Free Visit to the Poly Grand Theatre
Shanghai Poly Grand Theatre, situated in the Jiading New City administrative and cultural center at 159 Baiyin Road, is one of Shanghai’s landmark cultural venues. Natural scenery dominated by water and greenery unfolds gently; to the southwest lies a park, to the south Jiading Library, and to the southeast the view of Yuanxiang Lake comes into sight.
The theatre was designed by Pritzker Architecture Prize laureate, the Japanese master architect Tadao Ando. After visiting the completed building, Ando called it “the best embodiment of my work in China.”
The second Sunday of every month is Public Open Day, when residents can visit the theatre’s interior free of charge.
True to a masterpiece, the theatre’s exterior gives a stunning and breathtaking impression. The main volume is a 100-meter square; a layer of transparent glass curtain wall wraps the fair-faced concrete exterior. Within this cube, five cylindrical tube spaces intersect, creating dynamic interior spaces while cutting distinctive shapes into the facade, forming its iconic silhouette.
The cylindrical spaces, a major highlight of the architecture, present a kaleidoscope of ever-changing appearances.
By day, it resembles a jade stone full of secrets quietly resting by the shore of Yuanxiang Lake. At night, it transforms into a translucent crystal box floating above the expansive water, silently conversing with its own reflection. Unfortunately, there was no performance on the day we visited, so we missed seeing the crystal box’s nocturnal beauty. The photo below is from the internet.
The Poly Grand Theatre is right behind the Hyatt Regency Hotel; the two buildings, one tall and one low, often appear together in photos.
Viewed from a distance, the theatre is quite amusing. Its square-shaped building resembles a “big block of cheese,” and the gaps make it look like a “big cheese that’s been nibbled a few times.”
The theatre adjoins Yuanxiang Lake and features a waterscape lake. Its clever design makes it appear to merge with Yuanxiang Lake. Viewed from above, people strolling along the waterscape look as if they are walking on the lake itself. This is perhaps a kind of dialogue with nature.
The name Yuanxiang Lake is inspired by the Song dynasty scholar Zhou Dunyi’s famous essay “On the Love of Lotus”: “I love only the lotus, for it emerges from the mud yet remains unstained; bathed in clear ripples, it is not seductive. Its stem is hollow inside and straight outside, with no creeping vines or branches. Its fragrance spreads far, becoming ever purer; it stands tall and clean, to be admired from a distance but never played with disrespect.”
Walking into the theatre from various directions, you’ll find lines and arcs intersecting and layering—making even reinforced concrete seem soft and fluid.
The theatre spans a total floor area of 56,000 square meters, with a total investment of about 700 million yuan. It houses a 1,466-seat grand theatre and a 400-seat small theatre, as well as two unconventional venues: a rooftop theatre and China’s first waterscape theatre. It can accommodate symphony concerts, large-scale song-and-dance dramas, opera and drama performances, comprehensive variety shows, and other types of events. Its acoustic design achieves top-tier standards in architectural acoustics and stage equipment configuration in China.
Stepping into the grand theatre hall, you’re immediately struck by its solemnity and grandeur. It is not only visually appealing but also highly professional. Wood-paneled walls and advanced sound transmission systems create a world-class performance venue, offering an exhilarating experience for both performers and audiences who travel from afar.
The Poly Grand Theatre also houses Shanghai’s only waterscape theatre, the most distinctive of its four performance spaces. It is cleverly designed as a semi-indoor venue, with the seating area connecting the interior of the theatre to create a sense of lake water blending seamlessly with the architecture.
This is truly a “waterside theatre,” where the building integrates natural elements like water, wind, and light. Viewing platforms on different sides allow audiences to enjoy diverse vistas from various angles, achieving a harmonious union between architecture and its surroundings.
Those simple cylindrical tubes form the entrance, lounges, circulation routes, and other public functional spaces. The simple exterior stands in stark contrast to the richly varied interior.
Once inside, you’ll appreciate the complexity and ingenuity of the structure. Five kaleidoscopic tubes are nested within the square shell, where countless straight and curved lines intertwine. As light filters through, vivid geometric images appear in three-dimensional splendor.
The large glass wall of the lounge looks out onto the theatre’s big pool courtyard.
Outside the grand theatre’s corridor, there are two observation decks on either side.
From the observation decks, views of Yuanxiang Lake unfold.
The Poly Grand Theatre sits beside Yuanxiang Lake, connecting to a large surrounding park. Nearby, there’s a small square and a promenade where you can relax.
Yuanxiang Lake is the centerpiece landscape of Jiading New City and the largest man-made lake in western Shanghai. Its total area is about 60.89 hectares, with 27.04 hectares of land and 33.85 hectares of water. The lake’s shape resembles the Chinese character “海” (sea/river), echoing the “上” (Shang) shape of the Shanghai International Circuit in Jiading New City.
Again, the lake’s name draws from Zhou Dunyi’s “On the Love of Lotus”: “I love only the lotus... can be admired from a distance but never played with disrespect.” Its poetic spirit aligns with Jiading New City’s planning concept: “A forest every kilometer, a lake every hundred meters; rivers and lakes connect, lotus fragrance fills the town.”
The entire water surface of Yuanxiang Lake is divided into a series of scattered yet well-proportioned lake areas, strung together like a necklace, with lakes within lakes.
Around the lake, a few oddly shaped buildings lie scattered, half-finished and abandoned, and it’s unclear what they are.
Their tilting and leaning attract the eye, like ruins after an earthquake. This quirky house is both strange and distinctive, with doors tightly shut—no idea what it’s meant to be.
Giant boulders tower by the lake; one is as white as a popsicle, another looks like a shoe.
The stair-like wooden stakes are also a sight to behold.
Looking out towards the Poly Grand Theatre and Poly Hotel.
Street performers have become part of the urban landscape. Their performances not only showcase their talents and earn them a living, but also offer residents an alternative way to enjoy artistic shows.
Lotus pond on the east side of Yuanxiang Lake.
Moss growing on the grass displays intermingling red and yellow hues, especially beautiful under the setting sun.
A glass viewing platform.
Strolling on the glass viewing platform, looking down, the lake water sparkles gently on both sides.
The lakeside Poly Grand Theatre, China’s first waterscape theatre, features a wall with “giant footprints” that are truly unforgettable.
A tricolor footpath meanders ahead.
Jiading Library has been named one of the “World’s Best Public Libraries” by a prominent American magazine, earning it the title of “the most beautiful library.”
It’s an internet-famous spot attracting countless visitors for photos. With distinctive design, a beautiful setting, and a well-thought-out layout, it’s well worth a visit. When we arrived in the afternoon without a reservation, we couldn’t go inside, so we just admired the exterior.
The library was designed by Ma Qingyun, dean of the USC School of Architecture, who said: “In a well-designed public space, the sense of beauty you seek is amplified by the space itself. That’s the true quality a great public space should express.”
The new Jiading Cultural Center is located at 33 Taxiu Road on the west shore of Yuanxiang Lake, joined with the Jiading Library in the same building complex. Again, it required a reservation and we didn’t enter.
We had planned a lunch of Shaoxing cuisine, so memorable you could almost taste the dishes from Lu Xun’s writings! Authentic Shaoxing fare came to Xiyunlou. After visiting Yuanxiang Lake, we deliberately arranged lunch here, but because Xiyunlou seemed to have low footfall, the “Niangniang Cai” eatery was closed.
Xiyunlou Haipai Leisure Commercial Street is located at the intersection of Hongde Road and Yumin South Road in Jiading New City, stretching nearly 1.2 kilometers from east to west with a total area of 100,000 square meters (above-ground floor area about 65,000 sq m). It comprises 26 distinctive multi-story buildings, some of which are relocated historic structures. The overall style blends Shikumen (stone-gate) houses with Art Deco, recreating the glamour of old Shanghai’s “Ten-Li Foreign Market” of the 1920s and 30s. Among the relocated old buildings are former private residences of Du Yuesheng, Zhang Xiaolin, and Wan Molin.
A small river named “Xiyun River” meanders through the entire district, serving as its internal waterway and central axis—hence the name Xiyunlou.
Xiyunlou is a kilometer-long, ‘L-shaped’ commercial pedestrian street stretching along the river. It starts from the intersection of Aksu Road and Hongde Road in the west, crosses Yumin South Road eastward to a planned road, then turns south along Yumin South Road and extends to Qingxitan.
Five small bridges span the river, ranging from traditional Chinese stone slab bridges to ultra-modern steel arch bridges, each with its own charm. The riverbanks are dotted with water-friendly platforms, embankments, and leisure docks.
The old houses carry on the Haipai cultural heritage, including Du Mansion, Zhang Mansion, fish market, rice shop, and silk guildhall. These 6,500 square meters of old buildings converge into a “Haishang Gongguan” (Shanghai-style mansion complex).
At Xiangyun Square, the white marble “Xiangyun Wall” has a history of over 600 years, measuring 1.2 meters long and 0.8 meters high. It was built during the Yongli reign of the Ming dynasty and is a precious relic from Jing’an Temple, relocated here in 2017.
Even ants would approve of this method of relocating cultural relics for preservation! Now with this technology, when absolutely necessary, relics can be moved—allowing for renovation and reinforcement, so at least future generations can still see their original appearance!
Due to low visitor numbers, many places were closed, so we only walked a short way.
Transportation to the Poly Grand Theatre: Take Metro Line 11 to Jiading Xincheng Station, then transfer to Bus Jiading 15 (change at the Wanda entrance) and ride to the Jiading Library stop.
