Published : 2024-07-14

"The Great World" (大世界) in Shanghai, which was the largest and one of the most prominent entertainment centres in China at that time, officially opened on July 14, 1917.

Founded by the "Entertainment Industry Tycoon", Huang Chujiu (黃楚九), the Great World entertainment centre, with 12 iconic distorting mirrors, architecturally featured a honey-yellow hexagonal spire supported by twelve columns. The main building consists of three adjoining structures, and there are two ancillary buildings.

When the Shanghai Great World first opened with its large scale, rich performances, and advanced business concept, it gained the reputation as the "No.1 Club in Far East".

The grand entertainment centre has several theatres, which hosts performances of various local operas, folk arts, as well as Chinese and foreign music and dances, ancient and modern acrobatics and magic tricks, puppet shows, shadow puppetry, Qigong shows, martial arts performances, and even all-day and all-night movies.

In addition, the Great World also has all kinds of sports and intellectual game rooms.

After the establishment of the People's Republic of China, the Shanghai Great World was once renamed "People's Amusement Park" (人民遊樂場).

In the following decades, it has had many different names including Shanghai Youth Palace (上海市青年宮), Global Red Department Store (全球紅百貨店), Huangpu Department Store (黃浦百貨商場), The Great World Entertainment Centre (大世界遊樂中心), etc.

The Great World closed in May 2003 and was reopened as the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Centre in late 2016.

After reopening, it was transformed into the Shanghai Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Centre, focusing on performances, exhibitions, and teaching of intangible cultural heritage.

It was built as a large-scale place where the public can approach and learn about intangible cultural heritage, and experience traditional culture.