Construction of the Great Hall of the People began in October 1958. It was one of the Ten Great Buildings in the capital for the tenth anniversary of the People’s Republic, on October 1, 1959.
The hall was completed on September 24, 1959. The work took just over ten months, from the design drawings to the decoration and the installation and testing of all equipment. Accounts of the project mention the workers’ overtime and materials gathered from across the country.