By Wu Liming, Liu Gang

    VIENNA, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese opera "Mulan" staged at the Vienna State Opera House on Saturday is the first Chinese musical drama performed at the famed opera house, which is widely considered as a sacred arena for musicians from all over the world.

    The following is a brief introduction to the opera house:

    The Vienna State Opera House, together with La Scala Opera House in Milan of Italy and The Metropolitan Opera House in New York of the United States, are considered as top three opera houses in the world.

    Ever since its founding, the Vienna State Opera House has become a symbol of sacred musical arena. Singers, musicians, conductors and dancers from across the globe feel proud and honored when they perform at this prestigious opera house.

    Built between 1861 and 1869, The Vienna State Opera House is a magnificent architecture of Roman renaissance style. Boasting high archways and delicately-engraved windows and graceful roof, the house is a mansion with imperial grandeur in the downtown Vienna. The interior decoration of the opera house is even more splendid.

    On May 25 of 1869, The Vienna State Opera House staged its first performance --- Mozart's Don Giovanni, thus unveiling a prelude to its magnificent musical legend.

    During the Second World War, however, the opera house was severely damaged by bombings. After the war, it took Austria 10 years to reconstruct it.

    On Nov. 5 of 1955, the house unveiled its renewed face by staging Beethoven's Fidelio, symbolizing the second phase of its development.

    At present, the opera house still boasts magnificence and splendor after repeated renovations over the past decades. It is capable of accommodating over 2,000 audiences, and the stage is 500 square meters, which is also equipped with sloat and other sophisticate scenic facilities.

    Since its establishment, the house has striven to recruit and invite world-renowned conductors, musicians and singers, like Gustav Mahler and Herbert von Karajan, to perform there. The Vienna Philharmonic, one of the finest orchestras in the world, regularly perform at The Vienna State Opera House.

    It is stipulated that initial performance of a certain musical work should not be staged at the house and merely full-fledged musical works are allowed to set foot on its stage.

    Such regulations help the opera house cap extremely prestigious reputation among the international musical arena, thus making the opera house a symbol for Vienna, which is dubbed "capital of music".

    As one of the busiest opera houses in the world, approximately 300 performances stages here each year, including opera, some ballet and musical opera.

    The grand building, classic operas, and famous conductors, musicians and singers have made the opera house a "global opera center".