Construction of China's 2.69-billion-yuan National Grand Theater will be finished in July this year but the planned date for the first performance is being kept tightly under wraps.

"The project will have been basically completed by July and we will start on testing the theater's acoustics," said Wang Zhengming, the head of the construction project.

Currently, more than 1,500 workers are fitting up the interior of the imposing building, which covers about 149,500 square meters and comprises three gigantic halls, including a 2,416-seat opera house, a 2,017-seat concert hall and a 1,040-seat theater, he said.

"The theater can not be opened to the public in July because we must first carry out acoustic testing and modulating to guarantee a perfect sound effect indoors," Wang said.

"The testing may take a long period of time but we will try to open the theater to the public before the Olympics," he said.

The main building of the National Grand Theater will be surrounded by a man-made lake with an area of up to 35,500 square meters.

Located in the heart of Beijing, near Tiananmen Square, the landmark theater is a modern building which stands out from its surroundings. Construction work began in December 2001 after four years of deliberation among the country's policy makers.

Said to resemble a "silver tear", the theater, designed by French architect Paul Andreu, has sparked debate among domestic experts on whether such an modern design was appropriate for the center of Beijing. However, it was listed among the top ten architectural miracles by the U.S.-based Journal Business Week for its energy-saving and environmentally friendly design.

With an investment totaling 2.69 billion yuan (about 336 million U.S. dollars) and covering a construction area of 200,000 square meters, the theater was the biggest cultural project under China's 10th Five-Year Plan period (2001-2005).

Source: Xinhua