Xiqu Centre
Winnie Yeung

Xiqu Centre

Hong Kong, China

With the opening of Xiqu Centre in January, traditional Chinese theater has a new world-class architectural home. On the $346 million structure’s facade, woven-metal panels resemble stage curtains pulled back. Inside, the space’s 1,073-seat theater hovers 90 ft. above a ground-floor plaza, which provides space for exhibitions and workshops to preserve the centuries-old form of theater art that some worry could become lost with time. Xiqu Centre is the first performance venue to open as part of Hong Kong’s sprawling West Kowloon Cultural District, an international-grade arts hub the city is building on reclaimed land overlooking the iconic Victoria Harbor. —Hillary Leung

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