Above: I took a walk around Beijing Egg, the National Grand Theatre of China. Like Pyramid at Louvre, Egg stands on water. But is it a goo-goo-goo-joob? Photo gallery below.Around the National Grand Theatre of China
PICTORIAL - THE BEIJING EGG
Exactly 322 days to Olympic Games, Beijing is almost ready. I went to check new opera house, the Beijing Egg. On the way taxi driver told me that Egg was absolutely too expensive ($400M), and he didn't know anyone who could possibly like its outlook. Good start, I thought.
The Egg is large oval near TianAnMen Square, just beside politics, the Great Hall of the People. It faces the main avenue, ChangAn. And it's not small with some 150,000m2 and 5500 seats. Architect was French Paul Andreu, famous for airports.
From outside cover the Egg was ready but its surrounding area was still under construction. From some angles it was difficult to recognize Egg's size. It somehow melted and faded into Beijing sky. From outside, to me, the Egg was promising.
Walking around the Egg took two hours and I snapped 150 pictures. The Egg will officially open 25th September 2007. Below 58 photos. And the day was hot.
BeijingMan aka Kippo
List of BeijingMan Postings
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Below pictures are all taken on September 21, 2007. I used Canon 20D with EF-S 10-22mm zoom. Click to enlarge.
Above-1: National Grand Theatre of China.
Towards the Beijing Egg. The Egg is exactly 10km south from the Bird's Nest, National Stadium designed by Herzog & de Meuron from Switzerland.
Above-2: National Grand Theatre of China aka National Centre for the Performing Arts (China).
Towards main entrance of the Beijing Egg.
Above-3: National Grand Theatre of China.
Main entrance of the Beijing Egg facing north and ChangAn Avenue.
Above-4: National Grand Theatre of China.
Main entrance facing north and ChangAn Avenue. To get in you walk these steps down and continue under the "lake" into the Egg.
Above-5: National Grand Theatre of China.
Main entrance facing north and ChangAn Avenue.
- Come down, let's go around!
Above-6: National Grand Theatre of China.
Main entrance is a funnel. It can take parallel people streams towards guarded doors of the Egg.
Above-7: National Grand Theatre of China.
Main entrance facing north and ChangAn Avenue.
- B/W tube users: this wall is red.
Above-8: National Grand Theatre of China.
Mouth of The Egg entrance.
- Sir, Yes, Red, Sir!
Above-9: National Grand Theatre of China.
What is on top of the main entrance?
- Select the right side!
Above-10: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg, on top of main entrance. Not many tourists.
Above-11: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg. Grey, glass.
Above-12: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg. Men, cameras.
Above-13: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg. Looking east and there is western entrance of the Great Hall of the People.
Above-14: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg.
Above-15: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg.
Above-16: National Grand Theatre of China. A Statement.
North-west part of the Egg.
Above-17: National Grand Theatre of China.
North-west part of the Egg.
- Knee-deep, not belt level.
Above-18: National Grand Theatre of China.
North-west part of the Egg.
Above-19: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg, looking east.
Above-20: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg, 212 meters.
Above-21: National Grand Theatre.
North-east part of the Egg.
- More than a reflector? Zeppelin?
Above-22: National Grand Theatre of China.
North-east part of the Egg.
Above-23: East side story. Street name is RenDaHuiTang XiLu, looking south, and in front of western entrance of the Great Hall of the People.
Above-24: Western entrance of the Great Hall of the People.
East side of the Egg. RenDaHuiTang XiLu. See that bicycle, building is not small. Compare to Egg to get the scale. This building will host a meeting of some 2200 Chinese congress delegates, starting 15th October.
Above-25: National Grand Theatre of China.
East side of the Egg, 144 meters. View from western entrance of the Great Hall of the People.
Above-26: Western entrance of the Great Hall of the People.
East side of the Egg. Street name is RenDaHuiTang XiLu.
Above-27: National Grand Theatre of China.
East side of the Egg. View from western entrance of the Great Hall of the People, what was the street name again...
Above-28: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-east part of the Egg.
Above-29: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-east part of the Egg.
- Add this to to-do list.
Above-30: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-east part of the Egg. This will be car entrance into the Egg.
Above-31: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg. More to do.
Above-32: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg.
Above-33: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg.
Above-34: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg. Foot massage walk.
Above-35: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg.
Above-36: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg.
- Will future aerial image reveal all these paths as a Chinese character, like is the case of Shanghai F1 circuit?
Above-37: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg. Contrast works.
Above-38: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg. Not high, 46 meters high, but has scale.
Above-39: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg.
- In the Middle Kingdom gravity is stronger, keeps Zeppelin grounded.
Above-40: National Grand Theatre of China.
South side of the Egg. Has sides.
Above-41: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-west part of the Egg.
Above-42: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-west part of the Egg.
Above-43: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-west part of the Egg. Cover is silver, gray, shining.
Above-44: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-west part of the Egg.
Above-45: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-west part of the Egg.
Above-46: National Grand Theatre of China.
South-west part of the Egg.
- NoBirdsYet Park.
Above-47: National Grand Theatre of China.
West side of the Egg. They at Black & Decker once said 'people don't want drills, they want holes'. Actually people want trees.
Above-48: National Grand Theatre of China.
West side story.
- Add this to to-do list.
Above-49: National Grand Theatre of China.
West side of the Egg.
Above-50: National Grand Theatre of China.
West side of the Egg. Several paths to the Egg were closed.
Above-51: National Grand Theatre of China.
West side of the Egg.
Above-52: National Grand Theatre of China.
North-west side of the Egg.
- But how can I come down if there is no tree!
Above-53: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg.
- Politics, Egg and a Man.
Above-54: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of the Egg.
- Egg and a Man.
SUDDENLY it was John Lennon all over!
I am he as you are he as you are me and we are all together...
Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun...
I am the Eggman, they are the Eggmen, I am the Walrus!
Goo-goo-goo-joob, goo-goo-goo-goo-joob,
goo-goo-goo-joob, goo-goo-goo-goo-joob,
goo-goo-goo-joob, goo-goo-goo-goo-joob,
goo-gooooo.
Juba-juba-juba.
Juba, juba, juba, juba, juba.
Juba-juba. Juba-juba.
Umpah, umpah, stick it in your jumper...
Everybody's got one, everybody's got one...
Umpah, umpah...
Above-55: National Grand Theatre of China.
Shaked my head, Beatle-Lennon faded away.
North side of the Egg.
Above-56: National Grand Theatre of China.
Back at main entrance. North side of the Egg.
- Full circle around Beijing Egg - done.
- If you visit this Egg, our paths will cross.
Above-57: National Grand Theatre of China.
EggStop! Main entrance will take you into the Egg.
- My Chinese friend lives 12 kilometers north of the Egg. He can have breakfast Egg, every day, no cost no limit, as much as he wants, from his 25th floor apartment, if the weather is clear, if he wants.
Above-58: National Grand Theatre of China.
North side of main entrance into Beijing Egg.
- Goo-goo-goo-joob?
- Absolutely. Beijing taxi driver got the Egg, all wrong.
The Beijing Egg - New Opera House
+ New must for walk around & photos in Beijing
+ Has scale, which only slowly comes into reality
+ Refreshing after Forbidden City, Great Wall, Summer Palace
+ Extends well your visit to TianAnMen Square
- Near the Egg no really much restaurants or cafes
**** RECOMMENDED - "EGG TEST" YOUR WIDE-ANGLE LENSES ****
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© BeijingMan aka Kippo 2012, 2013
