Forbidden City Concert Hall

Forbidden City Concert Hall
中山音乐堂

Address: 4 Zhonghua Avenue (inside Zhongshan Park), Dongcheng District, Beijing
Telephone/Fax: (+86-10)65598258

Built in 1942 and renovated in 1997, the Forbidden City Concert Hall (FCCH) is shrouded in a grove of aged pines and cypresses. It is situated in Zhongshan Park, a public garden converted from the sacred venue for Chinese emperors to make offerings to the gods of land and grain from the 15th to the 20th century. Neighboring the Palace Museum in the east and Tian'anmen Square in the south, it enjoys such a unique geographical position and historic surroundings that musicians often refer to it as “a musical pearl inlaid in China's imperial architectural complex”.

The stage of the FCCH is 23 meters wide and 14 meters deep. Its front part is set with elevated platforms over four stories, and the back part with a fifth story for a piano. At the rear of the stage stands a pipe organ manufactured by Austin Organs, the time-honored US brand. With a capacity of 1,419 people, the auditorium is divided into two floors, with the first floor having a seating capacity of 800 and the second 600. There are also a fully equipped mini-cinema, a conference room and a grand lounge.

In general, the FCCH hosts more than 200 performances of various genres annually, including Western classical music, jazz, world music, modern dance, and Chinese traditional folk music and regional operas. During music seasons, it is home to the country's two leading troupes, China Philharmonic Orchestra and Beijing Symphony Orchestra, and is also the major venue for the Beijing International Music Festival. It also holds regular art popularization activities such as lectures and music summer camps.