On August 6, Zhou Hanmin, vice chairman of the Shanghai Political Consultative Congress and deputy chief of Shanghai Expo Bureau, visited the Xi'an pavilion.

Zhou Hanmin holds a high appraisal of the Xi'an pavilion. "The 'urban best practices area' is a creative project of the 2010 Shanghai Expo, which aims at presenting effective measures taken by cities to improve the quality of life. The Xi'an pavilion centers on cultural relic protection, serving as an important demonstration of 'urban best practices area,'" he said.

He also pointed out that Xi'an is a key city in Chinese history and culture, which makes it attract more attention from the public in terms of relic protection.

Mr. Zhou said that he is looking forward to the opening ceremony of Xi'an Daming Palace National Heritage Park.

After his visit, Zhou Hanmin wrote some calligraphy reading, "Daming Palace forever bright, and Chang'an city forever safe" as a gift to the Xi'an Daming Palace pavilion.

By Li Cheng & Wu Wei