Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center opens

The China National Symphony Orchestra gives a concert to mark the debut of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center on the evening of March 30. Photos courtesy of the organizer

The grand theater of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center was illuminated in a dazzling display on the evening of March 30, as the China National Symphony Orchestra, led by resident conductor Jing Huan, inaugurated the venue with a show-stopping concert, marking the official debut of this highly anticipated cultural landmark.

As one of Dongguan’s key new cultural and sports facilities, the center’s opening represents a major enhancement of Dongguan’s urban functions as the Songshan Lake area is transitioning from a technology industrial park into a world-class science city. 

A distant view of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center. 

A close-up of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center. 

Jointly designed by Zaha Hadid Architects and Beijing Institute of Architectural Design Co., the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center has a total floor area of 45,000 square meters. 

Drawing inspiration from the upturned eaves in Lingnan-style architecture and the long, flowing sleeve extensions of Cantonese opera costumes, the fluid form of the center also echoes the natural landscape of the Songshan Lake.

The center features a 1,200-seat grand theater, a 400-seat multifunctional hall, a 3,500-square-meter exhibition hall, and a 1,200-square-meter art gallery, making it Dongguan’s first dual-function cultural complex integrating performance and exhibition spaces. 

The interior of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Exhibition and Performance Center. 

Equipped with internationally advanced acoustic design, the grand theater is suitable for hosting symphony, opera and musical performances. The multifunctional hall offers flexible configurations for smaller-scale performances and events, while the exhibition hall and the art gallery provide professional exhibition spaces. 

In the future, the center will cater to diverse cultural needs, establishing itself as a true “cultural living room of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.”

At the launch ceremony, Zhu Xiaolei, a member of the Party Committee and deputy general manager of OCT Group, said that culture is both the lifeblood of national identity and the defining character of a city. Taking the center as a platform, OCT Group will introduce high-quality productions and exhibitions, promoting deeper integration between culture and tourism, technology, ecology, urban development, and commerce, while enhancing public cultural services.

Guests pose for a group photo at the launch ceremony. 

Yang Yang, deputy secretary of the Dongguan Songshan Lake Party Working Committee and director of the Songshan Lake Administrative Committee, said that the completion of the center marks a key milestone in the Songshan Lake area’s transformation into a world-class science city. Together with nearby cultural and recreational destinations such as Songshan Lake OCT Harbor and Yuehe Lake Park, they will make high-quality cultural resources more accessible to the public.

The launch ceremony also marked the opening of the center’s 2026 performance season, which features a wide range of acclaimed productions from China and abroad, catering to diverse aesthetic tastes.

The launch ceremony also marks the opening of the center's 2026 performance season, which features a wide range of acclaimed productions from China and abroad.