On the morning of July 5, 2019, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela held a commemorative event at the South Square of the World Expo Museum to celebrate its National Day as well as the 208th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Venezuela.

　　Chinese and foreign guests were invited to attend the event, including Fu Jihong, Deputy Director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government; Wang Yong, Deputy Chief of the Consular Division of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Shanghai Municipal People's Government; Liu Xiuhua, Director of the World Expo Museum; Nestor Enrique Torres Olivera, Consul General of Cuba in Shanghai; Eugene Gryaznov and Vladimir Budko, Deputy Consul General of Russia in Shanghai; Antonieta Luqueño,Administrative Consul of Mexico in Shanghai; Nawab Ali Rahoojo, Acting Consul General of Pakistan in Shanghai; Sabri Tunc Angili, Consul General of Turkey in Shanghai; and staff from the Foreign Affairs Office of Huangpu District, Shanghai. Leisbeth Berrios, Consul General of Venezuela in Shanghai, not only thanked the distinguished guests who attended the event, but also delivered a speech.

　　Leisbeth Berrios, Consul General of Venezuela in Shanghai

　　The opening ceremony of the Simón Bolívar Sculpture

　　Leisbeth Berrios, Consul General of Venezuela in Shanghai, and Liu Xiuhua, Director of the World Expo Museum opened the Simón Bolívar Sculpture together. It marked that the Sculpture, donated by the Venezuelan Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai, was officially settled in the South Square of the World Expo Museum.

　　The Chinese and foreign guests presented flowers to the Sculpture and the national anthem of China and Venezuela was played. Finally, the Venezuelan violinist and Chinese children played the traditional music of the two countries and ended the ceremony successfully.　　

　　Presenting flowers to the Sculpture

　　Violin performance

　　Simón Bolívar Sculpture

　　Group photos in front of the Sculpture

　　The Sculpture was originally located at the Bolivar Square outside the Venezuelan Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai in China. It was created by the famous Chinese sculptor Yuan Xikun, which was at the invitation of Hugo Rafael Chávez Frías, Former President of Venezuela and Leader of the Bolivarian Revolution.

　　Simón Bolívar (1783-1830) was the “liberator” of Venezuela and also the military and politicalleader of the movement against the Spanish colonists. The movement finally won the independence for Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.

　　Venezuela and Expo

　　Venezuelan Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai

　　The Venezuelan Pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai looked like a “Mobis Ring”, and the three-dimensional structure was called “Klein Bottle”, which meant a continuous closed surface without boundaries; the external was integrated with the interior, which meant that a city was like an uninterrupted road.

　　The interior of Venezuelan Pavilion

　　The open-air courtyards, ascending stairs, traditional Aboriginal living space, and the spacious Bolivar Square were all blended with ethnic elements to showcase the culture, art and life of Venezuela.

　　Ceramic safflowers in the World Expo Museum

　　There were 4,500 ceramic safflowers in the interior and exterior of the Venezuelan Pavilion. Each flower had 8 petals that were interlocking with each other, echoing the design of the Mosby Ring and the pavilion. Besides, the circular structure blurred the boundaries of the hierarchy, which symbolized that urban development was like an uninterrupted path.

　　During Expo 2010 Shanghai, the Venezuelan Pavilion donated an equestrian statue of Simón Bolívar, a South American liberator, as well as the ceramic safflowers all around the pavilion. Now, these exquisite ceramic safflowers are displayed in the “World Civilization” Exhibition Hall of the World Expo Museum, adding color to the hall.