The two-story high red brick building is shaped into an octagonal cylinder. Each side of the octagon has a dormer window and a decorative wall. During the Japanese colonial era the Red House was turned into a venue for Peking opera and crosstalk performances in the early 20th century. The place became a movie theater in the 1970s #39; ushering in the beginning of Ximenting #39;s cinema culture. Now the Red House is both a teahouse and a venue for small-scale theater productions.