Spain Pavilion prepares for second act

Spain Pavilion, one of the most popular venues during World Expo Shanghai 2010, will reopen in May 2014 with flamenco dancing shows and Spanish cuisine. Admission tickets will cost 80 yuan (US$13) to 100 yuan each, the pavilion's operator said yesterday. Spain gave the 7,600-square-meter pavilion, one of the largest at the Expo, to China at the conclusion of the event. The governments of Saudi Arabia, France and Russia also gave their pavilions to China. They will all remain permanent in Shanghai. The 8,000 pieces of hand-woven wicker panels on the outside of the Spain Pavilion will be replaced by fireproof materials for the new exhibition. The panels quickly became famous during the Expo and visitors dubbed the pavilion "The Basket." They could be seen blocks away, some in black in the form of the Chinese characters ri (sun) and yue (moon). "Some of the dismantled panels that were woven by hand in Shandong Province will be made into souvenirs and given to interested collectors from China and Spain," said Jin Lin, general manager of Shanghai Juerui Industry Co, the major investor in the pavilion's reopening. Jin said about 100 million yuan is being invested in renovating the pavilion for its reopening. The pavilion will also display Spanish art and sell famous products from the country.