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Hunan is showcasing its cultural splendor, from embroidery to porcelain painting and tea art, at the Expo site with the unveiling of Hunan week at the Baosteel Stage this morning.

More than 430 artists will stage 75 shows in the following week to showcase the colorful cultures of central China’s Hunan Province.

The week features performances with a Hunan flavor and an intangible cultural heritage exhibition at the Baosteel Stage and Celebration Square.

Hunan recreates Taohuayuan (The Land of Peach Blossoms) – inspired by the masterpiece “Peach Blossom Spring” – at its 600-square-meter exhibition for the 2010 World Expo. It aims to display the model of a highly eco-friendly, cozy and dream-like place for living.

Xu Shousheng, deputy secretary of the Hunan Provincial CPC Committee and acting governor of Hunan Province, welcomed visitors from home and abroad to the Hunan Pavilion to appreciate the glamour of Taohuayuan and the beauty of Hunan, at the opening ceremony this morning.

Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng said the week displays Hunan’s history, culture and aspiration for a good future and he believed the week should promote the cooperation and exchange between Shanghai and Hunan.

Wang Jinzhen, a member of the National Organizing Committee of the Expo and vice chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, said the Expo is a platform for Hunan to expand promotion and strengthen exchange and cooperation with the world.

(Source: en.expo2010.cn)

Egypt celebrates its National Pavilion Day today with exotic Nubian dance, belly dance and other traditional entertainment.

Today marks the 57th anniversary of the victory of the Egyptian Revolution, therefore, Egypt chose July 23 as its National Pavilion Day, Ahmed Rezk Mohamed Rezk, Egyptian ambassador to China, said at this morning’s official ceremony at the Expo Center.

Egypt attached great importance to its participation in the Expo and the cultural artifacts it displays at the Expo showcases the deep friendship between the two countries, he noted. Egypt unveiled eight national treasures at the Shanghai Expo, including a large statue of the Pharaoh Amenhotep IV. Egypt rarely sends these pieces outside the country and sent the best ones to China this time because it is the largest Expo ever organized, said Egypt’s Commissioner General Sherif A. Salem earlier.

Zhao Zhenyu, China’s deputy commissioner general for World Expo 2010, said the 2010 Expo provides an opportunity to further the strategic partnership between the two nations, which would further expand their cultural exchange and deepen their friendship.

The pavilion in Zone C is themed “Cairo, Mother of the World: A City That Keeps Reinventing Itself” and it features the splendors of Egypt’s pharaonic past and its modern city life.

The modern-looking exterior is black and white. The interior exhibits Egypt’s long history and rich culture, including spectacular video, slides and relics.

Historic preservation is a major theme which explores how Egypt faces the challenges of the present and the future based on past experience.

The importance of the capital Cairo to Egypt, the region and the world is emphasized. Visitors will see a diverse city of impressive social, economic and technological development.

(Source: en.expo2010.cn)