I’m typically not a fan of theatre but the performance I saw at the Chongqing 1949 Grand Theater was just something else. Visually, the whole experience was just mind blowing. As for booking, it was relatively simple as I just got a reservation through the Klook app. The price for seats will vary though with the most affordable being the D Zone Ordinary Seats for CNY200 while A Zone VIP Seats will fetch a premium CNY341.
Chongqing 1949 Grand Theatre Ticket Purchase:
Klook: https://klook.tpx.lv/uq04m5gS
Viator: https://viator.tpx.lv/gfIR6pjW
Trip.com: https://trip.tpx.lv/17s6wu9N
Chongqing 1949 Grand Theatre: Experiencing a Mind Blowing Performance
One of my very first observations after arriving at the Chongqing 1949 Grand Theatre was that it really does live up to its name. The facade looked massive and modern (just like Chongqing’s Great Hall of the People). The first show typically starts at 2:00 PM and from what I understand, there can be up to 3 shows in a day.
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Just outside the theater you’ll find this area where you can pose for photos with this prop that has the title of the stage play as a background. One thing you’ll need to remember is that Chongqing 1949 is the only play that’s staged here.
The performance was just starting as I entered and the first thing I noticed was the size of the stage. Rather than huge, it was expansive. There were easily more than a dozen people on the stage and it looked like it could accommodate dozens more. It’s also interesting that the stage features the city’s multiple levels and the stilt houses that it’s now known for.
This was honestly such a cool looking stage and the lighting was also outstanding. There’s a sense of scale here that I haven’t really seen in the admittedly limited number of stage plays that I’ve been to. With that said, I think the only real barrier to enjoyment most visitors might encounter is the language.
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Now while I say that it might be hard to follow if you don’t understand Mandarin/Chinese, the performance is still surprisingly understandable. What do I mean by this? The performance is actually able to convey a lot of things through lighting and sound as well (you can also watch a great performance like this when you go to the Chongqing Banquet in Ba Kingdom).
Moreover, English pamphlets are given to non-Chinese speaking guests explaining the narrative being shown on stage. The cooler lighting here in this somber scene is supposed to depict, if I remember correctly, the time when the Nationalists were still in control of Chongqing.
Now you might have noticed something. It looks like I’ve moved to another spot to take a picture of the stage, right? Well, would it blow your mind if I said that I’m technically still in my seat the whole time I’ve been taking these pictures? Yes, the main stage as well as the house props in the background that you can see in this picture are all moving.
It’s not just the stage that’s moving though. I worded my question earlier to say that I was ‘technically’ still in my seat because I was. However, our section was actually also moving in sync with the stage. Honestly, it felt like a theme park ride more than anything else.
Of course, it wasn’t just fun and games. There were parts of the play where things slowed down and they really showcased the actors’ performances. This one shows how the Nationalists’ rule had a chilling effect on the populace.
At this point, the stage went back to the setting at the start of the show with a drastically different lighting scheme. Again, this still shows the Nationalists in control of the city as evidenced by the uniforms of the people standing at the upper left corner of the image.
From the information I gathered about the story, it’s centered on the revolutionaries who were held by the Nationalist KMT in the lead up to the liberation of Chongqing. Under the KMT, Chongqing became the wartime capital of China during the Japanese invasion in WWII. Once the war was over though, they went on to jail the Communist revolutionaries who posed a challenge to their rule.
There are instances when the visuals of the show can be really intense. This particular scene was a great example where it pretty much features the revolutionaries making a stand. The intense red lighting is also meant to portray fire as these revolutionaries were burned alive as they were held in Zhazhidong.
As the stage was turning again, I couldn’t help but think at how ingenious this whole production was. I did some research after the show and found out that the stage and most probably the theatre itself cost CNY800 million over three years to complete. That’s essentially the budget of a AAA Hollywood movie.
Going back to the show, this one was quite brutal to watch. As you can see, the revolutionaries were tortured and killed as the tensions between the Communists and Nationalists intensified. This was one of the most powerful scenes in the production as it showed the characters’ defiance even in the face of adversity and despair.
This is another scene meant to evoke a sense of hope. It shows what remained of Chongqing after the PLA managed to take it back. More importantly, it shows the people of Chongqing, including some of those who managed to survive their incarceration, celebrating their independence.
With Chongqing now liberated, the stage reverted back to what it was at the start of the show. I’m still amazed at how fast they actually managed to move around the stages and how it all looked seamless.
Near the end, the audience is shown the revolutionaries who lost their lives talking to the audience to leave behind the past and to look ahead to the future. It’s really a nice message though it’s pretty much directed at the Chinese people.
The show finally ended and I was genuinely impressed with this whole production. From an artistic standpoint, this was outstanding. I loved the set pieces and how dynamic and immersive they were. Lighting and sound design was also really well done and I actually thought they were an underrated part of the production by setting the mood for the scenes.
Moving on from the show, I then went ahead and checked out the infographics about the events that transpired in the prisons where the revolutionaries were kept. This one talks about how the prisoners found a way to make a flag with a 5 pointed star while they were in detention.
Here are some other historical contexts for the scenes in the production. On the left details the Factory Protection Movement that sought to protect the factories in Chongqing from sabotage by spies of the Nationalist KMT. On the right, the infographic talks about the fiery end of the prisoners in Zhazhidong.
Baigongguan was another area where Communist prisoners were held by the KMT. Much like Zhazhidong, the prisoners there were also said to have been massacred. The prisoners were recorded to have been defiant to the very end though and their sacrifice was rewarded when the PLA managed to take Chongqing. The infographic on the left, talks about another set of prisoners who also met their demise just before Chongqing’s liberation.
A running narrative of these stories is the resilience and loyalty of the revolutionaries who died to their party. In a way, this is very effective propaganda to remind its target audience (the Chinese people) of their past as well as to engender a sense of pride for it.
And with these two infographics, my time at Chongqing 1949 Grand Theatre ended. Again, this was a great production from an artistic point of view. The acting was actually okay but what really stood out for me was the moving stages and audience sections. I honestly can’t think of any play that’s quite like this one (granted I haven’t been to many stage productions). In addition, the lighting and sound design were really well done. In fact, I think you could argue that the production wouldn’t be as impactful without them.
Ever been to the Chongqing 1949 Grand Theatre? If yes, then we’d like to hear about your experience watching this production down in the comments section!
