The capital will turn heads in Shanghai next week when the 600-sq-m Beijing Pavilion is unveiled ahead of the World Expo.

The pavilion, which is the only venue at Expo Park that has a transformable external appearance, will start operations on April 20.

That's the day when the whole Expo site will be fired up for testing ahead of the formal launch of the world's fair on May 1, the Beijing government said on Thursday.