors and reasonable prices).
Visiting ticket is $40 Rmb
Easy access via the Subway Line #1, get off at Tiananmen Xi Station (Tiananmen West), walk to exit C which will lead you directly to the entrance of the NCPA.
Written 24 June 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,581 contributions
Feb 2017 • Friends
This titanium and glass encased gigantic egg-shaped theatre, which officially opened in December 2007, houses some of the world’s leading performances. The opera we saw last week was outstanding.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts approximate 12,000-square-metre building has aggregate seating for 5,452. It is comprised of three performance halls, being: an opera hall seating 2,416; a music hall seating 2,017; and a theatre hall seating 1,040.
The theatre is used for many different performances, including concerts, operas, ballets, operas, shows, and special events. It is partially surrounded by a man-made lake. (In my readings I have seen it referred to as being completely surrounded by a man0made lake. I was able to walk to one of the main entrances from the road, without encountering or seeing any water. There was a large lake at the other main entrance.)
Location: It was about a 20-minute leisurely walk from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
I would rate it as one of the top 20 things to see on a visit to Beijing, and hopefully you can see one of the performances to better appreciate the overall beauty of the iconic theatre.
The National Centre for the Performing Arts approximate 12,000-square-metre building has aggregate seating for 5,452. It is comprised of three performance halls, being: an opera hall seating 2,416; a music hall seating 2,017; and a theatre hall seating 1,040.
The theatre is used for many different performances, including concerts, operas, ballets, operas, shows, and special events. It is partially surrounded by a man-made lake. (In my readings I have seen it referred to as being completely surrounded by a man0made lake. I was able to walk to one of the main entrances from the road, without encountering or seeing any water. There was a large lake at the other main entrance.)
Location: It was about a 20-minute leisurely walk from Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.
I would rate it as one of the top 20 things to see on a visit to Beijing, and hopefully you can see one of the performances to better appreciate the overall beauty of the iconic theatre.
Written 20 February 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Chris C
Melbourne, Australia7 contributions
Oct 2014 • Solo
I recently had a 5 night stay in Beijing and planned a few things I wanted to see. It is a really interesting city and I aimed for the more usual tourist areas (Tienanmen Square, Forbidden City, Olympic area, etc). Due to being unable to get into the Olympic area on my first attempt (the day before the Beijing Marathon and there was some preparation happening) I ended up at Tienanmen Square. Being a Saturday, it was packed. I don't know if everyday is as bad, but it is worth avoiding and try a mid-week time.
One thing that I didn't know about was that I planned to visit the Performing Arts Centre and the Great Hall of the People on the Monday. Bad news. It would seem that many of the public buildings are closed on Mondays. These two were and I heard from another person I met that another of the more interesting public buildings that they visited (I forget which one) was also closed, so check that in your plans.
One thing that everyone should do, is visit the Great Wall. I took a tour group to Mutian Valley and, apart from the pushy little tour guide who wanted to lead us to the cable car rather than the chair lift because that's where they were getting their cut, the wall itself is spectacular. It is very steep once you are walking on it, but the cable car makes it very accessible to get up to and down from the wall itself. However, the walk up to the cable car from the bus is also pretty steep.
A good bit of advice - if you are waiting for a taxi at Beijing Airport, there are maps available at the point where you are nearly through the line. Grab one and use that map for the city. It has all the subway lines and that makes it very easy to get around. The subway is great. Fast, cheap and easy. Buy a Metro Card for 20 Yuan (that's a deposit) and put another 20 on it. Every trip is only 2 Yuan, no matter how far you travel. You could spend hours on clogged roads in a taxi, or be across town in 15 mins on the subway.
One more bit of advice, beware of the touters who want to walk with you and improve their English, or to take their photo. I tried speaking German with one, and she even know that language. They are very good! They really only want to take your money. They are very good at what they do and usually operate in pairs (2 girls or a guy and a girl, from my experience). They will engage you and before you know it, you are being sucked into something you didn't want to do. I had my first one before I had even left Tienanmen East subway and 3 more approaches that afternoon. Just say no, you don't want their company and keep walking. They can spoil your day. I was ready for them, but if you're not, they can be very engaging. You have been warned!
One thing that I didn't know about was that I planned to visit the Performing Arts Centre and the Great Hall of the People on the Monday. Bad news. It would seem that many of the public buildings are closed on Mondays. These two were and I heard from another person I met that another of the more interesting public buildings that they visited (I forget which one) was also closed, so check that in your plans.
One thing that everyone should do, is visit the Great Wall. I took a tour group to Mutian Valley and, apart from the pushy little tour guide who wanted to lead us to the cable car rather than the chair lift because that's where they were getting their cut, the wall itself is spectacular. It is very steep once you are walking on it, but the cable car makes it very accessible to get up to and down from the wall itself. However, the walk up to the cable car from the bus is also pretty steep.
A good bit of advice - if you are waiting for a taxi at Beijing Airport, there are maps available at the point where you are nearly through the line. Grab one and use that map for the city. It has all the subway lines and that makes it very easy to get around. The subway is great. Fast, cheap and easy. Buy a Metro Card for 20 Yuan (that's a deposit) and put another 20 on it. Every trip is only 2 Yuan, no matter how far you travel. You could spend hours on clogged roads in a taxi, or be across town in 15 mins on the subway.
One more bit of advice, beware of the touters who want to walk with you and improve their English, or to take their photo. I tried speaking German with one, and she even know that language. They are very good! They really only want to take your money. They are very good at what they do and usually operate in pairs (2 girls or a guy and a girl, from my experience). They will engage you and before you know it, you are being sucked into something you didn't want to do. I had my first one before I had even left Tienanmen East subway and 3 more approaches that afternoon. Just say no, you don't want their company and keep walking. They can spoil your day. I was ready for them, but if you're not, they can be very engaging. You have been warned!
Written 30 October 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
woodpeckerwillie
Carrollton, TX6 contributions
June 2013 • Couples
I have to say that this place egg-ceeded all of my eggspectations. Photographs cannot capture or communicate the eggstravagence of this performance hall. I was there for the joint concert between the Philadelphia and the China National Symphonies, but it was the venue itself that blew me away.
Firstly, the location itself was over-easy to find, right on Chang'an Street and just a few footsteps away from Tiananmen Square. The eggsterior, constructed of glass and titanium, was breathtaking and magnificent. Try to go on a clear day, without pollution in the air, which I did; your camera will thank you for the eggstraordinary pictures. I cannot over-eggxaggerate how beautiful the shell of this performance hall is.
Once you walk in, you can't help but be awed by the scale and eggstravagence of the dome. A tour of the different halls here are a must for those who find themselves with some time before the start of the concert. I scrambled up the escalators to try to get a better sense of the eggstremely spacious dimensions of the dome, and the views were well worth the effort.
This is an eggciting world-class venue and a national treasure for the performing arts in China. Though I was impressed with the eggsplosive performance by the two symphonies that night, I was even more blown away by the dome itself. If you're in Beijing, try to catch an event at the eggstremely beautiful NCPA, and eggsperience this place for yourself.
Firstly, the location itself was over-easy to find, right on Chang'an Street and just a few footsteps away from Tiananmen Square. The eggsterior, constructed of glass and titanium, was breathtaking and magnificent. Try to go on a clear day, without pollution in the air, which I did; your camera will thank you for the eggstraordinary pictures. I cannot over-eggxaggerate how beautiful the shell of this performance hall is.
Once you walk in, you can't help but be awed by the scale and eggstravagence of the dome. A tour of the different halls here are a must for those who find themselves with some time before the start of the concert. I scrambled up the escalators to try to get a better sense of the eggstremely spacious dimensions of the dome, and the views were well worth the effort.
This is an eggciting world-class venue and a national treasure for the performing arts in China. Though I was impressed with the eggsplosive performance by the two symphonies that night, I was even more blown away by the dome itself. If you're in Beijing, try to catch an event at the eggstremely beautiful NCPA, and eggsperience this place for yourself.
Written 9 July 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Travelbug0082
Singapore, Singapore4,011 contributions
Dec 2019 • Solo
Known as the egg for its design, the center’s interior and exterior are both beautiful. Spent some time indoors for the exhibitions on the performances that have been held and it was informative. It is also a nice place to stay warm during winter.
Written 7 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We will be in Beijing Mar 2-7, 2017 and are hoping to catch a performance in the Opera House or Concert Hall. Is it difficult to get tickets on a walk up basis? Can I purchase tickets online from Canada before we go? Thanks in advance for any help.
Written 3 February 2017
If you are hundred percent sure to assist a performance you had better buy your ticket online a bit in advance so that you can choose the seat you prefer.
Written 4 February 2017
Orario degli spettacoli e giorni di apertura per favore.
Written 15 October 2016
Bonjour Hua W,
Je souhaite réaliser un voyage en chine l'été prochain et je souhaiterai avoir des informations sur les modalités de réservation du National Center For The Performing Art. De quelle manière avez-vous pu réaliser les réservations à partir de la France ? Merci pour ces informations.
Written 24 September 2016
venta de boletos para opera Tannhauser el 8 de abril 2016.
quiero comprarlos y pagarlos para garantizar mi lugar
Written 24 February 2016
Te sugiero contactar un guía local que te ayude a comprar las entradas o intentar con la información para tickets en la misma página web del teatro. Tripadvisor no deja escribir la página web. Búscala en google
¡Suerte!
Written 25 February 2016
Qual é o horário de abertura dessa atração? Que horas fecha? Abre todos os dias da semana?
Written 26 October 2015
Eu não sei, mas acredito que no site ou no hotel você possa se informar. Todos os sites tem uma are de inglês ou outra língua além do chinês.
Written 26 October 2015
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