Chinese Government provides RMB 153 million grant for National Theater Renovation and Upgrading Project

In January 2016, the Chinese Government and the Government of Myanmar signed letters of exchange regarding the provision of a grant for a feasibility study of the National Theater Renovation and Upgrading Project. China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) subsequently issued a contract worth RMB 153 million to Beijing Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd for the implementation of this project. The purpose of the project is to renovate and upgrade the National Theater (အမျိုးသားဇာတ်ရုံ) in the city of Yangon. It involved upgrades to the main building, the installation of a modern sound and lighting system (including an LED screen and a 4K movie projector), and the installation of an air-conditioning system, security system, and fire alarms. In May 2016, China dispatched an expert team to conduct a preliminary inspection of structural safety and agree with Myanmar on the scale and plan of maintenance. On May 21, 2019, a groundbreaking ceremony took place for the project. Project implementation was delayed in 2020 due to COVID-19 restrictions. As of January 2021, the project had achieved a 52% completion rate.

Additional details

1. This project is also known as the National Theater Refurbishment Project. The Chinese project title is 援缅甸国家艺术剧院维修改造项目. 2. The full cost of the contract that MOFCOM issued to Beijing Construction Engineering Group Co., Ltd is assumed to have been financed with a MOFCOM grant. 3. The National Theater in Yangon was originally constructed in the 1980s with financial support from the Chinese Government. It was subsequently renovated in 2004 with a grant from the Chinese Government (captured in Project ID#49941).

Number of official sources

6

Number of total sources

14