Construction of Shanghai World Expo's magnificent China Pavilion is close to completion as workers continue to toil around the clock to meet the deadline.

Last week, Xia Zhenghua, a deputy project manager of the pavilion, said about 80 percent of it had been built with the whole steel structure expected to be finished by next month. The complete decoration and fit-out of the structure will take another 12 months.

But with the crown shape half formed on the four huge steel feet of the pavilion, it is now easy to appreciate how stunning it will eventually look.

When finished, the 20,000-square-meter structure in traditional China red will not only be a centerpiece in the 5.38-square-kilometer Shanghai World Expo site, but also a highlight among the modern constructions in the city.

The main structure of the pavilion, the "Crown of the East," has a distinctive roof, made of traditional dougong or brackets, which have a history dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period (770-467 BC).

"Today, visitors can still see these distinct brackets in the Forbidden City and Summer Palace in Beijing. The only difference on the China Pavilion is that wood has been replaced by steel and concrete," said Xia. "The pavilion has a traditional Chinese architectural style and has also been built in the traditional way."

The steel structure was hard to erect as workers had to create an inter-pyramid shape to be the "crown," but the ancient dougong construction process made the shape more easy to create.

"So the pavilion is a reflection of the ancient wisdom of our ancestors," said Xia.

Work is also on schedule on another four permanent "green'' structures - the Theme Pavilion, Expo Center, Performance Center and Expo Boulevard.