An electronic wheat field wows with blend of past and future

China's pavilion has been one of the biggest hits of the 2015 world expo

As Milan Expo enters its final three weeks, managers of the China Pavilion are already celebrating the fact that when it ends, about 1.5 million visitors will have made it one of the expo's most popular attractions.

About 145 countries, three international organizations and 13 nongovernmental organizations have taken part in the expo, which opened on May 1 and closes on Oct 31.

Earlier, the Chinese organizers said they expected the expo, whose theme is "Feeding the planet, energy for life", to attract more than 20 million visitors.

The pavilion, which covers 4,590 square meters, is one of the largest.

The China pavilion has had an average of 10,000 visitors a day, and on some days as many as 20,000, says Wang Rui, deputy director of the China Pavilion. But the pavilion's innovative design means visitors have not had to wait in long lines to get in, he says, unlike with many other pavilions.

"Agricultural civilization" is the core idea of the pavilion, built like a thatched cottage used by Chinese farmers to rest after hours of laboring in paddy fields.

The pavilion also embodies the project's theme, "The land of hope". The roof is covered by a layer of shingled bamboo, making the building seem, from a distance, like a moving wheat field under the breeze. Tsinghua University in Beijing designed the roof panels using a rare digital process. The building combines existing civilization concepts and ideas for development.

"The China Pavilion is aimed at melding the two perspectives," Wang says. "As an ancient civilization, agriculture and food safety are important issues to China, and sustainability is a crucial element for future development."

Sustainability in the design is reflected in half-open spaces to keep energy consumption down and generate less waste.

Under the roof a landscaped field representing the idea of land incorporates the building's exhibition program.

With a 20-minute multimedia installation consisting of 22,000 LED stalks integrated into the landscape, visitors from the second floor are able to see different patterns, including traditional terraced fields, colorful flowers and changing lights produced by the stalks.

Many Italian visitors, including high-level officials, have said how impressed they were with the pavilion.

Margherita Barberis, director-general of Foundation Italy China, says she visited it many times.

"I come to the expo once or twice a week. The China Pavilion is beautiful, and it is very well organized. I think the most impressive thing is the LED-light wheat field. China is one of the countries in the world with the best solar energy industries, and that is reflected by those LED lights in the venue."

The exterior of the pavilion is also attractive, Barberis says. The pavilion is all the more impressive because she has visited China many times over the past 15 years, she says, and had expected there would be little to surprise her.

Dominici Anna, an Italian white-collar worker, says she had to attend a meeting near the expo, so during a one-hour break she decided to get a taste of it by visiting the China Pavilion.

"The peaceful display of the pavilion is great. Other pavilions have a lot of high-tech special effects, but I like the beauty of nature presented in the China Pavilion."

Fabrizio Grillo, secretary-general of the Italy Pavilion, says the differences between China's different regions, provinces and historical traditions on display have been impressive.

The China Pavilion has had a dual mission, to showcase the country and to promote trade, the first time the country has used a world expo this way, Wang says.

Grillo says: "Between Italy and China there are many sectors that offer the possibility of building bilateral economic relations."

The China Council for the Promotion of International Trade has organized the China Pavilion for all 15 world expos held since 1982.

For Milan Expo, Chinese authorities placed greater emphasis on economics and trade, Wang says. The expo is about more than just letting people know about China, he says.

"We not only showcase ourselves, but also learn about what others countries and regions have to offer. These countries include Italy, France, Germany and the United Kingdom. They are strongly committed to the expo and to promoting their economic development and trade relationships here. From the design and exhibitions of their pavilions, you can feel their enthusiasm for promoting trade."

China's provincial governments have also organized a series of higher-end economic and trade promotional activities for investors and projects at the expo.

Strong political ties between China and Italy have also provided a strong foundation for business and cultural ties, Barberis says.

She says she is optimistic about the success of China's Belt and Road Initiative - the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiatives, transport infrastructure projects linking Asia and Europe - that President Xi Jinping proposed in 2013.

The Milan Expo is providing a great opportunity to strengthen ties, and in a series of conferences during the event, many Chinese and Italian businesses have been able to discuss working together, she says.

Over the past few months the China Pavilion has hosted more than 15 provincial-level promotional trade events, Wang says. Last month Shandong province held the largest one, with more than 300 Chinese and Italian enterprises taking part during an industry event called Shandong Week.

Yantai Changyu Pioneer Wine Co, a Chinese wine producer, took part in the event. Sun Jian, its deputy general manager, says the company is placing greater emphasis on its overseas market to hedge against declining domestic sales, and is working with companies in traditional wine producing countries such as France, Italy and Spain.

The company attended the five-day Shandong Week, during which it negotiated deals with two Italian winemakers.

As early as 2011, the Italian sparkling wine maker Donelli signed an agreement to transfer its intellectual property rights in China to the Chinese winemaker Changyu, including its trademark and Chinese brand name. They plan to work more closely together.

Changyu says it is also negotiating with the Generali Group, which has seven chateaus in Italy. The agreement would allow Changyu to use Generali's wine laboratory, said to be one of the world's most advanced.

"Every province values the importance of the expo," Wang says. "We held events in various formats including visiting local enterprises, banquets and trade fairs. We have received very positive feedback from the Italian side."

Trade is expected to play an even greater role at China pavilions at future world expos, Wang says. The next world expo is due to be held in Astana, Kazakhstan, in 2017.

tuoyannan@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily Africa Weekly 10/09/2015 page14)