A first look at Expo 2020 Dubai

Peru's pavilion falls under the Mobility section of Expo 2020 and starts as it means to go on. The Q’eswachaka Bridge, famed for being the only bridge in the world that is annually rebuilt by more than a thousand men and women, is replicated to greet visitors entering the pavilion. Every June in Peru, the Ccollana Quehue, Hunchiri, Choccoayhua and Chaupibanda communities gather qoya ichu grass to build this bridge.

Fabric and textiles are a big part of the pavilion, inside and out, speaking to the country's rich traditions in ichu and the reed watercrafts known as “caballitos de totora.”

Since 1851, Expos have brought nations together to explore inventions and ideas, helping revolutionize everything from transport to commerce to the arts.

We live with the legacy of these events -- from the sewing machine and live TV to hamburgers and ice cream cones.

Check out this special interactive to learn more.

A word on Russia's eye-popping pavilion. Its domed shape is encircled by multicolored tubes meant to represent the "endless progress of cognition, the rapidly growing speed of progress and the unstoppable movement forward." It's nice to look at too.

Inside is a show about the science of the brain called "The Mechanics of Wonder," calling for greater human cooperation. It draws on the teachings of scientists including Ivan Pavlov and Natalia Bekhtereva and looks at the mind from the perspectives of learning, emotion, social, culture and creativity.

This is Singapore's "City of Nature." The lush green fauna replicates Singapore's natural habitat, even in the sweltering heat in Dubai. It is an entirely self-sufficient pavilion with an ecosystem combining nature and architecture.

Talks and discussions on the future sustainability of cities are on the calendar, with a particular focus on the post-pandemic world. Over the next six months, visitors can look forward to a nightly light show, film screenings and more.

Expo 2020's footprint is adding to an already famous architectural landscape in Dubai. Learn more about some of the city's best-known buildings here.

Australia's trippy pavilion welcomes visitors with music from the Australian national choir, before plunging them into a virtual guide to the Great Barrier Reef. Then on to the pavilion's planetarium, where a video from a young girl tells us all about Australia’s efforts to preserve the reef, track bees, work on cell regeneration and build the colossal Australian Square Kilometer Array Pathfinder (ASKAP) radio telescope.

ASKAP aims to map about 3 million galaxies and has been dubbed the "Google Maps of the galaxy." To learn more about the project click here.

The pavilion is also hopping on the NFT (non-fungible token) trend and offering a limited edition artwork NFT to guests. Designed by Jacinta Weyer, it brings together the floral emblems of Australia's states and territories.

In the summer of 1851, more than six million people visited a conservatory in London’s Hyde Park.

But this was no ordinary glasshouse. The colossal Crystal Palace housed the first-ever World Expo, known as the Great Exhibition. With the glasshouse as its centerpiece, it set a standard for Expos to come.

Read more about the Crystal Palace here, including how Expo 2020 Dubai plans to build on that architectural legacy.

At Italy's Pavilion, you'll find an exact replica of the famous statue.

While Michelangelo worked on the original statue for three years, researchers at the University of Florence used cutting-edge 3D-printing technology to create their replica in just four months.

Made from acrylic resin, the new statue weighs less than a tenth of the marble sculpture, estimated to be around 12,000 pounds. Expert art restorers pieced together the 3D-printed parts and applied the final touches with glue and marble dust.

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Japan's pavilion showcases the country’s vibrant art, culture and technology, and welcomes guests in a traditional way. It will have a sushi restaurant combining Japanese and local elements such as halal.

The stark façade combines arabesque and origami motifs, acknowledging the historical ties between the Middle East and Japan.