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A former popular theater in downtown, the Shanghai Dashijie, will reopen for a trial operation next Wednesday to exhibit intangible cultural heritages, officials said today.

The building also known as the Great World Amusement Center, on Xizang Road S. in Huangpu District will officially open to public in March, the district government said.

It will only open to invited visitors during the trial operation, such as staffers from local government agencies, university students and media to test the safety and management. It will initially open three days every week and gradually increase opening days after the Spring Festival that falls on January 28 in 2017.

The ticket price for the official opening has yet to be announced, but some free and discounted tickets will often be issued because the center will be reopened as a non-profit institute, according to the district culture bureau who will take charge of the operation of the center.

Many of China’s intangible cultural heritages will be exhibited, performed and inherited in the center. Visitors can also taste some traditional food involving heritage skills inside, an official with the district government said.

The city already has 55 national-level and 220 city-level intangible cultural heritages. These include paper cutting, dough sculpture and lantern making.

The Dashijie entertainment center — a 16,800-square-meter property — was built in 1917 and used to stage Chinese operas, and host singers and acrobats. It was once the city’s most attractive and fashionable entertainment venue, but has been closed since 2003.