China at Expo Milano 2015

by+Xiao+Bian

Shanghai to Milan

In ancient agricultural society， people traded with each other on special occasions such as harvest celebrations， religious activities， and festivals， which were the earliest ancestors of the World Expo. The modern incarnation of the World Expo began in London in 1851， and today， the tradition has already amassed a history of more than 160 years. During those 16 decades， nearly 140 World Expos were held in various places around the planet. In 2010， Expo Shanghai， with the theme “Better City， Better Life，” was held in China to international acclaim.

Historically， the most advanced fruits of civilization and futuristic products of different eras converged at World Expos. The Crystal Palace at the 1851 London Expo marked the dawn of the glass era in architectural evolution. The Eiffel Tower at the Expo Paris 1889 symbolized the coming of steel era. Even artistic works， such as the “Blue Danube，” a waltz by the Austrian composer Johann Strauss II， premiered at Expo Vienna in 1873.

With “Feeding the Planet， Energy for Life” as its theme， Expo Milano 2015 built a large expo village， which allotted area of 120，000 square meters for national pavilions， a 12，000-seat amphitheater， and a 6，000-seat auditorium. A service area near the main expo site is outfitted with hotels， parking facilities， stores， and business facilities. In terms of content， Expo Milano 2015 focuses on agriculture and food. As a big agricultural country， China joined the expo with three pavilions： China Pavilion， China Corporate United Pavilion， and Vanke Pavilion， which cover a total area of 6，700 square meters， making the country the largest exhibitor in terms of total scale.

Focusing on this expos theme of agriculture and food， “China wants to deliver the world such a message： As the most populous country in the world， China is not only able to solve the problem of feeding its population， but also willing to share advanced agricultural technologies with the world，” remarked Wang Jinzhen， commissioner general for the China Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 and vice-chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

Chinese Elements

For this expo， China built the 4，590-square-meter China Pavilion， the countrys first self-built overseas expo pavilion and the second largest foreign structure at the event after that of Germany. Several factors contribute to such a grand exhibition scale. First， as the previous host of World Expo， China received great support from Italy during Expo Shanghai 2010. To repay Italys support， China took an active role in Expo Milano 2015. More importantly， as an agricultural country with a population of more than 1.3 billion， China wants to better introduce itself to the world through this expo， illuminate the contributions that Chinas agricultural development has made to the world， and continuously discuss with other countries how to deal with challenges facing agriculture and food today.

To convey the traditional Chinese value of harmonious coexistence between heaven， earth， and humans， the China Pavilion， designed by a team from the Academy of Arts and Design at Tsinghua University， integrates the traditional nine-ridge Xieshan-style roof and avant-garde modern design. In the rippling-wheat-shaped pavilion， visitors can find five major exhibition areas： “preface，”“heaven，” “earth，” “human，” and “harmony.” Exhibitions， which combine modern technology and physical displays， include oracle bone script， tofu， tea culture， projects such as “Agricultural Internet of Things，” and urbanization modes. Visitors can also watch Reunion， the central film at the China Pavilion， to catch a glimpse of Chinas views on agriculture and food.

“Film is the most important exhibit for participating countries，” opines Wang Jinzhen. “No matter how big the exhibition area is， the things that can be displayed are still limited. Thus， we want to exhibit as much as possible through our film.” Reunion depicts three siblings who are engaged in trades of agriculture， food， and art， respectively， returning home to spend Spring Festival with their family. Cui Xuefeng from China Film Group Corporation directed the film. He explains that the story shows that although increasing numbers of Chinese people have begun to live overseas， traditional Chinese culture is well preserved and passed on. The whole film emphasizes Chinese attachment to home and country.

Distinctive Features

Along with the China Pavilion， two other Chinese pavilions， China Corporate United Pavilion and Vanke Pavilion， have joined this expo. The two exhibitors also touch on the food theme.

Resembling a huge seed from outside， the China Corporate United Pavilion expounds on “the shape of life” with a DNA helix structure in the interior. A big ramp at the main entrance leads from the ground to various exhibition areas in the pavilion， flanking the elliptical green core in the center. A group of outstanding Chinese enterprises involved in various fields have converged in the pavilion， exhibiting Chinese enterprises achievements in highend manufacturing， technical innovation， giving back to nature， and changing lifestyles.

Property developer Vanke has become the first Chinese enterprise to present an independent pavilion at an overseas expo with their contribution to Expo Milano 2015. Designed by famous American architect Daniel Libeskind， the Vanke Pavilion is in- spired by traditional Chinese landscape paintings， and the basic unit of Chinas agriculture： terraced fields. Architecturally， the form and material of the pavilion connect the Renaissance and modernity. It is a unique space to celebrate and reflect on the history of Chinas civilization， technology， and 21st-Century prospects.

Chinese exhibitors fully detail Chinas history and distinctive features at this expo. Chinas long agricultural history is emphasized. After 1949， especially after China introduced the reform and opening-up， the countrys agriculture has improved by leaps and bounds. In Chinas pavilions， Chinese understanding of food is portrayed through various methods using various tools. Moreover， China also exhibits content related to efficient new energy， food supplies， and sustainable development of agriculture and the environment at the expo.

Visitors should， of course， visit the Chinese pavilions， but they can also participate in the abundant activities organized by China during the expo. “Ordinary visitors should look out for Chinas National Pavilion Day， which falls on June 8， in addition to various artistic performances and other events such as Beijing Week，”advises Wang Jinzhen. “Enterprises should pay more attention to economic and trade activities， such as the China-Italy Agriculture and Food Forum on June 9.”