If you think the Republic of Korea Pavilion queue is a lot then you probably know how insane Japan's* and Germany's is. The demand (or hype) of both in Expo 2020, is a situation where you will queue for a minimum of 2 hours. If not, longer (as I always say). Add the fact that you will spend a minimum of 30 minutes inside, a fair amount of your time will be consumed from just one pavilion - the Germany Pavilion in Expo 2020!
So what's the hype all about?
Germany Pavilion Highlights:
Campus ID
Before you enter the pavilion is where the 'enrollment' takes place. You proceed to a counter to register your name and your nationality. The staff then prints a sticker which is then pasted at the electronic badge for your usage during the whole tour. The whole customization of the badge is not only for photo purposes and you will later know its purpose.
Storytelling Room
After the long wait outside, the first part of the exhibit is the storytelling room to brief you on the concept and what to expect inside the pavilion.
Enjoy the short video while the staff plays along with a little bit of playing that made it look like it was an interactive presentation.
Yellow Ball Pit - Germany in Numbers
Similar to other Instagram-able pavilions within the Expo 2020, the Germany Pavilion has one (if not two) too! And the yellow ball pit is probably more popular than the other one (later on). And this section isn't just fun and play!
Pick up a ball and drop it on one of the tables/scanners. You will be able to find out an interesting information about Germany from the presentation once the ball is dropped!
Energy Lab, Future City Lab, Biodiversity Lab
As if that's not an information overload to you, here comes the themed areas for a piece of 'Edutainment'. You can explore all the themed areas including their 'terraces' full of infographics and interactive devices at your own pace.
And if you're wondering what's the use of the electronic badge, there is a use of that in this part. The interactive screens will be able to detect your badge and your profile. Then the screen displays your name and even shows information about the country you are from (at least from one screen).
Isn't that amazing? Apart from that, there are interactive screens for kids (and those young at heart like me) too! This is my favorite screen inside the pavilion, what I call the Farmville Screen! If you don't know Farmville, it's an agricultural simulation game around the early 2010s that can be played from Facebook. I don't know what happened to the game after but a similar concept from one of the screens made me reminisce!
There are around a hundred more screens from the themed areas and I can't even read all of them at once so I will leave you too to explore it by yourself. One thing is for sure, there's a lot to digest within the pavilion and if you're someone hungry for knowledge, the pavilion won't disappoint.
Graduation Hall
Last but not the least, the second popular Instagram-able spot within the pavilion, the Graduation Hall and its swings!
You have the choice to ride the swing or sit at the back and watch instead. But it's not only a regular swing, the hall symbolizes how teamwork, no matter how big or small the movement is, has the power to move things.
PS. After the graduation hall is where you return the electronic badge. But don't worry, you can keep the sticker as a souvenir!
And that's how our journey inside the Germany Pavilion in Expo 2020 ended! There's a Germany Restaurant (which I didn't get the chance) at the end of your tour or you can move on to your next goal. Have you been inside already or not yet? Let me know in the comments section below!
