OSAKA, Friday, May 2, 2025 (WNP): Amid the dynamic displays of the Osaka Kansai Expo, the Pakistan Pavilion has emerged as a crowd favorite, drawing steady lines of visitors to its striking, cave-like installation constructed almost entirely from the country’s iconic pink rock salt.
Located in a corner of Commons D, the pavilion creates an immersive atmosphere where nearly every element—from the ground to towering pillar-like structures—is sculpted from pink salt mined in Pakistan’s Salt Range. Organizers have dubbed the installation a “salt garden,” centered around the theme “The universe inside a grain of salt.”
Originally intending to build a standalone “Type A” pavilion, Pakistan later opted for a more modest “Type C” shared-space exhibit. Despite its smaller footprint, the pavilion has had a major visual and experiential impact, featuring over 12 tons of pink salt to recreate the sensory appeal of the famed Khewra Salt Mine in Punjab.
Pakistan is among the world’s largest producers of rock salt, with its Salt Range—a 300-kilometer-long formation—renowned for its mineral-rich pink salt. The Khewra Salt Mine, a key tourist destination in the region, is known not only for its extensive reserves but also for housing a mosque and offering halotherapy, a traditional salt-based treatment.
Visitors to the Expo pavilion can experience a simulation of this therapy, seated among salt structures nearly two meters high as timed bursts of salt-infused steam are released every 50 minutes. While medical consensus on halotherapy remains inconclusive, several attendees noted a sense of respiratory relief and relaxation.
“Pink salt is a source of national pride for the people of Pakistan,” said Adil Mukhtar, 28, the pavilion’s public relations officer. “We want to introduce its natural potential to a global audience and provide a calming, immersive space for all.”
With its unique aesthetic and therapeutic undertones, the Pakistan Pavilion continues to captivate Expo-goers, offering a sensory journey into the heart of one of the country’s most treasured natural resources.
