WANDER SHANGHAI

上海市徐汇区安福路288号

Shanghai Dramatic Arts Centre

上海话剧艺术中心

A working stage on Anfu Road

In 1995 the Shanghai People’s Art Theatre and Shanghai Youth Drama Troupe merged to form the centre. This dates the institution, not necessarily the completion of the building. Two theatrical traditions continued to meet at one address.

Explore the historical timeline
The illuminated theatre entrance, with columns and canopy framing the lobby. Included in the municipal 2023 venue guide, credited to the theatre website; capture date unknown.

Capture date unknown

The illuminated theatre entrance, with columns and canopy framing the lobby. Included in the municipal 2023 venue guide, credited to the theatre website; capture date unknown.

Theatre website en.china-drama.com · Image source · Rights retained by original creators and source

At a glance

Construction / use dates
Institution established 1995
Architect
Not established in the reviewed sources
Character
Modern theatre building
Original use
Performance, rehearsal and theatre production
Use and access
An active performing-arts institution
Address
上海市徐汇区安福路288号Anfu Road

Architecture and use: sources[1] [2]

The beginning

Why was it built here?

In 1995 the Shanghai People’s Art Theatre and Shanghai Youth Drama Troupe merged to form the centre. This dates the institution, not necessarily the completion of the building. Two theatrical traditions continued to meet at one address.[1] [2]

Spoken theatre depends on actors, directors, stage technicians and audiences. The place matters through productions and the continuous work of rehearsal and exchange. Check performance language, surtitles and the specific auditorium before booking; the exterior alone cannot describe a theatre visit.[1] [2]

Look up, then look closer

Details worth a closer look

Read from the street

Columns, glazing and a curved canopy frame arrival. Compare the street frontage in daylight with the gathering audience at admission: use makes the building’s function visible.[1] [2]

A closer detail

The historic villa at 284 and the modern theatre belong to different building phases. Read its low roof beside the theatre entrance to see how one block accommodates different eras.[1] [2]

One building, changing roles

Read the building through time

Captions distinguish photographic dates from publication dates; periods without reliable images are covered in the text.

  1. 1950

    Shanghai People’s Art Theatre founded

    This belongs to a predecessor’s history, not the present theatre’s construction date.[1] [2]

  2. 1995

    Two companies merge to form the centre

    The People’s Art Theatre and Youth Drama Troupe combined their resources.[1] [2]

  3. 2023

    Municipal venue guide documents its theatre role

    The guide confirms the address; individual performances require current listings.[1] [2]

Today and visiting

Discover the building from the street

An active performing-arts institution[1] [2]

Address
上海市徐汇区安福路288号
Approach
Entrances, events and access can change; follow current notices. Historic significance does not make residential stairs, gardens or living spaces public.
Find the address on a map ↗

Sources checked: 2026-10-26 · Entrances, events and access can change; follow current notices. Historic significance does not make residential stairs, gardens or living spaces public.

Shanghai and the world

Place the address in the city

The theatre changes the street’s rhythm: neighbourhood life by day, arrivals in the evening, everyday life again after the curtain. A ticket can be an entry into the city’s cultural production.[1] [2]

Back to the street guide

Text and image sources

This account is based on the sources below. Unverified details are identified as such. Where photographs are included, sources and licences are listed beneath each image.

  1. Building and local-history source ↗

    Used to check dates, uses and architectural descriptions; photo dates are separately identified.

  2. Further research and biography ↗

    Used to check dates, uses and architectural descriptions; photo dates are separately identified.

Image handling and dating

Images come from the archives or image source pages listed beneath each photograph. We resize and compress them to WebP, preserving their original proportions without colourisation or added detail. Grain, blur and scanning marks in historical photographs are retained.

Images without a documented capture date are marked undated; publication is not photography. No invented before-and-after view substitutes for a verified historic photograph.