Hsinchu?City in Taiwan yesterday bought the Taiwan Pavilion for nearly NT$459 million (US$14.45 million) and will rebuild it there after World Expo Shanghai ends.

Hsinchu will rebuild the pavilion in an old fertilizer factory to help convert the 4,900-square-meter area into an exhibition and convention center.

Some local features will be added to the reassembled pavilion to make it slightly different, said Wu Tsung-chi, who was bidding on behalf of the Hsinchu City government.

The city, which is in the island's northeast, won the tender after competing with Miaoli County and Haur Luen Enterprise, a stationery manufacturer in Taichung County.

The final price was US$1.32 million higher than the minimum price set by Taipei World Trade Center, the pavilion's operator.

Miaoli's bid was below the minimum and was announced as invalid.

Haur Luen bid US$13.44 million.

Chao Yuen-Chuan, secretary general of the center, said he was "very satisfied" with the price.

"We hope the Taiwan Pavilion will be a sightseeing highlight in Hsinchu," he said.

The pavilion will be dismantled after the Expo closes on October 31. Reassembly will begin early next year, Wu said.

The original assembly team will be available for consultation during the reassembly process, Chao said.

Free computer programs

The dismantling and rebuilding cost was estimated at US$6.3 million. Hsinchu City government and Taiwan firms will cover these costs. Yang Ming Marine Transport has donated US$15.75 million to ship the pavilion to the island.

Chao added that the center gave Hsinchu the pavilion's computer programs, worth US$6.3 million, for free.

A celebration will be held in the pavilion in October.

According to previous reports, the pavilion's budget was US$29.26 million. All funds were donated by Taiwan companies.

The 658-square-meter pavilion, designed by C. Y. Lee, designer of the 508-meter-tall skyscraper Taipei 101, is one of the most popular pavilions at World Expo Shanghai based on demand. It only has capacity for 4,000 visitors per day and its reservation tickets are difficult to get. It received its 500,000th visitor on September 8.

The center earlier announced it would sell the pavilion for a minimum US$13.13 million and invited companies and local governments in Taiwan to submit tenders from August 30 through Wednesday.

The minimum price deterred some from bidding.

The city governments of Taipei, Keelung and Taichung along with Hualien County and some amusement parks had expressed interest in the pavilion. But they all declined to bid once the minimum price was revealed.