scene of the ceremony marking the occasion

Vitezslav Grepl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to China, delivers a speech.

The Czech Republic yesterday received its 2,000-square-meter pavilion from the organizer of Expo 2010. It is the first country to accept a pavilion at the Expo.

The pavilion will feature rubber ice-hockey pucks on its surface - pucks are a significant Czech export and ice hockey is its national sport.

Pavel A. Stehlik, commissioner general of the Czech Republic at Expo 2010, delivers a speech.

Hu Jinjun, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination

Visitors will experience a fictitious magical city, modeled on Prague's Old Town, inside the pavilion. Visitors will be able to create and perform magic, travel and take part in city life, Czech officials said. The design company also created the Czech Republic's pavilions at the Aichi Expo in 2005 and the Hanover Expo in 2000 and was involved in the James Bond film "Casino Royale."

The exhibition has the theme "Fruits of Civilization." It will spotlight the use of new technologies and renewable energy, transport solutions and a desire for privacy. Moving from street to street, visitors will discover different artifacts or fruits of civilization.

Film design company Film Dekor will work on the interior decoration of the pavilion, which will take one year to complete.

Pavel A. Stehlik, commissioner general of the Czech Republic at Expo 2010, said the pavilion will include a multi-media center and a series of concerts will also be staged. May 17, 2010 will be the national day of the Czech Pavilion.

Vitezslav Grepl, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to China, said the embassy and the Consulate General of the Czech Republic in Shanghai will give every support for the country's Expo participation.

When it signed a participation contract on January 23 last year, the Czech Republic was the 12th country to agree to participate.

an artist's rendition of the Czech Pavilion

an artist's rendition of the Czech Pavilion

an artist's rendition of the Czech Pavilion

an artist's rendition of the Czech Pavilion

an artist's rendition of the Czech Pavilion

 

Editor: Echo Hu