Feast of Chinese culture

At the opening ceremony, Chinese artists wowed the audiences from different countries with fascinating performances.

"It's absolutely breathtaking," Khaled Al Hassan, a UAE visitor, told Xinhua after watching a tenor singing the Chinese song My Motherland and Me. "It definitely makes me want to learn about China because it is such a sophisticated and time-honored civilization."

Besides history and traditions, the pageantry of "China Day" also highlighted China's future-oriented technologies and innovations. To celebrate the opening ceremony, a China-developed orange robot mascot Opti performed a specially choreographed dance routine to welcome visitors.

The one-meter-tall robot, developed by Chinese tech company Terminus Group, has the IQ of a five-year-old child with its built-in artificial intelligence algorithm and is able to provide services including food deliveries, information and guidance.

Apart from 50 Optis, smart solutions provider Terminus Group has also supplied the expo with another 152 Titan Series robots, providing convenience to visitors from across the world with Chinese high-tech.

Moreover, a spectacular light show performed with drones at the China Pavilion attracted hundreds every night. The show, powered by China's advanced technologies in drone manufacturing and the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, is one of the most-watched performances at the Expo.

"I am very proud as a Chinese citizen to see this stunning performance," said Wu Zhengxi, a Chinese college student in Dubai.

"It tells a China story that is old and new at the same time. We are a nation that has a splendid history, yet we are also a nation with a future-oriented mindset," said Wu.