Shanghai has marked the completion of the China pavilion for the 2010 World Expo, which begins on 1 May. Designed to look like an oriental crown, the pavilion is said to represent "the taste and spirit of Chinese culture".
City officials declared the China Pavilion finished. At 63m (206ft) tall, it is higher than any of the other pavilions and towers over the rest of the site.
Traditional drummers helped get the ceremony under way. The drummers call their style "xi qing luo gu", which means happiness drumming.
Expo organisers say the event has helped create thousands of jobs in Shanghai during the economic downturn. Many of the workers lined up to watch the opening ceremony.
Unusually this man from Chongqing said he would not be going home for Chinese New Year. Many workers are staying in Shanghai over the holiday to help ensure the building work remains on schedule.
Some of those watching seemed excited to see the project really taking shape. The Expo is expected to attract 70 million visitors, most of them Chinese.
Ma Liang, who works for the Expo Bureau, says the exhibition is �the Olympic Games of economics, culture and technology�. Officials say it is a chance for China to share its world view with visitors from overseas.
The 56 brackets used in the roof symbolise the minority ethnic groups in China. Called dougong, they face north, south, east and west.
The workers on the pavilion still have to get the inside of the building ready to hold the exhibitions that will showcase Chinese culture.
The Expo will last for six months, after which the pavilion will be converted into a museum for Chinese history and culture. (Text and pictures by BBC Shanghai correspondent Chris Hogg with Will Wang)
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