Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Head south along Tibet Road, crossing under the Yan'an Road Elevated Freeway. On your
the 1930s with all of the vices that earned Shanghai its moniker as the 'Whore of the Orient'.
Built in 1918 as a vaudeville-style multiplex with shows appealing to all ages, it was gradually
taken over by the Shanghai underworld and filled with bars, opium dens and lewd floor
shows.
After drugs, gambling and prostitution were virtually eliminated by the new regime in the
1950s, the Great World returned to the more wholesome fare of dramatic performances, con-
certs and children's shows. It has been unused for the past decade, but the municipal gov-
ernment has announced that the building, which was renovated before the 2010 World Expo,
will be reopened.
SHANGHAI CONCERT HALL
Yinyueting). Originally the Nanking Theatre, it was one of the city's popular movie theatres
during the 1930s and 1940s. Today it's the venue for a wide variety of musical performances,
including classical, jazz and Chinese concerts. The Shanghai Symphony Orchestra (SSO)
performs its chamber music series here - try to catch a performance if you can.
Founded in 1879, the SSO began as the International Settlement's town band, evolving
into a symphony first with only foreign musicians and later with Chinese musicians, leading to
the establishment of the Shanghai Conservatory in 1927. It was the graduates of this conser-
vatory that were instrumental in persuading the Communist Party that classical music could
'serve the people', and continued to develop Western music in the post-1949 era.
