One of Hong Kong’s largest developers has announced it will restore rather than demolish the 68-year-old State Theatre after a five-year community-led campaign focused on preserving the building.
The cinema in North Point opened as the Empire Theatre in 1952, 10 years before City Hall in Central, and was renamed the State Theatre in 1959. Under the leadership of Russian Jew Harry Odell, the building was both a cinema and a concert hall which brought top overseas performers such as Benjamin Britten and Isaac Stern to local audiences. Teresa Teng, who conquered the hearts of millions of Chinese worldwide, met her fans there.
Source: https://hongkongfp.com/