The Spain Pavilion welcomes its 5 millionth visitor. |
When Zhang Rui, the 5 millionth visitor to the Spain Pavilion, met Carmen Caffarel, director of the Cervantes Institute and Spain's Commissioner General for Expo 2010 Maria Tena yesterday, she greeted them with newly-learned Spanish word "Hola!"
The 18-year-old girl has won an opportunity to learn Spanish, a language spoken by 450 million people around the world, at the Cervantes Institute Beijing school.
Zhang is a first-year student at the East China Normal University in Shanghai.
The Cervantes Institute Week, which began on Tuesday in the Spain Pavilion, is aimed at promoting Spanish learning. The institute, founded by the Spanish government in 1991, is a worldwide non-profit organization dedicated to teaching Spanish and promoting Spanish culture.
The institute has printed a handbook, "100 Phrases in Spanish and Chinese," for visitors to the Spain Pavilion. It can also be downloaded at www.100frases.com.cn. Copies of the printed handbook are distributed free until September 12.