The five millionth visitor of the CSSC Pavilion receives gifts from the pavilion staff on Tuesday, September 7, 2010. [Photo: CRIENGLISH.com/Zheng Zhi]

by Zheng Zhi

The China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai Expo welcomed its five millionth visitor on Tuesday, a record high number among all the pavilions in the Puxi section of the Expo site.

The lucky visitor, a 62-year-old woman from Shanghai, is greeted with a package of gifts that contain ship models, commemorative coins and a free tour offer to visit the Changxing shipbuilding base, the largest one in the world.

"I feel really excited and a bit flattered," said the woman surnamed Gu, who accompanied her relatives from other cities throughout the country to visit the Expo.

The CSSC Pavilion is built on the original site of the 140-year-old Jiangnan Shipyard, which is widely considered the cradle of the Chinese national industry.

This may also contribute to CSSC Pavilion's popularity among visitors, particularly the Chinese people, according to Chen Chao, an official with the Shanghai Expo Bureau.

"This site is the birthplace of China's modern national industry, and many visitors come here to relive their national pride," Chen told CRI.

Chen also said maritime space takes up more than 70% of the earth's surface. With rich resources, the oceans will definitely play an increasingly important role in people's lives.

"To get in touch with oceans, we need ships. And visitors come here to learn how ships can help expand our living spaces to the oceans," Chen said.

With the main theme of "Better Ship, Better City", the CSSC Pavilion envisages a boat called the Expo Future, which carries all the facilities needed to make a city function.

They are all powered by solar and wind energy.

The scenario is intended to convey a message that ships like the Expo Future could one day be the solution to an overpopulated planet suffering from a shortage of land.

The most up-to-date technology is also applied at the CSSC Pavilion, which strives to convince the visitors of the possibility of a floating city.