According to Zhao Jiachen, vice-president of the NCPA, the venue has welcomed over 800 art troupes and over 300,000 artists from all around the world. During the past 12 years, the NCPA has produced 91 stage productions, including 31 original works.

The NCPA was designed by French architect Paul Andreu. It has been the Chinese focus of the world's performing arts industry since it opened in December 2007, attracting top international artists and symphony orchestras.

She notes that for the first time, the NCPA has created a cartoon image to celebrate its birthday: that of a white swan. Therefore, during the day, ballerinas performed Swan Lake in the venue's public space.

"The NCPA's slogan is 'art changes life'. The day is open to all the family, so the cartoon image will resonate with children, who will, hopefully, become frequent visitors to the venue. They are the future audience of the NCPA," Zhao adds.

In a new drive to reach younger audiences in China, the NCPA has launched free online broadcasts. Since 2011, its online platform has livestreamed more than 100 classical music concerts, with each one receiving more than 1 million views on average.