China's unstoppable long march to progress is bringing down the
curtain on the Beijing Opera stage at the Guanghe tea house, which
dates from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) but has fallen victim to a
growing Chinese fascination with Broadway shows. The Guanghe theatre
is famous as the venue where the Beijing Opera master Mei Lanfang
launched his career at just 10 years of age, more than a century ago.
[...] We intend to build a modern, professional venue like those on
Broadway in the United States, where regular shows are offered all
year round, and high-end performances can take place,' Ma Dekai, a
construction chief at the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture, told
Xinhua news agency..."
The Independent, April 26, 2007
http://news.independent.co.uk/world/asia/article2486640.ece
