Exhibits at some Expo pavilions teach us about these countries' fascinating histories

Expo brings the world to the Chinese people. When thousands of visitors from all parts of the country leave the Expo site tired and hungry every evening, they surely know more about the world than they did that morning. And I am one of them.

I have spent a lot time reading about human history and culture, wondering how ancient people in different countries lived; and how these ancient civilizations, such as the Egyptian, Persian, Greek, Indian and Chinese, developed and influenced each other. Things that happened 2,000 or 3,000 years ago fascinate me very much and I have learned a lot about these periods, both from books and from the Internet.

I am very happy to have the chance to visit Expo 2010 Shanghai to see whether the pavilions presented by so many countries can tell me more about their respective histories. I did find a lot of things, including photos, copies and models to support what the books told me.

In the Iran Pavilion, there is a replica of the Bihistun Inscription, which was originally engraved around 500 BC in three languages - Persian, Elamite and Akkadian - on a cliff in the name of Persian King Darius the Great. It reminds us of his glorious achievements in expanding his empire. Old maps in the pavilion show the territory of the Persian Empire at that time, confirming the success of the great king.

In the Mongolia Pavilion, an exhibit of an ancient wooden wagon made me wonder whether it was the same type that carried Genghis Khan and his successors as they swept across Asia and Europe.

The Italy Pavilion pays more attention to its art, fashion and technology, from manmade shoes, high-fashion garments and super-luxury cars. However, the magnificent entrance to the pavilion, which imitates the Olympic Theater in Vicenza, and a model of the famous dome of the Florence Cathedral overhanging in the main hall, more or less satisfied my curiosity as a history lover.

However, I am really disappointed with the Greek Pavilion. As a country whose ancient civilization has influenced the rest of the world so profoundly, and one that owns an abundant historical heritage, the pavilion decided to display its future instead of the beauty of its antiquity. The only thing that reminded me of its glorious past was a picture of Acropolis in Athens.

What I missed in the Greek Pavilion was remedied in the Turkey Pavilion. Over the past 3,000 years, Turkey was home to the Hittite, Roman, Byzantine and Ottoman empires. Each empire brought a different culture, religion and language. Turkey has much to say about its long and colorful history. I saw the remains of a treaty between the Hittite King Muwatalli II and Egypt's King Ramesses II, dating back to 1258 BC. The Aqueduct of Valens, as well as the Basilica Cistern, represent the unbelievably complex water system built by the Roman Empire around 2,000 years ago. And the library of Celsus in Ephesus, completed in AD 135, is very beautiful with its delicate sculptures, even though what I saw was only an imitation.

The theme of Expo 2010 is "Better City, Better Life", but I am not sure whether it will have a direct effect on people's daily lives. What I am sure of is that the Expo, when seen by millions of visitors - many from the countryside, and many of them children - will bring them a better, more knowledgeable life.

The author is a businessman from Wenzhou in Zhejiang province who is fond of ancient history.

(China Daily 09/24/2010)