By Lucy-Claire Saunders

The first WAVE of employees working at the British Columbia-Canada Pavilion in Beijing returned home last week after two months in China. Having worked at the edge of Tiananmen Square, just south of the Forbidden City, the B.C. government employees laud the exhibition as "fabulous," despite its disappointing turnout rate.

"The reactions we got from all the visitors were absolutely fabulous," said Grant Lachmuth, who looked after the main exhibition floor. "People were just amazed at all the diversity that we had to offer here in British Columbia and in Canada."

The two-storey pavilion is attracting 100 to 200 visitors a day, which is not bad in a city where new buildings sprout daily.

But considering the cash Canada and B.C. has to fork over to pay for the exhibition, critics say the numbers could be better.

Saddled with a cost of $14.7-million for its construction and operation, the federal government is paying $3-million, while B.C. is contributing at least $3-million and possibly as much as $8-million to pay off the pavilion.

The 1,900-square-metre structure, with 62 staff, features a the latest in multi-media. The exhibition showcases everything Canada has to offer, from its industrial resources to its natural beauty and its city attractions.

The exhibition, which costs $4 to tour, is segmented into the five Chinese elements: Water, wood, earth, metal and fire. Each section features one of B.C.’s small treasures.

Perhaps most impressive among the pavilion’s cultural nuggets is a 4,550-kg piece of jade that was flown in from northwestern B.C..

"The front of the exhibition is very aesthetically pleasing, with 13 large cedar arches that symbolize the 10 provinces and three territories of Canada," said Lachmuth, who lives in Kelowna.

Despite the pavilion’s slow draw to date, B.C. officials argue that the its greatest strength is the business centre, where visiting Canadian trade delegations meet with potential Chinese business partners. About 400 Canadian companies are participating in 30 delegations at the pavilion from May to September.

Rachel Holmes, senior coordinator for the delegations, said the business program on the second floor is highly successful.

"After the Agro-Food presentation, which showcased Canadian food products and agriculture, like Maple Syrup and wine tasting, there were close to 55 business meetings that were arranged for the next day."

As the summer just begins and more tourists make their way through Beijing, B.C. officials hope that the pavilion will attract larger numbers. Holmes, who had never been to Beijing before, said the city is full of "buzz" as the Olympics approach.