The stage is equipped with a domestically produced "heart", and the Beijing Art Center, the world-class theater of the National Grand Theatre | Art Center | Theater
In the sub center of Beijing, the soon to be built Beijing Art Center is regarded by many as the second "National Grand Theatre" - it has almost the same stage size and mechanical configuration as the National Grand Theatre, and will be operated by the National Grand Theatre. The plays performed by the National Grand Theatre can be seamlessly connected and performed synchronously here.
Unlike the National Grand Theatre, which was built in 2007, the "heart" of the theater - stage machinery and equipment mostly came from international procurement. The theaters and opera houses with high technical requirements come from the German SBS company and Bosch Rexroth consortium, as well as Mitsubishi Heavy Industries of Japan. Only music halls with relatively simple technical requirements come from domestic bidding.
The Beijing Art Center, which is also at the world-class level, is equipped with a domestically produced "heart" - all the stage machinery of its theaters and opera houses comes from a private enterprise in the Yangtze River Delta called "Dafeng".
Complex and precise
The size of a theater stage actually far exceeds what the audience can see during a performance; Its complexity and precision are far beyond the imagination of the general audience.
At the Beijing Art Center, Yan Zhoubin, the General Manager of the North China Region of Zhejiang Dafeng Industrial Co., Ltd. Engineering Center, led reporters to visit the soon to be completed opera house and theater. The main stage of the opera house is 28 meters high above, with a layer of steel grating erected at the top of the stage. There are countless steel wire ropes arranged vertically here, like a steel jungle. At the upper end of the steel wire rope, there is a transportation suspension rod mechanism connected for traction; At the lower end, there are 65 24 meter long electric suspension rods suspended. These suspension rods will be used to hang various scenery, spanning over the stage.
Various equipment such as speaker cranes, subtitle screen cranes, fire curtains, large screen machines, lighting cages, and mobile lighting vehicles are scattered here. Behind the top of the fence, 24 single point cranes are arranged in a straight line. They can move back and forth, providing more suspension points for the scenery above the stage.
Yan Zhoubin led reporters to visit the soon to be completed opera house and theater.
Underneath the main stage, within a 21.5-meter-deep foundation pit, there are six massive double deck lifting platforms for the main stage. Yan Zhoubin told reporters that a single lifting platform contains hundreds of components and is the core and soul of the main stage. During operation, there are strict technical standards for parameters such as noise, speed, and bearing capacity of the lifting platform.
The stage plane is inverted in the shape of a convex character. On both sides of the main stage, there are side car platforms. When switching scenes during the performance, the main stage will quickly descend, and the pre arranged side stage carriage will move to the center to complete the scene switching.
The rear of the main stage belongs to the rear stage area, which is loaded with a huge rear platform, including a turntable. During the performance, it can operate simultaneously and move the backstage to the main stage position.
The stage plane is inverted in the shape of a convex character.
Yan Zhoubin said, "In practical operation, various equipment can be flexibly used, such as 6 sets of lifting platforms arranged in a ladder, side platforms driven in half, and rear platforms running while rotating... The equipment on and off the platform can be freely combined to create a diverse set." All stage elements are integrated into a pre organized management system. Through grouping mode, several sets of scenes required for an opera or drama can be switched with just one click in the background.
The complexity and precision of stage machinery are also reflected in the installation process. "The installation of various equipment and components needs to be closely coordinated. Once this component is installed, there are strict requirements for the next program." Yan Zhoubin told reporters that Beijing Art Center, as the largest stage machinery in China, has specially sent an installation team of up to 60 people from Zhejiang, all composed of the most experienced backbone employees.
A journey of catching up and surpassing others
In 1991, a audio-visual equipment factory with only 7 employees in Yuyao City, Zhejiang Province, mainly engaged in power connector business with an annual revenue of only over 1 million yuan - this was the predecessor of Dafeng.
The more than 30 years of hard work and entrepreneurship history of the enterprise is also a development history of the industry's rapid catching up. In 1993, the company transformed and produced a combination of glass stages, public seats, and activity stands; In 1999, entered the field of stage machinery equipment.
Stage machinery requires extremely high technical capabilities and corporate qualifications. It is not easy for an ordinary private small factory to gain the trust of its owner and undertake important cultural and sports projects? Feng Hua, Chairman of Zhejiang Dafeng Industrial Co., Ltd., said: "Without money, we can smash the pot and sell iron to raise funds."; No one, all corners of the world are vying for talent. In order to capture the inspiration of stage machinery design, we make every effort to explore local cultural and sports venues through every business trip or overseas opportunity
Yan Zhoubin, who has been working for more than 20 years, told reporters that the most memorable experience of his career was his participation in the construction of the Shaoxing Grand Theater project in 2001. The Shaoxing Grand Theater, completed and put into use in 2003, was the first standard theater stage built by Dafeng, and also marked the company's foothold in this niche field.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, Dafeng stood out as the only Chinese contractor for the Athens Olympic venue, competing in multiple events such as the weightlifting hall, volleyball main field, football main field, and Olympic gymnastics and basketball hall, as well as fixed seating projects.
The Athens Olympics brought orders worth over 20 million yuan to businesses. According to media reports, every seat on the Athens Olympic Games is printed with the corporate logo of Dafeng. After the Athens Olympics, Dafeng not only saw a surge in domestic popularity, but also saw a surge in international market orders.
The main stage of the opera house is about 20 meters high above, with a layer of steel wire mesh erected as the "stage grating top".
The most talked about collaboration between Dafeng people and CCTV Spring Festival Gala for 25 consecutive years. As early as 1999, Dafeng participated in the stage machinery and seating engineering of CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Afterwards, the magnificent and exquisite Spring Festival Gala stage, which surpasses the previous year, became a fixed project of Dafeng every year. Last year, CCTV Spring Festival Gala applied a stage system that included 154 sets of intelligent lifting stage modules. It is reported that the stage utilizes the first domestically developed control system certified by the European Union TUV, which is independently developed by the enterprise. It innovatively integrates motion control, logic control, and safety monitoring, achieving precise and effective integration of stage equipment, stage design, and actor safety.
For many years, Dafeng has been catching up in the fiercely competitive international arena of stage equipment. From theaters, cultural and artistic centers, sports venues, and exhibition halls across the country, to the New CCTV Grand Theater, the Shanghai World Expo Cultural Center, the Ulan Ude Grand Theater in Russia, the Peace Palace Grand Theater in Kazakhstan, the National Grand Theater in Cuba, the National Art Theatre in Sri Lanka, the National Grand Theater in Myanmar, the Jakarta Cultural and Art Center, the Kingdom Art Center in the Philippines, and even the Beijing Olympics, the Beijing Winter Olympics, and the World Cup in South Africa... their skills and experience are becoming increasingly complete.
And for every challenging project completed, Dafeng will apply for a new patent. With the efforts of over 750 scientific and technological personnel, the company has accumulated over 1000 patents and over 200 invention patents, leading the formulation of 18 national and industry standards.
Stubborn and resilient
From a small factory with only 7 employees to the current national champion in the manufacturing industry, tenacity and resilience are the unchanging characteristics of this enterprise. Important stage equipment is often directly related to important cultural and sports projects and major celebrations, and the construction period cannot be delayed for a moment. Even if time is tight and challenges are heavy, they must overcome difficulties and ensure that the project is completed on schedule.
"The stage equipment of the Beijing Art Center officially entered the construction site for installation in April last year. However, due to the impact of the epidemic, the entry of goods and personnel into Beijing was not smooth, which posed a huge challenge to the project progress," said Yan Zhoubin.
Unlike general enterprises, stage equipment installation is always carried out on "away" battles across the country and even around the world, requiring familiarity with local policies and regulations. Due to changes in epidemic prevention and control policies, the engineering team has planned logistics and worked overtime in advance. After the production base in Yuyao, Ningbo, the parts that can fill more than 100 large trucks were taken offline, gradually loaded onto vehicles and transported to Beijing in batches. These components are then handed over to the installation team who arrived in Beijing ahead of schedule to complete on-site installation, ultimately ensuring the project is completed on schedule.
"The installation of stage machinery has been completed by over 95% and is about to enter the debugging stage. It is expected to be completed by the end of September," Yan Zhoubin told reporters.
Yunjing crane.
Tight deadlines, heavy tasks, and projects resembling war are also the norm in the stage equipment industry.
In June 2021, the great journey, a literary and artistic performance celebrating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, was held at the National Stadium in Beijing. The stage design and many classic moments of this grand performance were also created by Da Feng. They undertook an intelligent stage with an area of over 6000 square meters and a volume of over 23000 cubic meters, and provided core systems and technological equipment. The construction of such a massive project took only 50 days from entry to completion and acceptance.
"The construction officially started on April 1st, and it is required that all installation, commissioning, and acceptance work be completed by May 20th. Subsequently, joint scheduling will be carried out." Yan Zhoubin recalled that due to the large volume and tight schedule of the project, the construction team mobilized nearly 200 people to work in shifts 24 hours a day to ensure the timely delivery of the project. "A project of this scale has a construction period of at least six months internationally."
