Situated by the Huang Pu River are the awe-inspiring city walls and the skyrocketing buildings that crown China, whose thousands of years of magnificent traits have been shining brightly throughout history!

Written by Li Ming, Wang Yanbing and Zhao Hong

Photographed by Xiang Xinrong,  Jiang Ying and Xu Jiechen

Figures: 

6.52 hectares & 70,000 square meters: Covering 6.52 hectares, The China Pavilion is located in Zone B of the Enclosed Area of the Expo Site. It starts from the Beihuan Road and ends at the Nanhuan Road; it connects to Shangnan Road (West) and leads to Yuntai Road (East). The Expo 2010 landmark building is comprised of The Chinese National Pavilion.

344 schemes: On April 25, 2007, the Organizer of Expo 2010 launched the solicitation of the architectural design plan of the China Pavilion for World Expo 2010 Shanghai, China. It had a lot of responses from the Chinese globally. Right up to the midnight deadline on, June 15, 2007, the Organizer received 344 submittals from Chinese architects and design teams all over the world. After two rounds of judging by experts and an appraisal round, three plans were finally chosen and at last the "Oriental Crown" concept worked on by both the South China University of Technology and the Beijing Tsinghua Architectural Design ＆ Consultation Co., Ltd, under Beijing Tsinghua University.

63 meters & 14 meters: The China National Pavilion is the landmark building as part of the urban sculpture, with a combined layer-base and overhanging to the height of 63 meters. It spreads horizontally and extends to being part of the way the city moves, the Regional Joint Pavilion is 14 meters high to form the stable pedestal of the building complex and constitutes urban space for public activities. The China Pavilion takes on a well-organized structure that is symmetrically balanced to symbolize the harmony and stability of China.

30,000 square meters & 37,000 square meters: The aboveground area of The China National Pavilion is about 30,000 square meters. It is divided into three tiers. 33 meters up there is a lobby and service section above that, 39 meters up is used for the exhibition halls of The China National Pavilion, with the plane exhibition halls as the main part and with the ramps and the connecting steps as the supporting part so as to make the exhibition space more flexible and tier-based and satisfy the need to fully display the Chinese civilization through various means. The aboveground construction area of the Regional Joint Pavilion is about 37,000 square meters, in which 24,000 square meters constitutes as the exhibition area; and the clearance height is 10.5 meters.

The One-Yuan Donation: The China Pavilion donation program was launched on December 18, 2007. The donations can be of one Yuan this lets people have an opportunity to make a contribution to the Expo. The donators can also contact World Expo Donation Office via phone, letters, the website, etc. The special website for donation is: jz.expo2010china.com 

Reviews: 

"The Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau launch for architectural design plans for The China Pavilion among the global Chinese architectural designers to present the ‘Chinese wisdom' in urban development was both creative and significant."   

-- Huang Wei, Vice-Minister of the Ministry of Construction  

"World Expo is also an exposition of World architecture. In a sense, we will present The China National Pavilion as China's ‘first work' for the coming Expo."

-- Song Chunhua, Chairman of the Architectural Society of China 

"The Oriental Crown, Beautiful China, Ample Barn and Rich People."

          -- Academician He Jingtang, Chief Principal and Architect of Joint Design Team for China Pavilion  

"Like a sculpture? You are right. China Pavilion is like a China-style sculpture in a city garden."  

-- Academician He Jingtang 

"The China Pavilion will be one of the most precious legacy left to the city by The World Expo." 

 -- Huang Jianzhi, Vice Director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination 

"The China Pavilion is unique in design, there are a lot of Chinese elements such as the color ‘Chinese-red', and Chinese Dougong brackets." 

-- Ding Hao, Vice Director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination 

"I will contribute to the needs of our country. I wish to show the value of having overseas Chinese amid the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, China. I also believe that the World Expo will bring about more opportunities"

      -- A patriotic overseas Chinese who donated over 10 million Yuan