After five years of construction, the enclosures around the National Grand Theater were removed on June 15, 2007, to give the public a clear view of the magnificent building. [Photo: xinhuanet.com]

A giant man-made oval "egg" with the world's largest dome has emerged in the center of Beijing. Inside the "egg", people will be able to enjoy operas, plays and concerts with top-class comfort.

After five years of construction, the enclosures around the National Grand Theater were removed on Friday, to give the public a clear view of the magnificent building.

The giant oval, with a 212-meter major axis and a 143-meter minor axis, is big enough to cover the Workers Stadium. The aboveground part of the theater, 46.285 meters in height, is only one third of the entire building. The underground part, 32.5 meters below the ground at the deepest point, is the equivalent size to a ten-floor building.

When night falls, the 506 lights equipped over the surface of the "egg" will make it a magnificent spectacle in the city center.

Inside the world's largest theater are an opera hall, a concert hall and a drama hall, the floors of which are painted in three different colors. The opera hall, the biggest of the three, can hold an audience of 2400 people. The concert hall features the largest pipe organ in Asia, valued at 30 million yuan, or about 4 million U.S. dollars.

The seats of the national theater are also of special design. Air conditioning equipment will be installed under each seat, to give the audience a cool feeling while watching some of the world's best shows.

At present, decoration of the theater is underway. Trial performances are scheduled for September, according to Wang Zhengming, the deputy director of the theater.

An 80-meter long underground corridor will link the theater to the Tian'anmen West Stop of the Line 1 subway.