Djibouti celebrates Pavilion Day

The Djibouti Pavilion celebrated its National Pavilion Day Wednesday with shows by the Arhotabba Band in Africa Square and in the Expo Center.

The group integrates song and dance, tradition and modernity.

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The country's economy, politics and society have all achieved great progress and the country is making efforts to improve people's livelihood and social security, Hasna Barkat Daoud, Minister of Youth, Sports, Recreation and Tourism of the Republic of Djibouti, said at Wednesday morning's ceremony in the Expo Center.

The pavilion showcases the country's scenery and cultural tradition, he said.

Wang Wenzhang, Chinese Vice Minister of Culture, said visitors to the pavilion will feel the country's rich tourism resources and glamour as a port country.

With an "Economic Hub" theme, the pavilion within the Joint Africa Pavilion displays the country's nature and culture, rich tourism resources and large international harbor on the Gulf of Aden.

It features a big daboita, a traditional dwelling, to display the desert, coast and a mix of cultures in a nation where the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden meet.

The structure, built in Djibouti and shipped to the Expo, is set in water and linked by a bridge to the other side of the pavilion featuring a commercial and leisure area.

The daboita is decorated with traditional hand-woven fabrics, carpets and tapestries. Paintings and ornaments hang on the walls.

Apart from traditional elements, the daboita features a plasma screen showing films about various aspects of the Republic of Djibouti.