QINGDAO Grand Theater officially opened Dec. 30 after a two-month trial.

There will be 160 performances at the theater each year, including 100 commercial shows, 30 shows for public interest and 30 free shows subsidized by the city government.

During the two-month trial, Qingdao residents were entertained by 23 international performances, including a Russian ballet, South Korean comedy drama, U.S. and Irish tap dance, a piano concert by Maksim Mrvica and Chinese drama and opera, attracting large audiences.

A new cultural landmark, the theater brought Qingdao up to date in the development of a cultural industry, meeting an increasing demand for culture, Xia Hong, a resident, said.

Deputy head of the publicity department of the city government, Jiang Zhengxuan, said that the grand theater completed the city’s public cultural service system, enhancing the city’s cultural influence.(Li Hao, Wang Ping)