2分钟售完"种子圣殿"8千种子

英国馆的设计是一个没有屋顶的开放式公园，展区核心“种子圣殿”外部生长有六万余根向各个方向伸展的触须。

Known as the Shanghai Expo's "dandelion," the UK Pavilion is covered in spiky, silvery rods that stretch towards the sky, each holding a seed inside.

From coffee beans to ginkgo, the seeds inside the acrylic rods represent biodiversity and a special partnership between China and the UK, a spokeswoman for the UK Pavilion, Louise Bisset, explains.

"We always wanted to do something that would kind of keep the dandelion living in a way almost in a way that the seeds are being dispersed, the rods are being dispersed across China."

For the economical price of around 200 yuan and with the help of Taobao.com, Chinese can take home a small representation of the partnership between the two countries.

Bisset notes that the end of the Expo doesn't mean the end of the seeds. In fact, it's just the beginning, as Taobao's sales have already shown.

"I think we were delighted. We were really, really pleased. We certainly didn't expect them to be sold out in two minutes. And the attention that we've received after that-numerous interviews about the seeds and the rods. I think everyone is quite keen on the idea that the message is still continuing to be spread long after Expo's over."

The UK Pavilion's seed project comes from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank in London, and their Chinese partner, the Kunming Botanical Gardens. Its wider mission is to protect all the world's plant species from extinction.

And here at the Expo, it's as much about keeping the spirit alive.

"The original idea was to send them to schools and research institutes so that the legacy of the UK Pavilion could continue and the education on the biodiversity could continue. We were approached by Taobao and they knew that we were keen to preserve the seeds and the messages behind it. Together, we came up with the idea that we could just auction them off to ordinary people, not just to educational institutions."

Bisset notes they sold the seeds at low prices to make them represent a gift from the UK to the people of China.

Proceeds will be donated to the Shanghai charity Cerecare, which benefits children with cerebral palsy.

As for the UK Pavilion itself, just like a real dandelion, piece by piece, it will slowly disappear.

"We had a minister for our foreign department of environmental affairs actually cut off the first rod from the pavilion. In a way, part of the significant dismantling process. They're going to continue to take off the rods from the pavilion and then I think later on, the demolition of the actual site."

In addition to the donated rods, Bisset speculates thousands more will be available to eager Chinese netizens for purchase around the end of November.

For CRI, I'm Andrea Hunt.