A highlight for many guests was the corridor that connects the pavilion's two floors, which features animated Chinese ink paintings on one side and wooden reliefs capturing iconic moments in China-Japan cultural exchange on the other side.

　　Chinese traditional music and costumes attract audiences to the China Pavilion Day celebration in Osaka.JIA HAOCHENG/XINHUA

　　From the friendship between Chinese poet Li Bai and Japanese scholar Abe no Nakamaro, also known as Chao Heng, in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) to the arrival of pandas Kang Kang and Lan Lan, joint efforts in ibis conservation, and the symbolic pairing of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, with Astro Boy, the display underscores China's values of harmony and neighborliness to the Osaka audience.

　　Michiko Ogawa, the executive director of Panasonic Holdings, says she was particularly moved by the corridor's artistic storytelling. “It reflects the deep, multilayered ties between our two countries,“ she says.

　　Akio Aoyagi, president of the Osaka Japan-China Friendship Association, says the pavilion's vivid visuals and soundscape made its messages memorable. “Though I've been to China many times, this reminded me how much more there is to learn. I hope exchanges like this continue to grow.“

　　A visitor named Morita from Hyogo Prefecture says it was her second visit to the pavilion. “It's large, beautifully designed, and rich in content. It's one of my favorite national pavilions,“ she says.

　　The expo runs from April 13 to Oct 13, with the theme “Designing Future Society for Our Lives“.