BEIING, June 9 -- A message of friendship and eco-protection is expected to come from the Japan Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo next May. A musical about the joint efforts of China and Japan to save the red ibis is set to be staged.
Two stage directors from Japan and China will direct the musical. The Red Ibis has been honored as a holy bird in traditional Japanese culture. But it became almost extinct in the middle of the twentieth century. It was re-discovered in China's Shaanxi province in the 1980s. The Chinese government helped Japan to start breeding the bird by loaning some of the species.
This much-told story is a symbol of friendship between the two countries. And it is set to be the theme of the musical staging at the Shanghai World Expo.
The Japan Pavilion is set to host thirty five performances each day focusing on all of the country's art forms. And a traditional wooden theater will be built to stage the performances.
