During a three day congress at the Westin Bund Center hotel in Shanghai, the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR) and its Expo pavilion partners highlighted how bamboo and rattan or being used at the Shanghai World Expo and how both products  are a perfect solution for enhancing urban living, protecting the environment and reducing rural poverty. This  makes them fit perfectly in the Expo's theme 'Better city, better life'.

Bamboo, one of the fastest growing plants and one of oldest building materials in the world, has been incorporated in the design and construction of 9 Expo pavilions, including the ones from Germany, Spain, Indonesia, India, Norway, Vietnam, Peru, Madrid and the German-Chinese house. Rattan are spiny climbing palms. The 8000 square meter exterior of the national pavilion of Spain is built completely out of rattan.

 The Indian 'city of harmony' pavilion has the largest bamboo dome in the world and is inspired by an ancient buddhist monument.

In the Indonesian pavilion, bamboo is used as a symbol of integration of traditional Indonesian and modern lifestyle.

The Spanish pavilion is the largest construction made out of rattan in history. The pavilion is built with 8,524 brown, beige and black rattan and willow-based panels, handmade by craftsmen in China's Shandong province. The interior is decorated with bamboo-based flooring and walls.