The home of China's parliament was built in only 10 months in 1959. Owing to a breakdown in Sino-Soviet relations, the Russian engineers who designed the massive meeting hall went home before the roof was finished, and the planned traditional Russian style cupolas were scrapped in favor of flat Chinese style eaves. The "10,000-seat theater" has nearly that many seats and features an illuminated red star on the ceiling. The tour guide describing the five-pointed light fixture pronounces the word "Plexi-glass" (youji boli) as if it were a rare valuable metal. It's worth a visit to experience the austere Socialist-realist design templates' attempt to contain the Chinese tendency towards baroque. Held regularly (except during parliamentary sessions), tours include bonus plastic socks to slip over your shoes. Concerts, performances and film premieres are occasionally held here, but the Hall is better constructed for politics than acoustics.
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