by Marzia De Giuli, Song Jian
MILAN, Italy, Oct. 31 (Xinhua) -- The China Pavilion of the Expo Milano 2015, which came to an end here on Saturday, was awarded two prizes by the Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) and by Italian media group Class Editori.
The China Pavilion was awarded the bronze medal in the architecture category by the BIE for "its dynamic roof''s structure which reminds of a moving wheat wave and traditional Chinese rural agriculture."
Meanwhile, Class Editori awarded the China Pavilion for the sustainability of its materials, such as rice and bamboo, close to the spirit of the Expo''s leading theme "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life," dedicated to the vital need for mankind to ensure enough healthy food for all while respecting nature.
"The China Pavilion was considered one of the most important ones at the Milan Expo. During the six-month exposition, we have had more than three million visitors," Zhang Gang, head of CCPIT (China Council for the Promotion of International Trade) Representative Office in Italy, said commenting on the Class Editori award.
Zhang said at the Class Editori awarding ceremony that more than 100 delegations from over 70 participant countries have visited the China Pavilion.
The award Class Expo Pavilion Heritage Awards was launched by Class Editori and the international network of the Laureate International Universities to award those pavilions able to better interpret the Expo''s issues and thus leave a special heritage for the future generations.
Themed "Land of Hope, Food for Life," the rippling-wheat-shaped building exhibited China''s agricultural history, food culture and its future expectation to the world, Zhang noted.
Half opened spaces and lower energy consumption reflected the China Pavilion''s sustainability.
Zhang also explained there is a plan to move the China Pavilion to Qingdao in east China''s Shandong Province, where it could become a museum to attract visitors and make them remember about the Expo Milano 2015.
The China Pavilion covered an area of 4,590 square meters, the second largest foreign one next to Germany''s in the Milan world exposition, and was China''s first self-built overseas Expo pavilion.
The "agricultural civilization" formed the core concept of the pavilion, structured like a thatched cottage used by Chinese farmers to rest after hours of laboring in paddy fields.
Beneath the roof, a landscaped field representing the concept of "land" incorporated the exhibition program.
Visitors from the second floor were able to enjoy various patterns, including traditional terraced fields, colorful flowers and changing lights made by the stalks, thanks to a 20-minute multimedia installation consisting of 22,000 LED stalks integrated into the landscape.
Besides the national pavilion, two corporate pavilions made China the country with the largest exhibition scale at the Milan Expo, actively contributing to promote relations and collaboration between the Asian country and the rest of the world.