In a sense the heart and center of World Expo 2010 is the China Pavilion which is in the shape of an oriental crown.
Its main structure includes a six-layer, 30-meter-high roof made of traditional wooden brackets. The 56 brackets symbolize the nation’s 56 minority ethnic groups.
Below the main structure, there is a 45,000-square-meter multi-use pavilion featuring displays from local provinces, cities and regions.
Shanghai Daily reports that there are already plans for the 160,000-square-meter pavilion to be converted into a museum for Chinese history and culture after the Expo closes in 2010. This is, perhaps, a lesson learned from the Olympic Games where many of the major buildings are now barely used.