British Airways' painted plane "Great" makes its landing at the Pudong International Airport on Mar 2, bringing the UK delegation to Shanghai. [Photo/Xinhua]

The painted plane "GREAT" by British Airways touched down on the ground at Shanghai's Pudong International Airport on Mar 2, and raised curtains on the UK's "Great Festival of Creativity" in Shanghai. The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William, who is currently on an official visit to China, will officially open the "Great Festival of Creativity" in Shanghai.

The pattern on the plane was designed by the Chinese artist Masha Ma, using images of bamboo and rose to represent the figure of China and the UK respectively. As for the artist, bamboo represents the character of modesty, honesty and vitality for Chinese people, while roses show love, decency and dignity in the British culture.

Engineer team with British Airways spent 2,472 hours, painting the plane, which will fly to global destinations in the upcoming couple of years, said Richard Tam, CEO at British Airways' Greater China Branch. It is also aims to strengthen ties between the two countries, and inspire closer connections between individuals and enterprises, he added.

The "Great Festival of Creativity" will take place from Mar 2 to 4 at the Long Museum (West Bund) in Shanghai to introduce the UK's creative industries, and demonstrate the best of British creativity. It will also support British businesses looking to secure business opportunities and growth in China with more than 500 British companies taking part in the Shanghai exhibition. It will help forge new partnerships while using creativity to innovate and grow businesses together, organizers pointed out.

Edited by Mevlut Katik