In tune with nature, Austria prepares sensual journey

An artist's rendition of the Austria Pavilion Courtesy photo. [China Daily]

Next year's Austria Pavilion will provide more of an emotional than intellectual experience as the landlocked nation intends to stimulate the senses rather than bore the brain with too many nitpicking details.

"People visiting the expo will have many impressions and they will get tired if they have to see (too many) small objects or read things. What we want to do is fill them with emotions," said Birgit Murr, deputy commissioner-general of the country's 2010 Expo affairs.

"We have an exhibition concept of appealing to all of the senses: smelling, hearing, seeing, tasting and feeling," she said. "We will focus on (creating) an emotional journey from the mountains, through the woods, along the lakes and to the city.

"Our philosophy is not about being big, but being small and being compact," she added. The total budget for the country's participation in the Shanghai 2010 World Expo is 16 million euros ($22.9 million), 75 percent of which is being financed by the government.

As Austria prepares to compete with some 240 other countries and organizations for the world's attention next year it is keen to show its achievement in developing cities in harmony with nature.

Centered on the theme of 'Austria -- feel the harmony' and dedicated to the sub-theme of 'harmonious interactions of urban and rural areas', the two-story pavilion will impress visitors with authentic cuisine and favorite melodies such as the Blue Danube on a plot of 2,300 sq m.

Guests may even get the chance to dally with royalty - or at least a model impersonating Elisabeth of Bavaria (1837-1898), the country's former Empress who remains a much-loved figure in China after the release of the movie Sisi in the 1950s.

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Inside the pavilion, visitors will begin their journey on the snow-covered peak of Mount Grossglockner and watch as day turns into night. For added realism, the walls will be frosted with snow and ice and the room temperature reduced to freezing point. This unique glacial experience will be reinforced with acoustic elements such as the sound of breaking ice.

With 47 percent of Austria's land taken up by forests, it is little wonder the virtual tour soon descends from the mountains into dense woodland, along with the scent of pines and the sounds of chirping birds and cracking branches as hikers are invited to relax among the trees.

The next scenic spot refers to the country's crystal-clear lakes close to its borders as Austria aims to highlight the sound ecological quality and highly potable nature of its water.

Expo guests will also get a sense of the country's natural wonders with recreated scenes such as the Vienna Woods and sunbathing on the banks of the Danube.

Following the journey through the wilderness, the countryside fades away and is replaced by the sights and sounds of the city. More than 20 percent of Austria's population lives in urban areas and profits from the harmonic balance of the city and the countryside, with vast green belts often reaching deep inside city limits.

When tourists reach the center of Vienna, they will encounter traffic, cranes and pedestrians moving to the strains of Austrian composers such as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Johann Strauss.

As they exit, travelers will receive a virtual stamp in a passport provided by a friendly border guard in the form of a Bluetooth message sent to their mobile phones.