Norway Day at Expo 2010

On Friday, Crown Prince Haakon arrived in Shanghai and attended a banquet for 350 guests at the invitation of the Norwegian Minister of Trade and Industry Trond Giske. The Trondheim Soloists performed during the banquet.

Norway Day

During the opening of Norway Day, the Crown Prince enjoyed a performance by the Manger school brass band, which played the Norwegian national anthem as the Norwegian flag was hoisted. Norway has chosen the slogan “Powered by Nature” to address the Expo theme “Better City, Better Life”. In his opening remarks, the Crown Prince talked about the environment and Sino-Norwegian relations. “During the last few years, an increasing number of Norwegian companies have become engaged in the Chinese market for renewable energies and energy efficiency,” he said.

Following the opening ceremony, Crown Prince Haakon was given a guided tour of the Expo Centre and the Chinese Pavilion, as well as a presentation on the Nordic Pavilions.

The Crown Prince then was given a guided tour of the Norwegian Pavilion, where he greeted innovative Norwegian architects who work to improve the balance between the natural environment and urban life.

The Norwegian Pavilion

In the Norwegian Pavilion, the Crown Prince got a close-up look at the Malthe Winje water treatment system, which will be sent to a poor village in India when Expo 2010 concludes.

The entourage then moved on to the Arctic area of the pavilion, where an installation depicting the Arctic landscape draws attention to the fragile environment of this region. Here the Crown Prince was able to feel the cold Arctic temperatures in the tracks of a polar bear.

In the Norwegian seafood restaurant in the pavilion, the Crown Prince met with Åshild Nakken, the Norwegian Seafood Export Council’s representative in China, and two Norwegian chefs. The restaurant offers Expo guests the chance to sample Norwegian delicacies.

Concert

In the evening, the stage was set for a concert featuring Norwegian as well as Chinese artists. The artists from Norway included the Frikar dance troupe, the Trondheim Soloists, Sissel Kyrkjebø and Secret Garden, who performed the orchestral suite “Powered by Nature”, composed especially for the Norwegian Pavilion.