Denmark’s Little Mermaid statue, France’s seven priceless paintings, Luxembourg’s national treasure, the Gelle Fra (Golden Lady) statue, and Egypt’s mask of Pharaoh Sheshonq II, were all star exhibits in their pavilions during the six-month Expo and were carefully packed up yesterday with the help of Shanghai Customs inspectors and -prepared for their journeys back home.
Danish Expo staff kissed the forehead of the Little Mermaid statue one after another in the Denmark Pavilion yesterday before it was packed into one of five wooden boxes – one for the bronze statue and the other four for the stones the mermaid sits on.
However, the schedule of the star exhibit’s journey remain secret, the same as when it was flown to Shanghai in April for the Expo. It was the first time the statue has left Copenhagen Harbor where she has sat since 1913.
The pavilion’s press officer said they hoped the mermaid could “leave quietly.” A homecoming celebration will be held in Copenhagen when she arrives.
The statue helped the pavilion attract more than 5.55 million visitors over the past six months, equal to the country’s population.
