Fancy pavilion designs set to awe visitors
More than 240 countries and organisations will use fancy architecture to awe visitors to the World Expo in Shanghai.
Iconic buildings cover the expo area on both banks of the Huangpu River, with the pavilions of nations and organisations on the east bank and corporate pavilions on the west.
The China pavilion is the most recognisable for its sheer height, size and shape - an upturned pyramid - in Zone A. Next to it are the pavilions of Taiwan, Macau and Hong Kong. The Taiwan pavilion looks like a huge lantern, while Macau's was inspired by ancient rabbit lanterns. Hong Kong's pavilion is a three-storey metallic structure with the middle storey's exterior in glass.
Other major features in the zone are the pavilions of Saudi Arabia and Japan. The Saudi structure's centrepiece is a huge hanging boat shaped like a half-moon, with date palms on the top deck of the boat. The Japan pavilion, dubbed the 'Purple Silkworm Island', is a semi-circular structure covered by a purple membrane material with several antennae and concave features on its exterior.
Zone B features pavilions of countries from Southeast Asia and Oceania and some institutions. The highlights are the pavilions of Australia, New Zealand and the World Wildlife Fund. The Australia pavilion, inspired by the world-famous Ayers Rock, features sculpted curving walls of red ochre. The New Zealand structure has an appearance of a 'flying wing'. The WWF pavilion resembles a tai chi diagram and giant children's drawings decorate its exterior and interior walls.
Zone C features perhaps the most creative architecture with buildings from European, African and American countries showcasing their whimsy. The Spain pavilion looks like a hand-weaved wicker basket while Britain has a 'seed cube' as its centerpiece. The Netherlands named its pavilion 'Happy Street' - a 400-metre pedestrian street in a figure-eight configuration, eight being a lucky number in Chinese culture. Built on stilts, the street looks like a suspended roller coaster.