Past reminders

In the northern section of the park, pavilions of France, Russia, Italy and Luxembourg have been renovated to attract tourists.

Xia Bing, deputy Party secretary of Arcplus Group, which came up with the master design of the park, says there were many challenges in preserving the legacy pavilions because they were designed to be temporary structures.

"We had to perform extensive structure strengthening and replacement of materials to meet anti-seismic requirements and other safety standards," he says. "At the same time, we maintained their original facades so that they would serve as a reminder of the grand event for future visitors."

The renovated France Pavilion is already hosting weekend flower and wine fairs up to Feb 15. The other three pavilions will be used to host exhibitions and provide catering services, according to the park's management company.