The Canada Pavilion, shaped like a looped ribbon or the letter "C," will touch upon the vitality of cities with the theme "The Living City: Inclusive, Sustainable, Creative."

Mark Rowswell, Canada's commissioner general for Expo 2010, told a press conference late last week that construction was running very smoothly and the structure is expected to become the first finished self-built pavilion.

Visitors will enter through an open-air public square and then circulate through the larger structure that houses the public displays.

The cooperation between the pavilion and Cirque du Soleil, one of Canada's most famous cultural exports, is featured. The troupe made its debut on the Chinese mainland last summer, bringing the Quidam show to Shanghai, its only stop in China.

It is responsible for designing the pavilion's creative concept, public presentation and cultural programs, as well as developing strategic corporate alliances. The pavilion will be the hub of a wide array of special events and activities.

Artists will be selected to perform from about 1,000 applications from across Canada. Rowswell said the presentation aims to "give a brand-new impression of Canada" to Chinese visitors, replacing images of vast tracts of land.

As an example, there will be a "virtual fountain" with images that change when people touch it and vary according to how many people are touching it. That symbolizes the contribution of every citizen to the city, he said.

Rowswell, better known under his stage name "Da Shan" in China, is the "most famous foreigner in China" for his role performing xiangsheng (a popular form of comic dialogue). He didn't rule out the possibility of performing xiangsheng at the 6,000-square-meter pavilion.

The pavilion is expected to attract at least 30,000 visitors daily, Rowswell said.