Wednesday marks the National Pavilion Day of Qatar at the Shanghai World Expo.

 

The Arab country of Qatar is located in the Middle East, occupying the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Qatar celebrates the occasion with a grand parade made up of the country's military marching band.

The parade marches along the Expo Boulevard slowly and steadily. The performers come from the national troupe of soldier musicians of Qatar, which was established in 1940. The troupe has toured around the world with numerous shows in Italy and the United States.

Around fifty musicians perform with their brass instruments in unison. The tunes range from traditional Arabic numbers to contemporary songs, which have struck a chord with on-lookers. Some of the spectators can't help but dance to the beat and take photos.

The Qatar Pavilion features art patterns reminiscent of the famous Barzan Tower, a landmark building in the country. The tower is located in Doha, capital of Qatar. Doha is Qatar's largest city and also the economic center of the county.