Heilongjiang Pavilion: The sunny side of ice and snow

SHANGHAI - As the weather turns hot, organizers of the Heilongjiang Pavilion are providing its thousands of visitors a "perfect icy antidote" to the sweltering temperatures.

With a theme of "Ice and Snow Make Us Different", the Heilongjiang Pavilion was crafted with crystal resin into the shape of an ice sculpture, which brings the legendary winters of the northeast far south to Shanghai.

"Expo 2010 Shanghai is a grand event demonstrating the achievements of human civilizations. It not only presents the country's 5,000-plus years of history and current progress, but also sets up a bridge for people to learn from the advanced experiences in the world," said Sun Yao, vice-governor of Heilongjiang province.

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"We expect the unique charm and advantage of Heilongjiang province to be widely and deeply understood by more people in the world," Sun said.

The Heilongjiang Pavilion, taking ice and snow in the north as the main elements of design, is an "ice world of dreams," demonstrating the spirits of ice and snow culture, he said.

In the past, ice and snow represented a harsh climate. Nowadays, the ice and snow resources of Heilongjiang are considered an advantage.

In the past 20 years, Heilongjiang's ice and snow activities have developed into an ice and snow cultural industry, combining arts, business, winter sports, winter tourism and entertainment, which has become an internationally famous brand.

Since the opening of Expo 2010 Shanghai, more than 500,000 people out of the more than 8 million visitors have visited Heilongjiang Pavilion. Meanwhile, among the 20 must-see pavilions chosen by the public on the popular portal Sina.com, Heilongjiang Pavilion is honored as the "smartest pavilion" and became the only domestic pavilion chosen for that list.

"Ice and snow gives Heilongjiang fresh air, green food and a high quality of water. Such unique resource advantages build up Heilongjiang people's characters of confidence and determination," Sun said.

"Here, visitors have a good chance to experience the dream-like ice region. While the Expo's theme is 'Better City, Better Life', visitors in Heilongjiang Pavilion can get a taste of how great life is in a world of ice and snow," the vice-governor said.

China Daily