Water, the richness of our planet
Five columns. Five large glass columns guard the entrance to the DEVNET pavilion. And they are not just any columns. No, they contain a special meaning. The four outer columns are filled with water. Neither this is just any kind of water. It is water from the Yellow River, from the Yangtze River, from Beijing's Tiananmen Square and from Canadian sources.
Water is one of the four fundamental elements of human's existence, it is necessary for our survival. If water did not exist, we would not exist either. It is too much of an important relation to leave it in the background. The choice of water-filled columns symbolizes that water is a pillar of our society, it is there to support us.
The Yellow River and the Yangtze River are vital for China's economy and agriculture. Their waters have been irrigating and fertilizing the surrounding area for thousands of years, and it is in these areas that Chinese Civilization and Nation were born. The support that the capital, and all the Nation, gives to the people of Shanghai and to the World Expo is represented by the column filled with water from Tiananmen Square. Although the last column does not contain national water, is reason can still be found withing the borders. It comes from water sources in Canada, country of origin of Dr. Norman Bethune: a doctor who served under the 'Chinese Communists' – led by Mao Zedong – during the second Sino-Japanese war. He died at the front, in 1939, ´fighting´for the Chinese Cause. This column represents the gratitude that Chinese people have towards Dr. Bethune, and towards all Canadian people.
the last column, the middle one, is atypical. It's the only one out of the five that does not contain water. It contains soil from the highlands of Yungui, a region in south-west China that has been stricken with a heavy drought. This has caused the economic development to slow down and has had a huge impact on the availability of drinkable water. This column wants to be an invitation of reflection. It wants to awaken the conscience of human beings and remind them to protect and preserve our precious resources. Tourists can make a donation that will be used to send drinkable water to the drought-stricken area of the highlands.
