Ship on shore proves to be winner

Designed as a giant ship, the China State Shipbuilding Corporate (CSSC) Pavilion has docked at the Expo Garden to bring back memories of the history of the Chinese shipping industry.

The pavilion is built based in an old factory of the Jiangnan Shipyard (Group) Co Ltd, a company with a 145-year history that is considered an important player in the Chinese shipping industry.

The pavilion will become a shipping museum after the Expo 2010 Shanghai to continue presenting the history and future development of the Chinese shipping industry, according to Gong Hanming, secretary of the party committee of Jiangnan.

The CSSC Pavilion is one of the most-visited corporate pavilions, according to statistics released by Expo officials. The pavilion attracted more than 560,000 visitors by the end of May.

The pavilion's three main parts include a plaza, exhibition rooms and a catering area, all covering 18,000 square meters. The main exhibition presents life in the future on the seas and tells of the strengthening ties between shipping and transportation, energy, food, the environment, as well as scientific research and people's lives.

There are also old elements in the exhibition, such as a boat anchor, rudder, compass and propeller, displayed in the pavilion to familiarize visitors with the past of shipping.

"The shipping industry has the premier task of building national industries. It is also a core part of evaluating the level of national manufacturing," said Nie Chenggeng, the curator of the CSSC Pavilion.

As a special attraction, the CSSC Pavilion has invited a shipping captain to join the operation team as a volunteer guide during the Expo.

Hu Yuexiang, a senior captain with the China Shipping (Group) Company, is at the pavilion every weekend telling stories garnered from his 30 years of sailing.

"I hope to encourage the younger generation to develop an interest in shipping. Our shipping team needs fresh blood for the future," Hu said. "After all, it is a great career."

The captain will share his experiences about fighting off pirates and explaining the basics of sailing and shipping to visitors.