Belgium to give away diamonds at Expo 2010

The Belgian Pavilion will give away diamonds to lucky 2010 Expo visitors, Leo Delcroix, the country's commissioner general for the Expo, said yesterday after unveiling the design of the pavilion, which will also house the European Union exhibition.

Bernard Pierre, Belgian Ambassador to China, delivers a speech.

The pavilion will be a 5,250-square-meter rectangle with a huge "brain cell" as the centerpiece. Visitors will enter the pavilion via a vein of the "brain."

Belgium will also highlight the concept of "green economy" at the 2010 Expo.

The EU will have a 1,000-square-meter exhibition space on the ground floor of the two-story pavilion. It will use multimedia to showcase European cities.

Each week of the Expo, organizers will give away a Belgian diamond to a visitor, drawn by lottery, Delcroix said.

For a chance to win, visitors will have to text the correct answers to questions about Belgium, according to Delcroix.

The pavilion will also have a daily draw for a five-day tour to the country.

Diamond shows for charity purposes are also on the agenda, Delcroix disclosed, adding that there will also be a chocolate factory in the pavilion, where visitors can taste Belgian chocolate and see the manufacturing process.

The "brain cell" structure reflects the artistic richness of Belgium and Europe, as well as the scientific achievements which contribute to the development and enrichment of cultural and intellectual inheritance.