Construction of China Pavilion at World Expo completed

Photo taken on Feb. 8, 2010 shows the finished Chinese Pavilion of Shanghai World Expo in Shanghai, east China. The Chinese Pavilion finished its construction on Monday.(Xinhua/Ren Long)

Workers attend the completion ceremony of the Chinese Pavilion of Shanghai World Expo in Shanghai, east China, on Feb. 8, 2010. The Chinese Pavilion finished its construction on Monday.(Xinhua/Ren Long)

SHANGHAI, Feb. 8 (Xinhua) -- Construction was completed Monday on the China Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, with fireworks, floating balloons, red lanterns and ribbons, and deafening gongs and drums to celebrate the occasion.

Almost 1,000 spectators, including pavilion designers, construction workers and government officials, attended a completion ceremony outside the iconic structure, dubbed the "Oriental Crown," in the Pudong New District of Shanghai on the eastern bank of the Huangpu River.

"It is a satisfying day," said 34-year-old Chen Bifeng, a worker from neighboring Zhejiang Province.

"The China Pavilion has attracted the attention of the whole nation's 1.3 billion people, and I think my labor and sweat of the past year were worth it," he said.

Standing 63 meters tall and red in appearance, the China Pavilion takes the shape of an emperor's crown, with the upper layers larger than the lower ones.

Covering 160,000 square meters in floor space, the pavilion is composed of a national hall and a regional hall.

Construction on the China Pavilion began on Dec. 18, 2007.

The Shanghai World Expo will run from May 1 to Oct. 31 this year, and is expected to attract 70 million visitors from across the globe.