到非洲联合馆体验非洲风情

非洲联合馆的外形虽然是一个规则的立方体，但在这个立方体的外立面上，合欢树、沙漠、海鸥、长颈鹿等特征明显的非洲元素一一呈现，勾勒出非洲大陆的别样风情与风貌，将古老的非洲文明抽象地展示出来。步入世博非洲馆就仿佛走进一个浓缩的非洲大陆，博茨瓦纳、津巴布韦、坦桑尼亚等42个非洲国家独具特色的历史和文化风情尽现眼前，观众零距离感受着广袤非洲的狂野、神秘和热情。

The United African Pavilion is the largest pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, which is currently in progress. In the shape of a container, it houses exhibits from 42 countries from Africa and the African Union.

Today, as we continue our walk around the Expo garden, let's stop off for a while at the United African Pavilion. Liu Yan has more.

If you look from the outside, the United African Pavilion is a perfect cube and bears the images of a silk tree, the desert, seagulls, and giraffes, along with other icons of Africa.

At the entrance to the pavilion, a gigantic primitive African sculpture with dozens of faces smiles toward a shimmering globe, symbolizing the important role Africa plays in environmental protection and coordinating world affairs.

Among the smiling faces, the largest one belongs to Lucy, or the Mother of Man. Lucy lived 3.2 million years ago and is believed to be the ancestor of all human beings. The fossilized remains of Lucy were discovered in 1974 by anthropologists in a maze of ravines at Hadar in northern Ethiopia.

Chen Jintian, director of the pavilion, explains.

"Inspired by Lucy, we tried to display a picture of human evolution from Lucy to present humankind, and from Africa to the whole globe."

As they enter the pavilion and walk down the curving corridor, visitors learn about the urban transformation in Africa, as well as the continent's economic and cultural development.

Visitors will feel as if they are experiencing the past, present and future of Africa all at once.

One of the fastest developing economies belongs to Botswana, which has vast diamond reserves and production capabilities. Mining of this precious stone, along with the cultivation of its rich fauna and flora species, are a major part of the Botswana exhibition.　　

Zimbabwe provides one of the highlights of the Pavilion. The Southern African country has rich cultural traditions and a long history. The House of Stone, one of the most important cultural treasures of the country, is a major attraction here.

The simulated stone house in the pavilion creates a vivid atmosphere for visitors. The House of Stone of the Great Zimbabwe Ruins add more mystery to an already enigmatic country. The famous Zimbabwean stone sculptures are also displayed, each symbolizing a specific spiritual belief and conveying a special cultural message.

Yu Chenlu, a guide in the pavilion, explains.

"Zimbabwe is called a stone city in Africa. The whole Zimbabwe Pavilion is made from stone, in the shape of the great House of Stone Ruins in the country."　

Next to the Zimbabwe Pavilion is the Tanzania Pavilion. The pavilion's walls are made of ebony, a typical wood found in the country, while its roof is made of weeds - symbolizing a harmony between man and nature. The giraffe, a national treasure of Tanzania, is the theme animal of the pavilion.

Here's tour guide Yu Chenlu again.

"The whole pavilion is made of wood. A Tanzanian wood door, one of the most popular handicrafts of the country, is featured here. Right in the middle, there is a giant sculpture of a giraffe finding food in a silk tree, the major supplier of food for the animal. The Tanzanian government has long been keen on protecting the natural environment for its wild animals."

Stepping into the Seychelles Pavilion, visitors will be enchanted by the beautiful Coco de Mer(椰子) palm forest, the shimmering blue light which echoes the waves of the sea, and the copies of curiously-shaped stones.

The Seychelles was one of the first countries to register for the 2010 Shanghai Expo. Although it is one of the smallest countries in Africa, it is also one of the most beautiful.

The fruit of the precious Coco de Mer tree is used as the main design element. Two pieces of fruit from the tree - which produces the largest seeds in the world - as well as two sea turtles were given by The Seychelles as gifts to this Expo.

Philippe Le Gall is chief representative of The Seychelles Pavilion.

The United African Pavilion has a central round area for forums where visitors can watch films about urban development in Africa, especially about environmental protection and the use of clean energy in the process of development. These films tell the world about Africa's vitality, its great leaps forward, and the contributions of Africa's harmonious development to world peace and development.

There is also a fair featuring all sorts of African handicrafts.　　

Chen Furong is senior manager of the United African Pavilion.

"The fair features products from all the participating African countries. All the products have been brought along from the continent. They include handicrafts such as stone and wood carvings, reed baskets, and bone ornaments. Prices range from a dozen Yuan to several hundred Yuan."