Iceland celebrated its National Pavilion Day on Sep 11 at the Expo Centre.Iceland put its friendship with China as one of its top priorities, said Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, President of Iceland. He also hoped that Expo 2010 will be a complete success.In recent years, more and more Chinese tourists visited Iceland and had realized the beauty of Iceland’s natural sceneries such as volcanoes, glaciers, lakes, rivers and varieties of landscapes, he said.The Icelandic people are warm-hearted and hospitable and he hoped that the exhibit of Iceland at Expo 2010 will attract more Chinese people to visit Iceland, he said.

The Iceland Pavilion has attracted millions of visitors and its design was inspired by water and energy, he continued. The country's natural environment greatly affected its culture and innovations such as creations in art, music and painting, he said. Han Changfu, China's Minister of Agriculture, said that the cooperation between China and Iceland is expanding smoothly and he hoped that the Expo 2010 will add new momentum to improve mutual understanding and mutual benefits between the two countries.Visitors will learn Iceland's history, its clean modern life as well as have a taste of the glamour of this country with ice and fire, Han added.Icelandic renowned pianist Tinna Thorsteinsdottir also staged her performance during the ceremony.

Themed “Pure Energy — Healthy Living,” the pavilion is decorated as an “Ice Cube” made of backlit printed fabric on the exterior. Visitors will be able to drink pure natural spring water. Projections show beautiful landscape and urban life in Iceland, as well as abundant alternate geothermal energy in the volcanic island. Problems of global warming causing melting glaciers are explored. Eight projectors inside and outside of the pavilion create a 360-degree audiovisual effect showing the peoples and landscapes.Expo 2010