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solutions for its clients.
Shanghai Glory Media Co. Ltd, Expo Weekly (English
Edition)'s exclusive advertising agent, is
committed to providing marketing and promotional
plans for high-end brands. Working with an array of top
publishers including Qiushi Magazine, Beijing Central
Business District Administrative Committee and the
China Radio and TV Association, Shanghai Glory Media
Co. Ltd provides successful brand development
solutions for its clients.
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ContentsEditor’s NoteAn Opportunity for Self-Cultivation 2
Weekly Watch 4
ViewpointAmerica at Expo: A Private Affair 12
ExclusivePriceless Treasures 14Relics of China 17
Pavilions & Urban Life'Moon Boat' Sails to Shanghai 22Austria's Porcelain Pavilion 24'Paper-Cut' Pavilion 26Building a Sustainable Future With Bamboo 28Walk into the United Nations 30In Pursuit of Happiness 32Infinite City of Hong Kong 34A Jade Rabbit 35Human Beings Blend With Nature 36The Beauty of Being Unpopular 38
PeopleHarmony in Diversity 44They Like It! 46
Hi-Tech & InventionsWings of Light 48Cool Gadgets 50
Culture & ArtsCHA's Tea Story 52
Expo in RetrospectParis 1889: Remembering a Revolution 54
Around ShanghaiXintiandi: Heaven on Earth 56
Events & Leisure 60
Visitor’s EyeShanghai: The Perfect Venue 62
Learning Chinese 64
Issue No. 4 May 13, 2010 Expo Weekly
14
22
Priceless Treasures
'Moon Boat' Sails to Shanghai
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The World Expo, in addition to serving as a showcase for the latest global technological marvels and engineering feats, is always ready to greet the world with a display of traditional works of art, so that visitors can learn and understand more about the world’s diverse cultures. The recently opened Shanghai World Expo is a case in point, with a total of 330 priceless art treasures on display. These include paintings by Caravaggio and Rembrandt; manuscripts by da Vinci; Den-mark’s Little Mermaid statue; sculptures by Auguste Rodin; sketches by Pablo Picasso; and a number of ancient Egyptian cultural relics dating back more than 3,000 years. Some pres-tigious Chinese works of art will also be put on show, all repre-sentative of the nation’s age-old and rich cultural heritage.
This visual galaxy of the art gems will undoubtedly add more luster to the Shanghai World Expo, and will likely attract many visitors very eager to see them. Credit should be given to the museums and countries that have allowed their trea-sures to be shown at the Expo, as it provides yet another excel-lent opportunity for people to learn about and appreciate the history and civilizations of mankind.
The people of Shanghai and China are especially privi-leged, since they can take a close look at these art works, cul-tural displays, gadgets and inventions without crossing over the country’s borders. This really constitutes one of the greatest beauties of the World Expo, for it sets a stage for visitors to en-joy novel and happy life experiences, gain new knowledge, and broaden their minds and ways of thinking. More importantly, the Expo furnishes them with a “universal classroom” where they can study what is “better or advanced” from other na-tions. It also offers them a chance for enhancing their integrity, and improving their character—key aspects of self-cultivation.
In this connection, the educational function of the Expo—while perhaps difficult to measure in the short term com-pared with business opportunities or economic cooperation facilitated by the Expo—is actually far more significant than any material benefit. As China is on track to achieve greater economic success and social harmony, more attention should also be paid to raising the cultural and ethical standards of the people. In the long run, people with higher cultural levels and better personal qualities form the biggest asset of a nation and help the nation become more powerful and respectable.
While the Shanghai World Expo serves as a kaleidoscope to learn from the world, it also offers a valuable opportunity for personal self-cultivation and self-improvement. This is an opportunity that we cannot afford to miss.
An Opportunity for Self-CultivationBy ZHOU JIANXIONG
Editor’s NotE
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CHINA NEWSWEEkLy WATCH
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South China Sea Is.
Shanghai Hubei
Tianjin
Beijing
Xinjiang
Qinghai
Tibet
Gansu
Sichuan
Yunnan
Ningxia
Shaanxi
Chongqing
Guizhou
Guangxi
Hainan ProvinceHainan Island
Hong Kong
Guangdong
Macao
Hunan Jiangxi
Fujian
Zhejiang
JiangsuAnhui
ShandongShanxi
Henan
Hebei
Liaoning
Jilin
Heilongjiang
Taiwan
Yangtze
R i v e r
Yangtze
Riv
er
Y e l l o w R i v e r
Ye l low R iver
Inner Mongolia
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AdiliWuxorwalksonthesteelwireintheBird’sNestonMay3
1 Big DonationQinghai–Chinahasraised4.35billion
yuan($637million)inmoneyandmaterialsforquake-hitYushuasofMay4,accordingtotheMinistryofCivilAffairs.
Thedonationsincluded3.66bil-lionyuaninmoneyandquake-reliefma-terialsworth686millionyuan,saidastatementreleasedbytheministry.
Thestatementsaid635millionyuan,including79millionyuanincashandmaterialsworth556millionyuan,hadbeenchanneledtothequakezone.
6 Man in AirBeijing–ChineselegendAdiliWuxor,a
Uygur,knownasthe“PrinceofTightropeWalk-ing,”startedhistwo-month-longtightropewalktobreaktheGuinnessWorldRecordforsteelwirewalkingonMay3attheNationalSta-dium,alsoknownastheBird’sNestinBeijing.
Inthecoming60days,Adili,afive-timeGuinnessworldrecordholder,willstayona3-cmdiametersteelcable,whichis60-meterhighupaboveground.
Adiliplanstowalkfivehours(approxi-mately20km)everyday.Hewillalsodemon-strateseveralskillssuchasdancing,sleepingandrunning,allwhilesuspendedonthecable.
3 Tourism BreakthroughTaiwan–Taiwanopenedatourism
officeinBeijingonMay4,markingTaiwan'sfirstofficialpresenceontheChinesemainlandsince1949.
TheChinesemainlandwillopenacoun-terpartofficeinTaipeilaterthisweekaspartofareciprocalprogramaimedatopen-inguptourismlinksbetweenthetwo.
2 Ang Lee's New FilmTaiwan–Oscar-winningTaiwanese
directorAngLeewantstoshootCanadianwriterYannMartel'srenownednovelLifeofPiin3-D.FilmingissettobeginthisAugust.
AngLeewaschosentodirectthefilmby20thCenturyFox,despitethestudioreceivingseverallettersofself-recommen-dationfromotherfamousdirectors.
Thebest-sellingnovelLifeofPihasreceivedmanyawards,includ-ingthe2002ManBookerPrizeandAmazon.com'sFavoriteBookof2002.
5 ‘Cultural Revolution’ DeclassifiedBeijing–Nextyear,thegovernment
issettodeclassifysomeofitsdocumentsfromthe“culturalrevolution”era(1966-76)forthefirsttimeever,aspartofaprojecttitled"SelectionofBeijing'sImportantDocu-ments."TheBeijingArchiveBureausaidaboardofeditors,composedofhistoriansfromtheBeijingArchiveandtheBeijingMunicipalPartyHistoryOffice,willselectPartydecrees,governmentordersandlegislativebillsdatingfromthedecadebetween1966and1976.
“Inourwork,wewanttohonorthetruthandberespectfultohis-tory,”saidamediaofficerofthebureau.
4 Luoshe PianoZhejiang–ChinesefarmersinZhejiang
Provinceareprovidingfirst-classpianostotheworldwiththeirownbrandLuoshe.
AsamajorpianoproductionbaseinChina,thetownofLuosheinDeqingCountynowhas46enterprisesmanufacturingthemusicalinstrumentsandrelatedaccessories.Thebasemakes30,000pianoseachyear,10percentofthenationaltotal.Manyareexport-edtoIreland,FranceandtheUnitedStates.
In2009,despitetheeconomicslowdown,theindustryhadrevenuesof350millionyuan($51million),an18percentincreaseover2008.
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9 Lhasa's First Radio StationTibet–TheLhasaPeople'sRadioStation
beganbroadcastingonMay1.ThisstationisthefirstbranchofthePeople'sRadioStationinthecapitaloftheTibetAutonomousRegion.
ProgramswillbebroadcastinTibetanandMandarinonFM91.4,coveringLhasa'surbanareasaswellasitssevencountiesandonedistrict.Thestationwillprovide10pro-gramsincludingnews,servicesinformation,healthcareinformationandentertainment.
8 The Cost of 3GBeijing–China'ssecond-largestmo-
bilecarrierChinaUnicomposteda68percentplungeinitsfirst-quarternetprofits.Costsfromadding3Gservicesaswellasintensecompetitioncontinuedtopressurethecompany'smargins.
ExpensesfortheearlystagesofUnicom's3Ginvestments,depreciation,marketingandotherexpenseswere"relativelysig-nificant,"thecompanysaidinastatement.
Unicom'sweakresultscomeontheheelsofthosefromrivalChinaMobile,theworld'slargestmobilecarrierrankedbynumberofsubscribers.ChinaMobilelastweekre-portedflatyear-on-yearfirst-quarterprofitgrowthduetostiffcompetitionandheavyspendingonnew3Gmobilenetworks.
7 Music FeverBeijing–Thesummermusicfestival
seasongotintofullswingovertheMayDayholidaywiththeBeijing-basedMidiMusicFestivalandStrawberryMusicFestival.
StrawberryMusicFestivalorganizerssaidbetween30,000and50,000peopleattendedthefestivalinTongzhouCanalPark,despitetheweekend'shightemperatures.
11 DNA ProofXinjiang–TheDNAofsome4,000-
year-oldbodiesunearthedfiveyearsagoinXinjianginnorthwestChinaprovidesscien-tificevidenceofearlyinterminglingbetweenpeopleofEuropeanandAsianorigin.
ProfessoroflifescienceZhouHuiandherteamdiscoveredthatsomeoftheearliestin-habitantsoftheTarimBasinintheTaklamakanDesertwereofEuropeanandSiberiandescent.
Thebasin,wherehundredsofwell-preservedmummieshavebeenfoundsincethe1980s,hasattractedagreatdealofattentionfromscientistsworldwide.
Hello Paddy Field
Healthy Crowd
FarmersworkinfieldsinLiujiangCountyofGuangxiZhuangAutonomousRegionasthemonths-longseveredroughteasedinearlyMay
ChinesebandCandyMonsterplaysattheMidiMusicFestivalinBeijing
TensofthousandsofcitizensinYangzhouofJiangsuProvincegatherinthecity’sstadiumtodemonstrateacollectiveexerciseonMay2
10 Their Very Own AsteroidsBeijing–Fourasteroidshavebeennamed
afterChinesescientistsWuWenjun,JinYilian,WangYongzhi,andYeDuzhengatanam-ingceremonyinBeijingonMay4,2010.
TheasteroidswerediscoveredbyateamfromtheSchmidtCCDAsteroidPro-gramoftheNationalAstronomicalObserva-toryoftheChineseAcademyofSciences.
Asteroidsaretheonlytypeofastronomi-calobjectsthatcanbenamedbytheirdiscover-ers;thenamesmustbeapprovedbytheCom-mitteeonSmallBodyNomenclature(CSBN)oftheInternationalAstronomicalUnion.
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The name of themascot of the 2010
Shangha i Wor ld Expo i sHaibao ,whichmeans“trea-
sureofthesea.”Haibao iscreatedfrom
aChinesecharactermeaningpeople.Thecharacterfor“people” lookslikeaperson(人),andispronounced“ren .”
Facts and FiguresDuration:
184days(May1toOctober31,2010)Theme: BetterCity,BetterLifeHours: ExpoPark9:00~24:00;Pavilions9:30~22:30Number of exhibitors: 242nationsandinternationalorganizationsTotal expected visitors: 70millionSize of the Expo Park: 3.28squarekmWebsite: http://en.expo2010china.com
Appointed Ticket AgentsChinaMobileCommunicationsCorporation(CMCC)http://www.chinamobile.com/en/ChinaTelecomhttp://en.chinatelecom.com.cn/BankofCommunicationshttp://www.bankcomm.com/Bank-CommSite/en/index.jspChinaPosthttp://www.chinapost.cn/English/*PeakDayreferstoMay1-3;October1-7;andOctober25-31*Specialticketsareforstudents,peopleover60yearsold,andthedisabled*EveningAdmission:17:00orlateronanyworkday
TypeofTicket PriceinyuanPeakDaySingle* 200PeakDaySpecial* 120StandardDaySingle 160StandardDaySpecial 1003-DayAdmission 4007-DayAdmission 900EveningAdmission* 90GroupAdmission ForauthorizedtravelagentsonlyStudentGroupAdmission Forauthorizedtravel
agentsandeducationalinstitutionsonly
TicketsTop 10 Pavilions
Morethan200,000peoplevisitedtheExpoontheopeningdayonMay1,accord-ingtoHongHao,Director-GeneraloftheBu-reauofShanghaiWorldExpoCoordination.
HealsoannouncedtheTop10most-visitedforeignpavilionsofthatday,includingpavilionsoftheSwitzerland,France,Germany,SaudiArabia,Belgium,Japan,Spain,Italy,U.K.,andSouthKorea.
Shanghai Expo
Mascot
Garbage IssueEachdayduringthethree-dayMay
Dayholidaymorethan190tonsofgar-bageonaveragewerecollectedfromtheExpoPark,theorganizerssaid.
Thegarbageamountwasmorethanexpectedbecauseorganizershadincreasedthefoodsupplyandallowedvisitorstotakefoodintothepark.
Versatile RobotTwointelligentrobotsnamedNaonaometwith
visitorsattheParisPavilionintheUrbanBestPracticesArea(UBPA),showingofftheirstunningcapabilitiesofmasteringvariouslanguagesandimitatingmanyhuman
movements.TheycanevendoTaiChimartialarts,playjazzandkickfootballs.
ThetworobotswillserveasenthusiasticguidesatboththeFrancePavilionandthe
ParisPavilionintheUBPAtointroducethepavilions
topeopleinEnglish,FrenchandChinese.
Beijing WeekBeijingbeganitsweek-longcultureshowattheWorldExpobydisplaying
manyofitsspecialfolkartsattheBaosteelStageinZoneBoftheExpoPark.Thecapitalcityalsoopenedatraditionalteahouseatthestagewhere
visitorscandrinktraditionalstallteaforfreeandwatchaspecialfolkper-formance.AnartistplaysmusicincludingYouandMe,thethemesongoftheBeijingOlympics,on32bowlsofvarioussizesashisinstrument.
TwointelligentrobotsnamedNaonaometwiththevisitorsatParisPavilioninUBPA
Beijingbeginsitsweek-longcultureshowonMay4
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Parade FunCartoon-likewagonswillbethecenterofattentionduringthegrandparadeattheExpo
ParkonMay4.Withmorethan920performances,thelargestandlongestparadeinWorldExpohistoryisexpectedtoattractnearly30millionvisitors.Threeteamswillparadealongtworoutes,oneinPudongareaandtheotherinPuxiarea,foratotaloffivetimeseveryday.
A Finnish Greeting
UBPA Displays OpenTwocitypavilions,Barcelonaand
Dusseldorf,officiallyopenedonMay2attheUrbanBestPracticesArea.
WhatmostinterestedvisitorsintheBarcelonaPavilionwereshirtsfromtheBarcelonaFootballClubandminiaturesofGaudi’sdragonfountain,thecity’ssym-bol.AreplicahasbeenpresentedtotheWorldExpositeandwillstayasagift.
TheneighboringDusseldorfPavilionstandsforauniquebalancebetweeneco-nomicperformanceandqualityofliving.
Local Tourism BoomTheShanghaiWorldExpoboosted
tourisminthecitywithmorethan4.2mil-liontouristsarrivinginShanghaiovertheMayDayholidayperiod(April30toMay4),nearly25percentmorethanthesamepe-riodlastyear,localtourismauthoritiessaid.
Thecitymadenearly1.8billionyuan($263million)intourismrevenueovertheholiday,upabout26percentfromlastyear,theShanghaiHolidayOfficesaid. Expo Wears Prada
GloballuxurybrandshavesoughttousetheShanghaiWorldExpotogetaboostinoneoftheworld’stopemergingmarketsfortheirgoods.
PradalaunchedaspecialShanghaiWorldExpohandbag,whileChanelintroducedaShanghaiWorldExpoaccessoryseriesandofferedadragontoteminitsjewelryline.
With70millionExpovisitorsexpectedinShanghaioverthenextsixmonths,thiswillbeagreatopportunityforthelabels,saidRenQixiao,DirectoroftheShanghaiCommercialEconomicResearchCenter.
Tallest ThermometerAgiganticthermometerattheExpo
Parkisinusetoshowreal-timeweatherinformationtovisitorsdayandnight.
The165-meter-highExpothermom-eter,thehighestmeteorologicalsig-naltowerintheworld,islocatedinthePuxiZonealongtheHuangpuRiver.
Thethermometer-liketower,con-vertedfromachimneyinthe110-year-oldShanghaiNanshiPowerPlant,displaysthecurrenttemperatureaswellasthehighestandlowesttemperatureofthedayeveryhour.
AgirlfromFinlandwalksinsideaballonthewateroutsidetheFinlandPaviliontogreetvisitorsonMay3
Thecartoon-likewagonswanderaroundduringthegrandparade
Visitors From the SeaTheShanghaiWorldExpogreeteditsfirst
groupofsea-faringvisitorsasthecruiseshipLegendofTheSeas,carryingmorethan1,600Japanesevisitors,arrivedonMay5attheShanghaiInternationalPassengerTerminal.
TheshipdepartedfromtheJapa-neseportofYokohamaonMay2andwillreturntoShanghaiagainaroundMay13withanother1,000Japanesevisitors.
Shanghaicustomsestimatedthatthenumberofpeopleenteringorleav-ingChinaviatheportofShanghaiin2010wouldtop200,000,doublingthenumberthatcamein2009.
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Peking Opera on Parade
WEEkLy WATCH ExPo IN foCUS
8 EXPOWEEKLYMay13,2010
WEEkLy WATCH ExPo IN foCUS
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PekingOperaactorsattheparade
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WEEkLy WATCH ExPo IN foCUS
11EXPOWEEKLYMay13,2010
VisitorsoutsidetheSwitzerlandPavilionwatchshowswhilewaiting
PerformersfromtheAustraliaPavilioninteractwithvisitors
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VIEWPoINT
12 EXPOWEEKLYMay13,2010
America at Expo: A Private Affair
As the Shanghai World Expo opens its doors to the world, media outlets from all over the globe are paying close atten-tion. However, it seems that the American media are standing on the sidelines; little interest has been shown, and reports on the Expo are few and far between.
Historically, the United States has hosted more World Expos than any other country in the event’s history. The Phila-delphia Expo of 1876 was the first hosted by the U.S.; since then, 17 other Expos have taken place in the States.
However, the United States hasn’t hosted an Expo since 1984. In fact, Ameri-can interest in the World Expo has seemed to gradually be waning as time goes on. Why is this?
After the Cold War, it could be argued that America’s desire to flaunt its superior-ity to the world was lessened to some de-gree. At this time, Congress became more and more reluctant to allow federal funds to go toward hosting another Expo. In fact, since 1991, it has been illegal for govern-ment money to go toward international Expos.
Since then, groups acting outside of the government have largely handled America’s participation in Expos around the world. An example: for the Shanghai World Expo, private American companies funded the construction of the USA Pavilion.
There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this. In fact, the idea of emphasizing non-governmental efforts to represent America at the Expo is a very American idea in and of itself. Private enterprise is one of the foundations of the United States; one could even say it is a precondi-tion for realizing democracy and freedom. Private enterprises have played an over-whelmingly large role in developing Amer-ica’s globally praised science, technology and educational sectors.
There is one man in particular that ought to be recognized for his efforts to make the USA Pavilion a reality for the Expo. His name: James I-Chen Chiang, a Chinese-American and Chairman of the Asian Council of America. Between 2004 and 2006, Chiang visited the White House and Capitol Hill numerous times in an effort to garner support for the USA Pavilion. It worked: Chiang’s efforts raised over $100 million in funds for the pavilion. That he was able to do this in the shadow of a crippling economic crisis in America is a testament to his tenacity.
Of course, Chiang has not been alone in his efforts to encourage American rep-resentation at the Expo. The Committee of 100, a national non-partisan organization composed of American citizens of Chinese descent, has also contributed. The Com-mittee’s exhibition at the pavilion, named “The Chinese in America—We are Fam-ily,” represents the Committee’s goal of en-couraging stronger relations between the U.S. and China. The exhibit will be made up of snapshots of Chinese-Americans, honoring those from different walks of life and ultimately representing the Com-mittee’s desire for a friendlier China-U.S. relationship.
In its earliest years, countries primar-ily used the World Expos to demonstrate their “strength” to the world. Later on, there was more of a focus on innovation in science and technology. However, this year introduces a new focus; there is more emphasis on cultural communication, environmental protection and humane concerns. The USA Pavilion is not just a reflection of its economic strength, but is also a celebration of its values and respect for cultures around the world. The efforts of Chinese-Americans to make the pavil-ion a reality demonstrate this better than any government-sponsored effort could.
JohnChuan-TiongLim,Full-brightScholarattheFairbank
CenterforChinaStudies,HarvardUniversity
BY JOHN CHUAN-TIONG LIM
Chiang’s efforts raised over $100
million in funds for the USA Pavilion.
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Priceless TreasuresBy WANG BAOJUN
Displaying technology and presenting “best prac-tices,” figuring out how to make cities better and more liveable—these subjects may get the most press at the Shanghai World Expo. But sharing things that lift and transform the spirit, like art, sculpture and literature, are a huge part of the Expo
heritage and are central to the event in Shanghai.Expo pavilions will display a staggering 330 pieces of fine art
from China and around the world, including many irreplaceable national treasures. For example, Denmark has brought the Little Mermaid to Shanghai—the first time it has left its berth in Copen-hagen Harbor since 1913. France has also brought seven master-pieces to the Expo, including The Dance Hall in Arles by Van Gogh, and The Balcony by Edouard Manet.
The concentration of so many priceless works of art at the Expo is an affirmation of the world’s faith in China’s capacity to secure and care for these works of art. It is also a mark of the world’s faith in the people of China—that they will appreciate this opportunity to share such a rare cultural feast. Likewise it is a commitment by China to its people and the world—that nourish-ing the human spirit is every bit as important as developing the country’s economy.
Here are descriptions of some of the more interesting pieces on display.
Rodin’s SculpturesFamed French sculptor Auguste Rodin (1840-1917) was one
of the founders of modern sculpture; though perhaps best known for The Thinker, Rodin and his sculptures have captivated art en-thusiasts and academics for well over a century. Seven of Rodin’s most well-known sculptures are on display at the Shanghai World Expo. Each sculpture is valued at more than 100 million Euros. This is the first time Rodin’s sculptures have been displayed at an Expo since France’s Universal Exposition of 1900.
Venue: Pavilion of Footprint in Theme Pavilions, Zone DThe Thinker by Rodin
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The Masterpieces of CaravaggioTwo of the most famous works of Baroque painter Michelan-
gelo Merisi da Caravag-gio (1571 –1610), Basket of Fruit and Boy with a Basket of Fruit is on display at the Expo. This is the first time these two paintings have been exhibited outside Italy. Both of the pieces were (and continue to be) highly influential for still-life artists.
Venue: Italy Pavil-ion in Zone C
Priceless TreasuresPicasso’s Sketch of Guernica
In 1937, the Spanish Government invited famed artist Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) to paint a mural for the Spain Pavilion at the Paris Expo of that same year. Picasso painted Guernica, a depiction of atrocities during the Spanish Civil War, which was still raging at the time. One of Picasso’s sketches of this famous work is on display at the Expo.
Venue: World Exposition Museum in Zone D
The Oil Paintings of Rembrandt Portrait of a Man, Half-Length, and With His Arms Akimbo by
famed oil painter Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 –1669) is on display at the Expo. The painting, completed in 1658, sold for a record $36.4 million in 2009. Well-known for his emotive portraits and illustrations of scenes from the Bible, Rembrandt was one of the most influential painters in European history.
Guernica by Picasso
Portrait of a Man, Half-Length, With His Arms Akimbo by Rembrandt
Boy with a Basket of Fruit by Caravaggio
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The Gold Mask of Shoshenq IIEight ancient Egyptian relics have arrived at the Expo, cour-
tesy of museums in Egypt. The gold funerary mask of Egyptian King Shoshenq II (?—883 B.C.) is just one of the items. The relics date back thousands of years, with one gold necklace dated at over 3,500 years of age. German shipping experts packed the relics to ensure safe delivery to the Expo.
Venue: Egypt Pavilion in Zone C
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Da Vinci’s manuscript
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Denmark’s Little MermaidDenmark’s iconic statue, the Little Mermaid, be-gan its six-month stay in the Denmark Pavilion on
April 25. It is the first time the landmark has left Copenhagen Harbor since being erected in
honor of author Hans Christian Andersen (1805–1875) in 1913. It will stay at the
Denmark Pavilion until the end of October, before returning home.
Venue: Denmark Pavilion in Zone C
Little Mermaid
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Da Vinci ManuscriptLike all great scientists, Leonardo da Vinci (1452 –1519) wrote
a great deal of notes. Visitors to the Expo will get a chance to see the Codex Leicester, a collection of the famed scientist’s musings on such subjects as fossil distribution and the luminosity of the moon. Purchased by Bill Gates in 1994 for a record $30.8 million, the manuscript is displayed to the public in a different city every year. This year it will be displayed at the Shanghai World Expo.
Venue: Urban Footprints Pavilion in Zone D
17EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
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Even if you don’t have the chance to travel all around China to see the country’s rich cultural relics, you may still see a lot by just going to the Shanghai Expo where more than one hundred pieces of state or provincial level cultural artifacts are on display for visi-tors.
In hopes of demonstrating the excellence and magnificence of their cultural legacy, 31 provinces, municipalities and autono-mous regions have not skimped on bringing and showing their greatest local treasures to Expo visitors.
Some of them are such valuable cultural items that the Chi-nese Government prohibits them from being exhibited overseas—for example, the bronze chariot and horse unearthed near the mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shihuang; the Gilt Bronze Human-shaped Lamp belonging to the royal family of the Western Han Dynasty; and the Zeng Houyi bronze bell produced almost 2,500 years ago which can still make beautiful music today.
Here are our suggestions of some “must sees” at this Expo.
Relics of China
Gilt Bronze Human-Shaped LampThe Gilt Bronze Human-Shaped Lamp is one of the most
precious relics found in the Hebei Provincial Museum. Exca-vated from the Western Han Royal Tomb in Mancheng County, Hebei, China in 1968, the relic is a bronze lamp that was used in the Changxin Palace in Chang’an during the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D.220). The lamp is an excellent example of the bronze art developed during the Han Dynasty.
In 2002, it was listed by the Chinese Government as one of 64 cultural relics prohibited from being exhibited overseas.
Venue: China Pavilion
Gilt Bronze Human-Shaped Lamp
Wooden six-armed avalokitesvara , or “enlightenment-being.”
Pottery Figurine of a Man Holding a Compass
A pottery figurine of a man holding a compass will be displayed at the Shanghai Expo. The compass depicted in this figurine is the ear-liest compass depicted in pottery ware unearthed in China to date; the figurine dates back to the Song Dynasty (960 – 1279). The compass as we know it today has its origins in this time period.
Venue: China Pavilion
Pottery figurine of a man holding a compass C
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The Ten Treasures of DunhuangTen Buddhist treasures from Dunhuang City of Gansu Prov-
ince, including five sculptures and five scriptures, made their de-but at the Expo Park on April 20.
Only two of the five Dunhuang Buddhist scriptures will be displayed for the duration of the 184-day exhibition; the other three will be displayed by rotation. The five sculptures include a wooden six-armed avalokitesvara, or “enlightenment-being”; this sort of relic is quite rare in Dunhuang.
Venue: Urban Footprints Pavilion in Zone D
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A Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival A Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival by Ming Dynasty paint-
er Qiu Ying (1494? - 1552), is displayed at the Shanghai Expo. It is an imitation of Along the River During the Qingming Festival, by Zhang Zeduan (11th-12th century) during the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127). The painting depicts the prosperity and liveliness of the Song people during the Qingming Festival (also known as Tomb Sweeping Day). The festival takes place every year on April 5. The painting is nearly 10 meters long, depicting more than 2,000 people. Due to its fragile nature, the painting will only be displayed for one month during the Expo.
Venue: China Pavilion
Part of A Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival by Qiu Ying
No. 1 Bronze Chariot and HorseUnearthed near the mausoleum of Em-
peror Qin Shihuang (259—210 B.C.), this bronze chariot and horse sculpture is one of the centerpieces of the Terracotta Army of the Qin Dynasty (221—206 B.C.). Al-though the piece was buried underground for over 2,000 years, it is in mostly func-tional condition. The sculpture has a com-panion appropriately referred to as the No. 2 Bronze Chariot and Horse. After the first terracotta warriors were unearthed about 30 years ago, the site of the excavation has received more than 60 million visitors and is called “the eighth wonder of the world.”
Venue: China Pavilion
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No. 1 Bronze Chariot and Horse
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Sanxingdui Bronze Man A life-size bronze statue of a man is
also included among the treasures being exhibited at the Pavilion of Footprint. The Sanxingdui Bronze Man is said to be the world’s oldest life-size standing hu-man statue, at a height of 260 cm. The statue is supposed to represent auspi-cious figures such as kings and wizards; the statue’s “clothes” are adorned with images of dragons and birds.
Venue: Urban Footprints Pavilion in Zone D
Jiangu Drum Stand of Zeng HouyiThe famed general Zeng Houyi, in addition to being a master
of the battlefield, was also an appreciator of fine art. The Jiangu Drum Stand is just one of the many treasures that were discovered in his tomb in 1977, including a set of 65 bianzhong, or bronze bells. The drum stand is composed of eight pairs of intertwining dragons; the bronze smelting techniques used to create the stand were among the most advanced of their day. In fact, it was not even possible to recreate the complexity of the drum stand until recent times.
A 5-minute music performance is played hourly on a replica of the Zeng Houyi bronze bell in the Urban Footprints Pavilion from May 1 to November 20.
Venue: China Pavilion
Han Persian Silver BoxA silver box from Persia dating back to
the Han Dynasty is also on display in the China Pavilion. The box, discovered in the tomb of Chinese Emperor Zhao Mo (?—122 B.C.) is said to be the first product ever im-ported to China from another country. It is the only remaining product that was traded to China through the ancient Silk Road.
Venue: China Pavilion
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Jiangu Drum Stand of Zeng Houyi
Han Persian Silver Box
Sanxingdui Bronze Man
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Quick FactsPavilion Day: September 23
Theme: Vitality of Life
Location: Zone A of the Expo Park
Exhibition Space:
6,000 square meters
Key Feature: Moon Boat
‘Moon Boat’Sails to Shanghai
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Visitors wait anxiously to check out Saudi Arabia’s “Moon Boat”
Saudi Arabia’s “Moon Boat” has sailed to Shanghai to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the es-tablishment of diplomatic ties
between China and Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia has shown great enthu-siasm for its participation in the Shanghai World Expo, investing 1.4 billion yuan ($205 million) toward the “Moon Boat.” This is the largest investment the country
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has ever put in an Expo.“The Shanghai World Expo will serve
as a platform for the Kingdom to have a multi-faceted exchange with all partici-pants in general and China in particular,” said Dr. Mohammed Alisssan Al-Ghamdi, Executive Director of the Saudi Commis-sion to the Expo. “There will be a mutual
exchange of experience and know-how of the most effective urban practices,” he added.
Moon BoatDuring the global design bids
for the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, Chinese architect Wang Zhenjun’s “Moon Boat” was chosen by the Saudi Arabia authorities due to its
unique and creative design. “The Saudi Arabians had been searching for a good form to embody the friendship between Saudi Arabia and China. It occurred to me that the boat would be an ideal choice since the ‘moon boat’ is deeply rooted both in Arabian fairytales and in Chinese cul-ture,” said Wang.
The pavilion features a huge hanging boat in the shape of a half-moon, with 150 date palm trees planted on both the top deck of the boat and the ground garden, creating an oasis-like scene for the pavil-ion. The pavilion demonstrates the ability of the Saudis to create functional, success-ful cities despite lacking any kind of large body of water.
Largest IMAX on EarthOne main attraction of the pavilion is
a 1,600-square-meter IMAX screen; with
“a well-designed pavilion must be effective in getting visitors involved so that they are not just passively ‘looking’ at it, but are happily ‘experiencing’ it.”
a length nearly equal to that of two foot-ball fields, the screen is the largest IMAX screen in existence. One film shown will be a love story depicting the relationship between a Chinese man and an Arabian woman, expressing the mutual admiration of the two ancient civilizations.
Other short films about herding and desert life will also be shown. Visitors will not be limited to their seats: they can walk around freely, experiencing the powerful effect of the enormous display from differ-ent angles. From the IMAX theater, visi-tors can go to the top deck of the boat and explore a rooftop garden. “A well-designed pavilion must be effective in getting visi-tors involved so that they are not just pas-sively ‘looking’ at it, but are happily ‘experi-encing’ it,” said Wang.
T h e p a v i l i o n a l s o f e a t u r e s a 2,000-square-meter cultural plaza where dancers and singers from all over Saudi Arabia will perform at the plaza daily from May 1 to the end of October. Visitors will also receive a warm reception in traditional Bedouin tents set up among date palm trees, where they can buy souvenirs and try Arabic food.
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Like a waking dream, the 3-D cinema hall of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion bursts with lush visuals. The 1,600-square-meter IMAX screen is the largest in the world
Two visitors snap some shots inside the Saudi Ara-bia Pavilion
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The red and white porcelain surface of the Austria Pavilion is a perfect combination of Austrian and Chinese styles
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Austria’s Porcelain Pavilion
Visitors to the Austria Pavilion will be amazed by its perfect combi-nation of Austrian and Chinese styles. The red and white por-
celain surface of the pavilion indicates the century-long tradition of chinaware being exported to Europe, while this time in re-turn Austria has given China the gift of its porcelain Expo pavilion.
Feel the HarmonyWith a theme of “Aus-
tria—Feel the Harmony,” the Austria Pavilion is di-vided into five zones, taking visitors on an adventurous journey through various landscapes including spec-tacular snow-capped moun-tains, flourishing woods, green grassland, flowing rivers, as well as urban land-scapes.
Visitors will encounter
a cold front and can touch real snow in the “mountain area.” While strolling in the “woods,” acoustic elements like the chirp-ing of “birds” will amplify their experience of being in the “Austrian woods.” They may even find a curious “squirrel” sniffing at their feet.
Rich Musical HeritageAustria’s world-famous music will be
a must at the pavilion, said Birgit Murr, Vice Commis-sioner General of the pavil-ion.
The familiar melody of The Blue Danube, composed by Johann Strauss II, and other classical music com-posed by Wolfgang Amade-us Mozart will accompany visitors throughout their visit in the pavilion.
Avant-garde “Music Shows” and musical parties
will also be performed.
Mozart, Princess Sissi, Sun XiangBesides enjoying the music show, visi-
tors will meet three pavilion ambassadors: Mozart and Princess Sissi, who represent the long history of Austria, while the third ambassador—Chinese football star Sun Xiang, who plays for Austria Vienna in the Austrian League—will be the ambassador for a modern and liberal Austria.
The open-air restaurant on the second floor of the pavilion will serve all kinds of delicious food from various states in Aus-tria.
Quick FactsPavilion Day: May 21
Theme: Austria—Feel the Harmony
Location: Zone C of the Expo Park
Exhibition Space:
2,000 square meters
Key Feature: Red & White Porcelain
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
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The impressive exterior of Poland’s ‘paper-cut’ Pavilion
Visitors appreciate the inside of the ‘paper-cut’ pavilion
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Quick FactsPavilion Day: May 22
Theme: People Create the City
Location: Zone C of the Expo Park
Total Area:
3,000 square meters
Key Feature: Paper-cut patterns
‘Paper-Cut’ Pavilion
Paper-cutting, one of the Polish people’s favorite folk arts, has in-spired their designers to create a pavilion using paper-cut patterns
in Shanghai.As a good example of Polish archi-
tecture, the pavilion is composed of three concepts: Humans, Creativity and the City, reflecting the combination of modernity and folk art and representing the creativity and imagination of Poland.
During the daytime, the exhibition hall of the pavilion will be filled with sun-light filtering through paper-cut patterns; at night, it will turn into a dazzling, color-ful box. Those cut-out figures will look like they are dancing on the wall with the lights.
“The pavilion design evokes ancient artistry, abstract design and futuristic thinking,” said Slawomir Majman, Com-missioner General of the country’s Expo pavilion.
The inner solid walls of the pavilion will function as screens, where Polish city life will be on show. The exhibition includes innovative urban designs that can bring people into closer contact with na-ture.
Wood is the primary building material of the pavilion. The facade with the paper-cut patterns was cut by laser. Most of the materials are recyclable and since the pa-vilion will be removed from the Expo Park after the Expo, part of the wooden struc-ture will be reconstructed in a Polish city.
Chopin’s ConcertPoland will turn its pavilion into a
gala concert hall, inviting visitors to dance in memory of the Polish-born musician Frédéric Chopin, as the year of 2010 also marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of the great musician. Chopin’s music will be performed in rock and pop styles for visitors to dance to in the pavilion.
According to Marek Ziolkowski, Deputy Marshall of the Upper
Chamber of the Polish Parliament, “Music
speaks to all people,” so music will be the main focus of the pavilion.
At the pavilion’s entrance, dragon dances of both Chinese and Polish style will be presented, with four Chinese drag-ons in red and another four Polish dragons in yellow meeting each other every morn-ing.
Some traditional and eco-friendly Pol-ish dishes will also be served in the pavil-ion.
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Building a Sustainable Future With Bamboo
The Pavilion of International Net-work of Bamboo and Rattan (IN-BAR), one of the most striking structures in the Joint Pavilion
of International Organizations, showcases how these natural materials enrich peo-ple’s lives around the world.
“The centerpiece of the INBAR Pavil-ion is a bamboo-panel structure modeled on Beijing’s historic Temple of Heaven,” said Lu Tu, the pavilion’s designer. “Our pavilion is almost entirely made of bam-boo and rattan. I think it demonstrates IN-BAR’s theme ‘Bamboo and Rattan: Enrich-ing Lives’, which echoes the Expo theme ‘Better City, Better Life.’”
Since it was founded in 1997 INBAR has been working to alleviate poverty and protect the environment by promoting in-novative uses of bamboo and rattan.
This is the first time INBAR has participated in an Expo. Dr. J. Coosje Hoo-gendoorn, Director General of the orga-
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Bamboo farm in Yibin, southwestern Sichuan Province
A woman doing traditional bamboo weaving in east Zhejiang Province
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nization said the Expo is a great platform to promote the use of bamboo and rattan and showcase INBAR’s work. “INBAR’s projects in China have already helped thousands of people in Zhejiang, Sichuan, Hunan and Yunnan provinces out of pov-
Ideas CompetitionAn International Bamboo and Rattan
Product Ideas Competition will be held at the Shanghai World Expo to help pro-mote green practices in cities around the world. The competition will focus on four categories: food, clothing, shelter and transportation.
The competition will provide a plat-form for producers, designers and organi-zations from around the world to present their creative approaches to building green cities worldwide. As the name of the competition implies, the methods and ideas presented will employ simple mate-rials such as bamboo and rattan.
Deadline for registration: June 1Deadline for submission: August 31Award ceremony and winners exhibition: October Registration: http://www.inbarworl-dexpo.com/competition.html
Quick FactsPavilion Day: May 20
Theme: Bamboo and Rattan: Enriching Lives
Location: Joint Pavilion of International Organizations, Zone B of the Expo Park
Total Area:
90 square meters
erty,” she said.INBAR recently launched a project in
Sichuan Province to help people rebuild their homes after the May 2008 earth-quake using bamboo and rattan. The proj-ect encourages local building firms to use
bamboo instead of timber, concrete and steel, Dr. Hoogendoorn said.
“Bamboo is the oldest and most popu-lar building material in the rural areas and villages of the world’s tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is a sustainable material and could be said to be the most ecologi-cally friendly building material available,” said Lou Yiping, INBAR’s program director.
“We hope our exhibition will promote the global use of bamboo and rattan in people’s daily lives to reduce carbon emis-sions and increase economic development in poverty-stricken areas,” said Dr. Hoo-gendoorn.
With headquarters in Beijing and of-fices in India, Ethiopia, Ghana and Ecua-dor, INBAR works with over 34 member countries worldwide and partners with more than 50 international, regional, and national organizations.
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INBAR Pavilion is a bamboo-panel structure
J. Coosje Hoogendoorn, Director General of INBAR
Bamboo computer keyboard shown in INBAR Pavilion
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Walk into the United NationsBy WANG SONG
With a theme of “One Earth, One UN,” the United Na-tions Pavilion echoes the UN’s global presence and
its work in cities worldwide. The state-of-the-art pavilion is more than a gallery; it is a dynamic and animated space where exhi-bitions and events will fuse to create a one-of-a-kind experience for its visitors.
A Joint Effort
“We want to show visitors how big and interesting the world is, how we share it, and how all UN agencies make a differ-ence in achieving a better urban future, globally,” said Lars Reutersward, Coordina-tor of the UN Pavilion.
The pavilion boasts a simple but impressive outward appearance: the building’s eye-catching UN emblem can be seen
“Cities are the best places to develop cutting-edge educational and scientific advancements”
from a great distance. The pavilion is about half the length of a football field; it includes a forum area resembling the hall of the United Nations General Assembly with 192 seats representing the number of member states, each adorned with a mem-ber’s flag. It will showcase the betterment of urban life through the work of 33 agen-cies in areas ranging from children’s health
to environmental development. For the first time, these agencies will be coming together to present their work at the pavilion.
The pavilion’s exhibits suggest a radical notion: that cities are the best asset we have in terms of environ-mental conservation. The idea is that
cities are cradles of social development where everyone can live in an inclusive and harmonious environment, and that cities are the best places to develop cutting-edge educational and scientific advancements.
An Integrated ThemeAccording to Katja Makelainen, De-
sign Manager of the UN Pavilion, another theme represented by the pavilion is that of sustainable urbanization. This theme is reflected in the overall architecture of the exhibition, centered on a map of the world. The exhibitions themselves are based on the Expo theme “Better City, Better Life.”
For example, the “Better City” exhibi-tion features the UN’s work in cities and environments across the globe. These permanent exhibitions will take visitors through a journey to several areas of the planet where the impact of the UN and its activities can be seen.
The “Better Life” e x h i b i t i o n
The United Nations Pavilion boasts a simple but impressive outward appearance
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presents cities and social development, a field where the UN is an important actor. Some of the UN’s accomplishments in this area include helping to achieve urban peace, responding to human-made con-flicts and preventing disease and epidem-ics in cities.
Exhibition and ActivitiesThe pavilion will be a dynamic space,
comprising interactive exhibitions and a rich program of activities designed to attract the interest of visitors. The main exhibition will be a permanent part of the building, but will also change over time.
The exhibition will be displayed for the full six months of the Expo. Titled One UN, the exhibition will be visually consistent, with the United Nations being presented as one organization rather than separate entities.
The exhibition will use powerful imag-ery, multimedia and interactive exhibits to describe the efforts made by the UN. Part of the exhibition will change depending on the time of year; for example, refugees will be highlighted during the week of World
Refugee Day, and the state of our cities will be the focus during the week
of World Habitat Day. A series of thrilling ac-
tivities will animate the pavilion throughout
the Expo. While
the exhibition will highlight key messages through images and visual displays, activi-ties will allow agencies to discuss issues in a more in-depth and dynamic manner. Activities will enable dialogue and interac-tion with the audience and bring issues to the forefront while still being entertaining.
The UN Pavilion will also be made available, through the Expo Online web-site, to those unable to visit the site in person. Visitors will be able to roam a 3-D model of the pavilion and view all exhibits presented in the physical pavilion. Because the virtual pavilion is not limited to real-life budget constraints, it will also feature additional displays such as movies and interactive games that are not part of the real-life pavilion exhibition.
International Organizations Associated with the UN Pavilion:
World Health Organization World Intellectual Property Organization The World Trade OrganizationThe World Tourism Organization The World Bank The International Telecommunication Union International Atomic Energy Agency International Maritime Organization The United Nations The United Nations Population Fund UN-HABITATUNICEF The United Nations Industrial Development Organization
The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNAIDS The United Nations Convention on Biologi-cal Diversity
UNEP UN Trade and Development Group of En-circlement Capital Development Fund
UNHCR UNESCOThe United Nations FAO
Quick FactsPavilion Day: October 24
Theme: One Earth, One UN
Location: Zone B of the Expo Park
Exhibition Space:
3,000 square meters
Inside the UN Pavilion
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In Pursuit of HappinessAfter several in-depth theme discussions, the organizers put forward five concepts: “Urban Dwellers,” “Urban Beings,” “Urban Planet,” “Urban Footprints” and “Urban Future,” to establish a themed structure for Expo 2010
The Urbanian Pavilion, one of the sub-pavilions in the Theme Pavilions, narrates the urban life stories of six families from five
continents. Visitors will be surrounded by multimedia images illustrating various stories of six families, experience their joys and sorrows, and realize people’s pursuit of better lives.
A Story of Six Families According to director Herman Koss-
mann, the design team followed a diver-sified principle in selecting cities and families. Both cosmopolitan cities and small ones are included. Families docu-mented in the film include: a nuclear family in Phoenix, United States; a four-member family in Greater Accra, Ghana;
an immigrant family in Melbourne, Aus-tralia; and a family of several generations in Zhengzhou, China. The family mem-bers work in a diverse range of industries including hi-tech, art, commerce and services.
“Some are well-off families, some are poor families. This selection not only represents various family patterns, but
Watch and learn in the “Learning” section
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Quick FactsTheme: Overall human development is a prerequisite for sustainable development in cities
Location: Zone B of the Expo Park
Total Area:
14,000 square meters
Mascot: a Haibao family of three
also reflects different social structures,” Kossmann said.
Visual DisplaysThe families’ stories are told in five
areas: family, work, contact, learning and health. Visitors will also see some of their neighbors and friends in a collection of video clips. Designers emphasize this exhibition is not about which family has the best life, but is meant to show the var-ied ways to pursue a better life.
In the family section, mirrors mount-ed from floor to ceiling create 3-D pictures, providing visitors with a window through which they can observe the lives of the six families. In the work section, screens of varying sizes demonstrate how people work in different cities. The contact section uses a full-dome screen to create a 360-de-gree projection showing the social life of different family members. The learning section resembles a traditional classroom and library, and shows the learning experi-ences of family members and the educa-tional and cultural facilities in cities. The health section shows videos and other data concerning the health of family members and creates an environment that is clean, fresh and healthy.
Besides using common goods like milk cartons, paint cans and basic materi-als, the team has designed 10 urban scenes such as a slum, a night fair and a com-mercial street to show different aspects of urban life. Life-sized wax figures of the family members are displayed in the lobby. At the exit of the pavilion, there is a large photo of the six families.
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Wax figures of a nuclear family from Phoenix, United States
Wax figures of several generations of a family from Zhengzhou, China
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Infinite City of Hong Kong
From the outs ide , the Hong Kong Pavilion looks like a pile-up of several boxes, except for the middle part, which is a transpar-
ent glass room. This three-story building displays Hong Kong Pavilion’s theme of “An Infinite City.”
These boxes are reminiscent of the intensely close buildings in Hong Kong, as visitors can also see when stepping into the pavilion. The first floor
Efficient Transport Network
Hong Kong has a highly developed transport network. Over 90 percent of daily traffic in the city is composed of pub-lic transport; this ratio is the highest in the world.
Ten subway lines with 83 subway sta-tions and 68 light-rail stops lead to all main places in Hong Kong, including the airport, railway station, shopping malls, bars and Disneyland.
It is very easy to find public buses and boats commuting between Hong Kong and Kowloon. The boat sets off every five min-utes.
In central and western districts, there is an extensive system of escalators for people to walk up and down the slopes be-cause this area is dominated by steep, hilly terrain.
shows the advanced transport network of Hong Kong as well as the complexes of high buildings.
Stepping onto the second floor will offer the visitor a totally different view. Here is the highlight of the pavilion. The word “infinite” does not only refer to the space, but also views, ideas, imagination
and creation.The second floor is for visitors
to sit and chat and enjoy. It will hold a variety of events in-
cluding art exhibitions, film screenings and
fashion shows. Quick FactsArea:
800 square meters
Theme: Hong Kong, An Infinite City
Location: Zone A of the Expo Park
Designers: Sze Ki Shan & Chan Wai Ching
There will be 47 cultural performances from the special administrative region during the fair, featuring Cantonese opera, Chinese and Western music, multi-media shows and dance. Two visual art exhibi-tions are also on the agenda.
The third floor is an indoor wetland park, where green plants, animals and human beings can exist in harmony. The future of the city, as it implies, should be a city that can be harmoniously integrated with nature.
Visitors wait in lines to enter the Hong Kong Pavilion
Illumination art inside the Hong Kong Pavilion
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A night view of Macau Pavilion
The Tak Seng On Pavilion has attracted many visitors since its opening on May 1
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A Jade Rabbit
The Macau Pavilion is in the shape of a rabbit. The designer Ma Ruo-long said the inspiration comes from the rabbit-shaped lanterns
that have been popular in Macau for many years. People light the lanterns for good luck, especially at Lantern Festival.
The rabbit also stands for harmony and good luck. The “rabbit” is 19.99 me-ters tall, a reference to the year 1999 when China assumed sovereignty of Macau.
The rabbit has some interesting fea-tures. The exterior glass wall can change colors all the time. The head and tail of the
The Pawnshop MuseumIn addition to the main pavilion, Macau
also has another pavilion at the Urban Best Practices Area—Tak Seng On Pavil-ion. Tak Seng On was a famous pawnshop, which opened in 1914 in Macau and was renovated into a pawnshop museum in 2003. It is the first business museum co-built by the government and local residents in Macau and is of great cultural significance.
The pavilion is a replica of this museum. It has five floors. The first floor is a mock-up of an ancient Macau pawnshop and also includes a Macau kung fu exhibition area. The second floor is a space related to kung fu novelist Louis Cha, also known by his pen name Jin Yong. A room based on Cha’s study is shown as well as two other areas enabling visitors to have a taste of the world in Cha’s kung fu novels.
The third floor of the Tak Seng On Expo Pavilion is dedicated to Macau heri-tage; it includes a touch screen database about the cultural and creative industries and other historic sites. In addition, the pavilion houses a library with a collection of the 15 most famous novels of Jin Yong, and promotes Macau’s martial arts ath-letes.
“rabbit” are two balloons which can move up and down.
Inside the pavilion, there is a spiral slope from the ground floor to the top of the building. There are exhibitions on both sides of the slope as you climb up. The slope itself is also a stage and very conve-nient for people with disabilities. On the top of the pavilion, there is a screen where people can watch a movie telling the his-tory of Macau.
Every visitor can take home a rabbit lantern after their tour of the pavilion.
Quick FactsArea:
637 square meters
Location: Zone A of the Expo Park
Designers: Carlos Marreiros
Height:
19.99 meters
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Human Beings Blend With Nature
The Taiwan Pavilion is a transpar-ent cube with a giant ball in the center. The cube is in the shape of a Kong Ming lantern, which
people in Taiwan fly to pray for happiness, health and safety as a traditional island custom.
The façade is painted with the outlines of Mount Morrison and Mount Ali of the island. The main material used in the con-struction of the pavilion is stone and soil
Quick FactsTheme: Mountain, Water, Heart and Lantern
Location: Zone A of the Expo Park
Designer: Chin Yang Lee
Taiwan’s LED PowerIn 2010, the output value of LED
(Lighting Emitting Diode) products in Tai-wan is supposed to reach $ 2.8 billion, a quarter of the total worldwide.
LEDs are a semiconductor light source. They are increasingly used for lighting as indicator lamps in many devices due to their high efficiency in energy-saving. In the Taiwan Pavilion as well as in most other pavilions at the Shanghai World Expo, LEDs are widely used in both interi-ors and externals.
The Taiwan LED producing industry now ranks second in the world. Epistar, Taiwan’s largest LED epiwafer and chip-maker, is also the world’s largest supplier of red LEDs and the fourth-largest of blue LEDs.
from Taiwan.The theme of the pavilion “Mountain,
Water, Heart and Lantern,” not only shows the geographical characteristics of Taiwan, but also implies the Chinese philosophical idea of integrating heaven, earth and hu-man beings together.
Visitors to the Taiwan Pavilion will be welcomed by Taiwanese film stars and famous entrepreneurs, who express their welcomes through videos at the entrance. The elevator will take guests to the fifth floor where they can enjoy a film which provides an introduction to Taiwan. Visi-tors will be hit by raindrops, enjoy the bub-bles in the sea and be accompanied all the way by the pleasant smell of flowers.
After the movie, visitors will be in-vited to take part in a multimedia lantern-flying ceremony. If 40 people make a ring on the platform, each of them will trigger a beam that will light the globe.
Finally, on the ground floor, visitors can experience the daily life of Taiwan people, who will invite you for a cup of tea. Guests can keep the teacups as souvenirs.
The facade of the Taiwan Pavilion
The 720-degree 4-D cinema inside the Tai-wan Pavilion amazes visitors
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38 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
The Beauty of Being UnpopularT
he first few days of the Expo saw crowds of visitors lining up to visit the most popular pavilions at the Expo Park, such as the China
Pavilion or the U.S. Pavilion. However, the quieter, less popular pavilions on the other side of the river are no less attractive. In
fact, since these pavilions are less popular, it takes much less time to see them, allow-ing visitors to have more time to see the rest of the Expo.
A Corporate PlaygroundThe many corporate pavilions located
in the Puxi zone are just as impressive as those in the Pudong area. The 3-D tech-nology featured at other pavilions takes a backseat to the 4-D exhibits and 720-de-gree panoramic displays found in some of the corporate pavilions.
The China Shipbuilding Industry
The dazzling Oil Pavilion
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Tips:Regular visitors usually follow their
tour from the Pudong zone to the Puxi zone. Visitors will waste time waiting in lines in the Pudong zone in the morning, as the crowds from this area will go to the Puxi zone in the afternoon. Thus, it is best to visit the Puxi zone in the morn-ing. It should only take about 40 min-utes on average to wait in line to enter pavilions in the Puxi zone. Visitors can then visit Pudong in the afternoon and enjoy shorter waiting times than if they had visited them in the morning.
Corporation Pavilion has been built using environmentally friendly recycled materi-als, and features “intelligent” lighting and an advanced multimedia display. Visitors may be stunned when they pass through a “water curtain” to enter the hall; they don’t get wet at all! The “curtain” is a special ef-fect created by lights and air currents.
The State Grid Pavilion’s “Magic Box” takes visitors on an amazing journey. The 20 meter-tall cubic theater is equipped with six screens, engulfing viewers in a 720-degree movie experience. A movie depicting life in the future is shown in this theater.
The Oil Pavilion features a 4-D inter-active movie. Audiences in the pavilion’s 100-person theater will feel like they are a character inside the movie; visitors will be required to use their senses of smell and touch in addition to just watching and listening to the movie, which is a short his-tory of the rise and fall of dinosaurs.
From Past to FutureThe Pavilion of Future aims to interact
with visitors, inviting them to imagine what cities might be like in the future. Through various movies, books and sculp-tures, an exhibition in the pavilion tells how a city is envisioned, planned and real-ized. It also proposes some possibilities for future cities, and points to the spiritual elements that have driven human progress in the past.
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Expo’s biggest enterprise pavilion: China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Pavilion
The magical world inside the State Grid Pavilion
A replica of frescoes of the Mogao Grotto in Dunhuang inside the Pavilion of Urban Civilization
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44 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
Pakistan’s Ambassador to China chose the word “Harmony” as the highlight of the Pakistan Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo in his recent interview with the Expo Weekly.
Expo Weekly: As the Pakistani Am-bassador to China, what do you want to showcase most about Pakistan through your country’s participation in the Shanghai World Expo?
Masood Khan: We want to showcase Pakistan’s strength as a cradle of several civilizations and its march towards moder-nity, as it is reflected in our cities. We also want to use this occasion to showcase the unique and strong relationship between Pakistan and China.
What is your understanding of the theme of the Shanghai World Expo —”Better City, Better Life?”
The theme “Better City, Better Life”, so aptly chosen for Shanghai World Expo, has many connotations all reflecting reali-ties and challenges of big cities in China and all over the world. The most dominant connotation is that only well-organized cit-ies with civic amenities, reliable and evolv-ing infrastructure, an artistic ambience and ease of doing business can guarantee a better life for its citizens. All megalopo-lises have to meet these challenges.
Shanghai has already done an impres-sive job but its leadership has decided not to sit on its laurels but to rise even higher. The Expo is therefore a call to make all big cities more productive, more user-friendly, more cyber-spatial and more forward-look-ing. But the message coming out of the Shanghai Expo and the Chinese Pavilion is that big cities should be responsive to the needs of the people. They should have
not only strong arteries of commerce, fi-nance and trade but they should also have a “soul.”
As the Commissioner General of the Pakistan Pavilion, could you comment on the features and the theme of the Paki-stan Pavilion for the Shanghai World Expo? How are they demonstrated in the design of the pavilion?
Under the overall Expo 2010 theme “Better City, Better Life,” Pakistan has chosen the theme “Harmony in Diversity.” This theme reflects the reality in Pakistan. Pakistan comprises four provinces and different ethnic and linguistic groups. Yet they form one harmonious nation. People from Balochistan, North West Frontier Province, Sindh and Punjab form part of one fabric when they move into cities. Over the years, our main cities—Karachi, Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad, Peshawar and Quetta have attracted people from all areas of Pakistan, but they all move into the urban centers assuming new, harmo-nious communities.
This diversity—and the harmony emitting from it— is reflected in the ar-chitecture of the pavilion. The exterior is a miniature replica of the Lahore Fort, which symbolizes the traditional roots of our modern urban life. Inside the pavilion, cultures of all provinces would be show-cased in the national concourse. The depic-tions will include lives of common people, prominent personalities, and majestic geographical features of Pakistan.
What will be the highlight of the Pakistan Pavilion?
Harmony, harmony, harmony! Har-mony within city, harmony among cities, and harmony with regional and interna-
tional neighborhood. No city is an island today. Probably no city ever was. In our times, cities are part of an international organism. Every day city leaders, officials, entrepreneurs, artists, and intellectuals transact with other cities inside and out-side the country. Cities therefore become catalysts for national and global harmony.
Our pavilion has planned many events during the period of the Shanghai World Expo; I think the highlight will be on Au-gust 14, the Independence Day of Pakistan. We will have live shows and performances and actors from Pakistan; most impor-tantly, some high-level leaders will be there. Besides, we are also expecting the partici-pation of our leadership for the opening ceremony of the Shanghai World Expo.
What are your expectations for the Shanghai Expo?
The Shanghai Expo is a mega event by all standards. At least 70 million people will visit Expo pavilions in a short period of six months. This is going to be a huge gathering and set a new record. The event comes on the successful trail of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China. The Expo will demonstrate China’s economic prowess and its penchant for innovative solutions to bring people and nations closer through commerce and cul-ture. The Shanghai Expo will also vividly show that China has successfully defied the international financial crisis and led the world out of an impending and poten-tially prolonged recession. The Shanghai Expo is a global confidence-building mea-sure. The most important message, no doubt, is of connectivity, and integration. In this exposition, we see Confucius’ epi-
Harmony inDiversityAn interview with Masood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to ChinaBy WANG SONGMasood Khan, Pakistan’s Ambassador to
China
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Profile: Masood KhanMasood Khan is a career diplomat
and has been Pakistan’s Ambassador to
China since September 2008. Previously,
he was the ambassador and permanent
representative of Pakistan to the United
Nations Office in Geneva from 2005 to
2008. He was the Chairman of the Com-
mittee on Internet Governance at the
World Summit on the Information
Society in 2005. He has been appointed
by the Pakistani Government as the
Commissioner General of Pakistan
Pavillion for the Shanghai World Expo.
gram being enacted on the world stage—”Harmony without Uniformity.”
If you were to recommend three Pakistani cities to foreign tourists, which three would you choose? Why? If you were to recommend three Chinese cities to your compatriots, which three would you choose and why?
I would recommend five, instead of three, cities of Pakistan. These are Lahore, Islamabad, Karachi, Peshawar, and Quetta. I have suggested Lahore not because the Pakistan Pavilion is a replica of the Lahore Fort, but because this one city brings to-gether commerce, culture and history.
My second choice is Islamabad. Some would say it is the best city because of its modernity. Since it is a new city, only four decades old, it does not have traditional character. This deficit is being removed by the city leadership. Now gradually, you would see traditional architecture and monuments springing up. On the other hand, the city is in one of the most beauti-ful locations, with a valley surrounded by hills on two sides. Traffic is not cluttered. All sectors are well planned. Shopping malls are bustling. Traditionally, this city used to belong to only top government leaders, civil servants, diplomats and their families. But Islamabad is no more an “of-ficial city.” It has attracted entrepreneurs from home and abroad. Now the city has a robust private sector and a rich cultural landscape.
The third city is Karachi, a sister city of Shanghai and a metropolis in its own right. This city is a melting pot and is al-ready a national and international hub of industry, commerce and culture. Karachi is striving to regain its glory and realize its
full potential as a pivot in South Asia and the Gulf.
I also want to mention Peshawar and Quetta, not only because these cities are capitals of our two most important prov-inces but also because they are custodians of our rich cultural heritage.
I love all cities of China. But I will choose only three. First, I really like Bei-jing, because shortly after joining the foreign service of Pakistan, I came to this beautiful city in 1982 to study Chinese language at Beijing Language Institute for one and a half years. Then I went on to work in the Pakistan Embassy for two and a half years. So I am biased towards Bei-jing. But beyond my bias, Beijing is one of the best cities in China and the world. It is the seat of the Government, Party and Legislatures. Beijing is a beautiful blend of contemporaneity and antiquity. It has a royal backdrop and a dynamic corporate landscape.
The second city is Shanghai, which I call an urban marvel. No modern city of the size of Pudong was ever constructed in such a short time. The aesthetic skyline of the city captures its splendor and the func-tionality. The old and the new Shanghai merge so well into each other. Shanghai’s international environment now attracts a large number of leaders, scholars, and businessmen. What is more, the living standards of the residents of Shanghai are becoming a model for others in China as well as in China’s neighboring countries.
The third is Chongqing, the largest city in the world with a population of 30 million. It is a bustling city, almost a city-state unto itself. What attracts me most is the city’s hot cuisine, which is the closest
The Pakistan Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo
to the Pakistani food. It is cuisine for sure but that is not all. The city offers the best natural environment and hundreds of civic activities for its residents.
How would you evaluate China’s efforts so far in hosting the Shanghai Expo?
China has done a fantastic job. The Expo authorities, by their efficiency and effectiveness, have created new models for managing international mega events. The most outstanding characteristic of the Expo’s management style is synergy in marshaling the resources at home and integrating contributions of nations and businesses from abroad.
What opportunities will the Shang-hai Expo present for the development of Sino-Pakistani relations and for ex-changes between the two peoples?
For us, the Shanghai Expo has two key objectives: to showcase Pakistan’s unique characteristics as a nation and to project powerful images of a time-tested friendship between Pakistan and China. In Shanghai, there would be a seamless interface between these two objectives. We are planning for visits of our state leaders, lawmakers, traders, entrepreneurs, media persons, academics, and cultural icons. This would enhance people-to-people con-tacts.
Pakistan-China friendship is also dem-onstrated in the Shanghai Expo site itself. Our Pavilion is located next to the China Pavilion. Visitors to the Chinese Pavilion would naturally be lured to walk into the pavilion next door, which is ours. IC
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46 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
My name is Conny Peter-son. I am from Sweden. I have been in Shanghai for three years; I’m a golf coach here. I think I will have to visit the Expo at least four times, since the site is so big and there are so many pavilions. My friends and family will also be coming to check out the Expo. I am par-ticularly interested in the Germany Pavilion.
My name is Meng Xianmin. I live in the Xuhui District of Shanghai. I am a retired worker. I want to see the Expo with my friends. The China Pavilion is definitely a must-see for me. However, I’m not going to visit the Expo too soon, because the municipal government wants us to wait so it will be less crowded. I am happy that the Expo is going to be held in my city; it has made my city much cleaner and nicer than before.
We are Ye Lu and Jiang Xiao, a new-ly married couple. We work together, and our company gave us two tickets to the Expo, so we’re definitely going to check it out. We haven’t decided on which pavilions to see yet. Ye Lu: I think the Expo will greatly improve the city’s traffic. Jiang Xiao: I think the event has increased urban housing prices; unfortunately, this is going to hold up our plans to buy a home in the downtown area.
I’m Prakaiboudsapa Prak-oonsukjai from Thailand. I am a volunteer at the Thailand Pavilion. I think the most interesting part of our pavilion is the his-tory of the relationship between China and Thai-land. I have been in China for two years and I am so happy to be a volunteer here. I hope all the visitors like my country’s pavilion.
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Snapshots of Shanghai residentslike It!
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47EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
I’m Paul Marks. I am from the U.S. I have been living in Shanghai for almost 10 years. I will go to see the Expo with my business partners and family. I think the World Expo will be a great platform for international communication. I am interested in all the pavilions, but as an American, I of course have a spe-cial interest in the American Pavilion.
My name is Lu Zheng. I’m a taxi driver. I live in Shanghai’s Xuhui District. I want to take my fam-ily to see the Expo, but I will probably be too busy for the next several months. I hope to see the Expo in the last days before the closing ceremony. The Expo has really made a difference to me as far as alleviating some of the heavy traffic in Shanghai; there are far fewer traffic jams now.
My name is Zhang Wenchao. I am a stu-dent at Shanghai’s Donghua University. I will be a volunteer at the Expo this October, but I will definitely check out the Expo Park before then. My friends and family are coming all the way to Shanghai to see the Expo with me.
I’m Li Jiahe. I live in Meilanfang Lane in Shanghai’s Luwan District. I think that the Expo has made transportation in Shang-hai much more convenient than before! The subway station is only a minute’s walk from my home; it can take me directly to the Expo site. There are so many pavil-ions and I want to see all of them!
47EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
HI-TecH & InvenTIons
48 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
Wings of lightBy QIAO ZHENQI
At first glance, the China Pavilion is a brilliant shade of crimson but, like the Theme Pavilion, it is also “green.” Both pavilions
harness energy from the sun using ad-vanced solar cells embedded under their surfaces, making them “green” power sta-tions.
The Chinese technology used in the building is part of a new solar energy solution—BIPV, or Building-Integrated Photovoltaic technology. Unlike earlier
Night view of the Theme Pavilion
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solar panels, BIPV cells are built into the structure of the building rather than at-tached to the surface.
Jiangsu-based Suntech Power, the world’s third largest solar power company, designed, supplied and installed the photo-voltaic systems. The pavilions’ 18,000 solar energy modules cover an area of about five football fields; systems for the two pavil-ions cost about $26 million.
The buildings will not just serve their own energy needs. They are attached to the city’s power grid and can produce
about 2.85 million kilowatt hours of elec-tricity annually. These two “green” power stations will save about 1,000 tons of coal a year; enough to meet the yearly demand of 5,000 people. They will also emit about 2,500 fewer tons of carbon dioxide than regular power stations each year as well as substantially less sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, smoke and dust.
The China Pavilion’s solar energy modules are built into its terrace and view-ing platform; the glass curtain wall on the viewing platform is composed of specially made solar panels. As for the Theme Pavil-ion, it is the largest BIPV building in Asia, with about 26,000 square meters of solar energy modules on its attractively designed roof.
The two pavilions are part of the larg-est BIPV grid-connected system in Asia,
demonstrating China’s advanced technology in solar energy applica-tion. The buildings display the prin-ciple of “ecological architecture” that will be an important feature of future urban construction.
Solar thermal collectors and other photovoltaic materials were
introduced at the 1982 World’s Fair in Knoxville, Tennessee. At Hanover’s 2000 Expo and at the 2005 Expo in Aichi, Japan, solar power was also a prominent theme. This year’s Expo will focus more on solar power than any previous Expos.
Other buildings at the World Expo also use solar energy, with a predicted total capacity of around 5 megawatts.
According to Professor Chu Junhao, an expert in photoelectricity, the World Expo will offer a great opportunity for peo-ple to share knowledge about solar tech-nology. “National pavilions like UK, France and Germany have also adopted BIPV technology. We can draw lessons from others on solar cell and “green” building. This will give impetus to the development of BIPV in China, therefore upgrading its photovoltaic industry.”
The World expo will offer a great opportunity for people to share knowledge about solar technology
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Workers fixed solar energy modules on the China Pavilion earlier this year
Technicians at the Suntech Power check quality at a solar cell production line. The com-pany supplies the photovoltaic systems for the China Pavilion and Theme Pavilion
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50 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
Haibao Robot
A Shanghai Expo mascot robot was unveiled in March. Thirty-seven of these robots will provide visitors with informa-tion and act like receptionists. The robots are capable of greeting visitors and introducing themselves in six languages: Chinese, Japanese, Korean, English, French and German. Equipped with touch screens on their chests that show off animated facial expres-sions, they are also able to interact with tourists by shaking hands and taking photos.
Digital Certificate
Vehicles with a digital ID and drivers with a digital driver license can enter or leave the Expo site without stopping. A cam-era will record the plate number, while radio frequency identifi-cation (RFID) technology will confirm the digital ID and driver license. If the information is inconsistent, the vehicle will be listed as stolen.
Vacuum Transportation
A hi-tech tube system will display a new concept in gar-bage collection for the Expo site and will be cleaner and more efficient than traditional methods. The system is completely automatic and is powered by negative pressure. When waste
thrown into collection units reaches a fixed quan-tity, the system will be activated and negative pressure will send it to treatment centers. After reaching the centers, the garbage will
be instantly compressed. Using closed tubing and instant compression means fewer
odors are released into the air.
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cool GadgetsThe World Expo is never short of inspiring, cool gadgets that enlighten visitors to the Expo. The Shanghai World Expo is no exception. In this issue we are delighted to introduce to our readers some of these interesting technologies and products
51EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
Intelligent Wheelchair
An intelligent wheelchair will make its de-but in the Life and Sunshine Pavilion. This hi-tech product can communicate with the user and follow orders. The chair has a computer control system as the “brain,” a laser detector as its “eyes,” a microphone as its “ears,” and a speaker as the “mouth.” Like standard wheel-chairs, it weighs less than 20 kg.
OLED
“Wallpaper” that can glow with light will be unveiled at the Shanghai World Expo, thanks to research into Organic Light Emitting Diode (OLED), technology which is widely hailed as key to the next generation of environmentally friendly lighting. With the use of computer techniques, the wallpaper’s bendable flat-panel screens can change patterns and colors. Other uses for OLED include flexible display screens. Since they would con-sume very little electricity they could be powered by small solar panels. This technology could be used for roadside traffic warn-ing signs.
3-D TV
High-definition projection technology unveiled at the Expo will be used to create spectacular special effects. 3-D technology proved very popular in the recent hit movie Avatar. But unlike the film, audiences will be able to enjoy 3-D TV without special glasses. The dimensional display system uses a projection tech-nique called Digital Light Processing (DLP), which can be used for screens more than 100 inches wide.
Electricity Generating Vehicles
With the popularization of smart grids, an energy-saving way of controlling energy transfer from suppliers to consumers, cars can be energy generators rather than energy consumers. At the Expo this will be demonstrated by an electric car, which is an environmental friendly ve-hicle. It is also a mobile accumulator that stores electric energy generated from movement. The energy can be transferred to the smart grid for other uses.
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cHA’sTea culture is one of China’s oldest and most celebrated traditions. Similarly, the exuberant art of acrobatics also has a long history in China. The China Acrobats Association’s CHA stage show at the Shanghai World Expo brings these two traditions together in an exciting and innovative way
By YUAN YUAN
While the quiet, introspec-tive act of drinking tea may seem to be in complete conflict with the dynamic
performing art of acrobatics, Li Xining has found a way to make the two coexist in harmony.
As the director of the CHA stage show at the Shanghai World Expo, Li has spent the last five years trying to combine these two traditions into a unified whole.
Li’s experience with acrobatics, cour-tesy of her position as Vice Chairman of the China Acrobats Association, made her the perfect person to accomplish this task. She was inspired to create the show when she found herself drinking tea while watching an acrobatic performance. “Why can’t we put acrobatics and tea together on the stage?” she asked herself.
“I couldn’t stop thinking about it, although I knew it would be a very difficult show to make,” says Li. “Acrobatics is an art form that involves many skillful and quick movements while tea has always been associated with a quiet environment and a slow pace.”
Li did find that both of these arts had something in common: a long history in China. Popular legend says that an an-cient Chinese emperor named Shennong discovered tea when some leaves fell into a pot of water that he was boiling. Acro-
Tea story
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batics, on the other hand, is based on the movements that people of early civiliza-tions depended on for survival, such as climbing and jumping. Acrobatic perfor-mances were featured in village harvest festivals during the Western Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – A.D. 8).
After doing some research, Li spent five years writing the script for the show, even working on it during a stay in the hospital. Li’s memories of the two years she spent on a tea farm in China’s south-west Sichuan Province during her child-hood gave her some ideas for the script.
After completing the script and cast-ing suitable performers, Li debuted her show (originally given the English title Tea) at the Yunnan Arts University in May of 2009. The performance garnered 28 awards, giving Li the confidence boost she needed to take the show to Shanghai.
Li has shortened the show from 90 minutes to 45 to better suit the Expo stage. She has also changed the name of the performance; it is now called CHA, the Chinese word for tea.
“We’ve involved many more interna-tional elements in the performance since it is going to be seen by visitors from all over the world,” says Li.
Even the show’s promotional poster was redesigned for the Expo.
“We wanted to include almost all the
elements from the performance in the poster, as well as make it look more mod-ern,” says Li. “Being traditional doesn’t mean being unfashionable. We want [the show] to be accepted by young people and the international world.”
The show has five acts, each coming together to tell the story of the origin of Chinese tea. The life of Lu Yu, regarded as the Chinese Sage of Tea, is a main focus of the story.
“For different parts, we choose differ-ent art forms and elements,” says Li. “We put martial arts in the ‘Buddhism’ portion of the performance and included a theatri-cal-style play in the teahouse culture part.”
After having to cut the performance in half for the Expo, Li has expressed a desire to remake the story for future per-
An acrobat takes to the stage for CHA’s Expo debut on May 1, 2010
53EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
Lu Yu: Sage of TeaLu Yu (733-804), renowned as the
Sage of Tea, came into the world as an
orphan. He gained his first knowledge
of tea by pouring the beverage for the
monks in the temple where he lived.
At 12, he left the temple and traveled
with an opera group before striking out
and traveling the country on his own
at 24. During his travels, he studied tea
extensively; after three years, he settled
down in a small town in east China’s
Zhejiang Province to write his most fa-
mous work, The Classics of Tea.
The Classics of TeaIn about 7,000 words, Lu’s classic
book records the origin, function, and
cultivation of tea drinking during the
Tang Dynasty (618 – 690). The book
discusses the geography of Chinese tea,
pointing out the qualities of tea from
different parts of the country. With this
book, tea culture became a significant
part of Chinese culture as a whole.
Tea-on-HorsebackTea-on-Horseback along Ancient
Road, or Cha Ma Gu Dao, is one of the
longest ancient trade roads in the world
with a length of about 5,000 km. This
road has its origins in the Tang Dynasty;
riders on horseback would travel this
road to take tea to foreign countries for
the purpose of trading. The road played
a significant role in early trade between
China and its neighboring countries.
Today, some parts of the road are still
very well preserved.
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formances, and restore it to its former self. After the Expo concludes, CHA will tour around the world with the original 90-minute version.
CHA will be performed four times each day from May 1 to June 30. The per-formances will take place in the Entertain-ment Hall of the Expo Park at 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 6 p.m., and 8 p.m. daily. An acrobat wows the crowd during a performance on May 3, 2010
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54 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
remembering a revolution
By KATHRYN MINNICK
Prehistoric-style cave dwellings, belly dancers, the sharpshooter Annie Oakley, and a 20-ton champagne cask hauled into
Paris by a team of 24 cattle were a few of the attractions that competed with the Eiffel Tower for attention at the Universal Exposition of 1889.
The six-month Expo, held at the Champ de Mars in Paris, commemorated the 100th anniversary of the French Revo-lution and the achievements of France as
a republic. The event was attended by 35 countries, including first-time participant Argentina. However, monarchies in Great Britain and Germany snubbed the gather-ing because it memorialized the overthrow of French royalty. About 60,000 exhibi-tors—mostly from France—had displays at the show, which was attended by around 30 million visitors.
Like other Expos, the 1889 fair fea-tured outsized architecture, including the huge Machinery Hall. The Hall—at 110 by
420 meters—covered the longest interior space of any building in the world. The iron structure was considered the most beautiful of all the pavilions at the Expo and was coined a “19th-century cathedral,” due to its grandeur and beauty. It was later razed in 1909. The 50-hectare site also featured many other buildings, including a reconstruction of the Bastille and its sur-rounding neighborhood; a Palace of Indus-tries; a Palace of Fine Arts; and 33 life-size structures tracing the history of human
The 1889 Exposition’s huge Machinery Hall was torn down in 1909
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Eiffel’s Shrewd Plan
The Eiffel Tower was not only one of
the biggest sources of controversy in late
19th-century Paris, due to its radical de-
sign, it was one of the shrewdest business
decisions of the age.
The preliminary design for the Eiffel
Tower was hatched by engineers and ar-
chitects working for Gustave Eiffel. Early
in the planning stage for the tower, how-
ever, Eiffel bought the plans from his em-
ployees. When the Exposition Committee
refused to finance the tower, Eiffel struck
a deal to handle the financing himself—in
exchange for all proceeds from the tower
for its first 20 years. Eiffel paid off the
cost of the tower within the first year
and subsequently became a very wealthy
man, as hordes of tourists paid to visit the
tower.
Eiffel’s business deal may have secured
the longevity of the tower. Originally, the
Eiffel Tower was to come down after 20
years, but the Parisian public—as well
as some conservative opponents of the
tower—eventually warmed up to its un-
conventional architecture.
habitation from reed huts to Persian man-sions. Visitors could survey the grounds from a 3-km narrow-gauge railway—or they could take to the sky and view the site from one of two hydrogen passenger bal-loons, each seating about 10 people.
Still young inventions were popu-larized at the Expo. For example, at the Telephone Pavilion visitors could listen to music and voices transmitted by telephone from the Opéra or Comedie Francaise sev-eral miles away.
Electricity, especially lighting, became popular. The Eiffel Tower, the Palace of In-dustries and other buildings were illumi-nated nightly, to the great pleasure of the crowds. A fountain in front of the Palace of Industries employed electric lights that changed color to the sound of a military
band. Thomas Edison also had a large elec-trical exhibit where he displayed several new and older inventions, including his phonograph and first motion picture.
Culture was an important part of the Expo as well, with performances from across the world. Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show—very popular with local crowds—played for the full run of the Expo. Elegant-ly dressed Javanese dancers and musicians were also popular; Javanese gamelan mu-sic subsequently influenced French com-posers such as Debussy. Every Tuesday night the Expo featured an exotic parade of people from far-away countries—many from French colonies—including veiled dancers from North Africa; mounted cav-alry from Senegal; soldiers from Algeria; and colorful dragon dancers from South-
east Asia. Like all Expos, this one had its share
of the absurd: a series of heads of U.S. presidents in the form of white clay to-bacco pipes; and a replica of the Venus de Milo—in meltable chocolate. Likewise, it also featured what would now raise gasps of offense—a “human zoo” featuring 400 indigenous people living in traditional, primitive conditions.
Unlike Paris’s 1878 World Expo, this exposition actually made money—about 8 million francs. In all, organizers and the French public seemed pleased with the re-sults. France’s 100-year-old republic—the wellspring of the country’s achievements on display at the Expo—had been vindicat-ed; millions of visitors also had a wonder-ful time.
Eiffel’s controversial structure towered over the 1889 Expo in Paris
Ornamental electric lighting delighted visitors to the Universal Exposition in Paris in 1889
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Heaven on EarthXintiandi: Every metropolis has certain buildings or neighborhoods that reflect its history and culture—Xintiandi is one of these areas in Shanghai
Young women on duty at the gate of the Shanghai Pavilion; the gate is characteristic of Xintiandi’s Shikumen style
57EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
Nestled in the center of Shang-hai, close to the bustling South Huangpi Road subway station, Shanghai’s Xintiandi (literally
translated as “new heaven and earth”) Dis-trict has become an urban tourist attraction imbued with the city’s historical and cultural legacies.
As the first successful redevelopment project in the city’s downtown area, Xin-tiandi is a trendy shopping complex that still retains some of the characteristics of “old” Shanghai. By renovating the old build-
site. Shopping and entertainment are the name of the game in the South Block; the restaurants, boutique shops and cinemas previously mentioned make up the vast majority of the buildings here.
The North Block, on the other hand, is mostly made up of Shikumen-style buildings, creating a sharp contrast to the modern South Block. However, although the buildings themselves are old, the interiors have been renovated and mod-ernized to a great extent. In addition, the North Block features many international restaurants; cuisines from France, Brazil, Japan, Germany and Italy can all be found here.
Dividing these two blocks is Xingye Road, where the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of Chi-na was once held. The congress was held in the living room of a two-story Shiku-men building on this road in 1921. Today the site is recognized as one of China’s national historical sites.
With its unique mixture of historical significance and modern convenience, Xintiandi appeals to visitors from all over the world. International modeling com-petitions and fashion shows have been held here. In addition, celebrities like Jackie Chan and Alan Tam have opened their own restaurants and shops in the district, creating a “celebrity appeal” that is hard for some fans to resist. A French
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ings and working around them rather than destroying them, the developers created a neighborhood that is simultaneously mod-ern and historical.
After its completion in 2001, Xintiandi won several awards both at home and abroad, including the 2003 Annual Urban Land Institute (ULI) Award for Excellence and the National Culture Industry Demon-stration Base Award in 2004.
Inside XintiandiXintiandi’s blend of old and new archi-
tectural styles makes it an interesting site to see. On the outside, the buildings retain the antique walls, tiles and exteriors unique to the Shikumen style of old Shanghai.
However, the inside of the district is wholly modern. Its interior presents a totally different world: theme restaurants, coffee shops, wine bars and art galleries, all of which are particularly popular with Shanghai’s young upper class. The district’s boutique shops, cinemas and a world-class gym are also popular attractions. Just walk-ing into a café or teahouse in Xintiandi gives one an immediate idea of what it’s like to live the trendy lifestyle of the 21st-century urbanites who call this area home.
Xintiandi’s car-free pedestrian mall is di-vided into the South Block and North Block. The South Block mainly consists of modern buildings with only a few Shikumen-style buildings dotted sporadically around the
The plaza at the entrance to Xintiandi
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58 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
restaurant featuring cabaret shows and folk performances in one of the district’s Brazilian restaurants are among the many diversions that Xintiandi has to offer.
At the center of the district is the Taipingqiao Lake and Park, a 44,000- square-meter park full of tall trees and lush greenery. The park also features the largest man-made lake in downtown Shanghai with an area of 12,000 square meters. This quiet park offers a serene getaway from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city, and is a perfect match for the laid-back lanes of the Shikumen-style areas of the district.
In Xintiandi, the past meets the pres-ent; Chinese elements and international flavors coexist in harmony. The brick walls, tiles and alleys from the past carry a strong local flavor, while the fashionable shops and restaurants give every corner a modern touch. The modern lifestyle en-joyed by the residents here contrasts with a sense of history, making it almost seem like one is traveling backward in time while still remaining in the present.
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Xintiandi: a Blend of the Past and PresentAddress: South of Huaihai Zhonglu, between Huangpi Nanlu and Madanglu, Luwan District Transportation: Bus No. 42, 146, 911, 926, 932 or Bus Tunnel Line 8 (get off at Huaihai
Road or Huangpi Road S.; Subway Line 1 (get off at Huangpi Road S. Station)Scenic Spots Around Xintiandi: Shanghai Century Park, Shanghai Botanical Garden, Shang-
hai Zoo, Shanghai Changfeng Park and Shanghai Gongqing Forest Park
1 A distant view of Shanghai’s Xintiandi and its surrounding buildings
2 Street lamps on a lane in Xintiandi
3 The site of the First Na-tional Congress of the Com-munist Party of China, held on Xingye Road in Xintiandi
4 An open-air coffee shop in Xintiandi
5 A Starbucks coffee shop in Xintiandi
6 A typical Shikumen-style building in Xintiandi
7 Two tourists walk through one of Xintiandi’s Shikumen lanes
8 The entrance to a tea-house at Xintiandi
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LIVE MUSIC
STAGE SHOWS
Music For Germany Pavilion Day ◎
Time: May 19, 12:20 p.m.
Venue: Sun Valley Plaza of Expo Axis
In celebration of Germany Pavilion Day, President Horst Köhler will visit the Germany Pavilion. Red, black and yellow pride will be everywhere as Germans celebrate this special day. At the Sun Valley Plaza Stage, three distinctive styles of music performed by three German groups. Human beatboxers will keep the beat as an octet from the Young Euro Classic Orchestra plays Mo-zart’s Gran Partita . 2raumwohnung, a German pop band, will also perform.
Violinist Angèle Dubeau ◎
Time: May 14, 11 a.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7:30 p.m.
Venue: City Square
Angèle Dubeau, one of Canada’s foremost virtuoso violinists, will contribute to the celebration of Mon-treal Day on May 14 by performing Opus Montreal with the string ensemble La Pietà that day. Six musi-cal pieces will be played.
Jazz: An American ◎
Tradition
Time: May 14, 8p.m.-11p.m.
Venue: United States Pavilion
One of the first big music events at the U.S. Pavilion fea-tures a host of American jazz and crossover talent, includ-ing Herbie Hancock, Dee Dee Bridgewater and the Theloni-ous Monk Institute playing at the Expo Entertainment Hall.
Rod and stick puppet show ◎
Journey to the West
Time: 10:30 a.m., 2 p.m., each day from May 1 to August 8
Duration: 30 minutes
Venue: Dock Theater
The show gets its material from the Chinese classic Journey to the West . With the Monkey King as the main
Mark Rowswell, Canada’s Commis-sioner General for the Expo, will host the show. Rowswell, better known un-der his stage name “Da Shan” in China, is the “most famous foreigner in China” for his role performing xiangsheng (a popular form of comic dialogue).
Brigham Young University’s ◎
Living Legends
Time: May 15, 2:30 p.m.
Venue: America Square
Brigham Young University is a large, private, Mormon-affiliated university located in Provo, Utah in the western part of the United States. A tribute to the ancient cultures of the Ameri-cas and the Pacific, Living Legends combines native American choreog-raphy with colorful Polynesian and Latin American dances to the beats of traditional and contemporary music.
Magic Map of Sesame Street ◎
Time: 11:30 a.m., 3 p.m., each day from May 1 to October 31
Venue: Dock Theater
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character, the show interprets classic stories from the novel in a completely new way by using the traditional art of rod and stick puppets. The show, which is a blend of contemporary popular ideas, classic culture and traditional arts, aims at popularizing Journey to the West among children.
11,373 Kilometers to Celebrate ◎
Friendship
Time: May 14, 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., 5 p.m., 7 p.m.
Venue: America Square
Cirque Eloize, the Montreal-based nouveau cirque troupe, has cre-ated a unique show, 11,373 Kilo-meters to Celebrate Friendship , for the Montreal Day celebration. It aims to create a feel of festiv-ity by blending music, dance and circus arts. It will feature a fusion of media, visual and sound effects.
Angèle Dubeau
JAZZ: Herbie Hancock
Magic Map of Sesame Street
Journey to the West
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61EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
PUBLIC ACTIVITYLIVE MUSIC
STAGE SHOWS
The Miami University ◎
Collegiate Chorale
Time: May 20, 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Americas Square
The Miami University Collegiate Chorale is a mixed choir of 90 undergraduate singers, drawn from all departments of Miami University in Ohio, USA. Performing a repertoire from Bach and Stravinsky to a wide assortment of multicultural music, the Chorale has performed everywhere from the Basilica of St. Peter in Vati-can City to the Hollywood Bowl. Each year the Chorale presents a program of world music in conjunction with Miami University’s Global Rhythms Ensemble. These concerts have includ-ed collaborations at Miami Univer-sity with Grammy award-winning art-ists Dave Brubeck, Glen Velez, Egguie Castrillo, and two concert tours with Indian film composer, A. R. Rahman.
Abilia ◎
Time: 10 a.m.-9 p.m., once each hour, from May 1 to Oct 31
Duration: 45 minutes
Venue: Dock 3, Jiangnan Square
Abilia is a public activity for children. With the slogan “Be the master of future cities and experience wonder-ful life in the future,” Abilia aims to present a virtual occupational environ-ment with real urban communities, allowing children from 5 to 15 years of age to be educated and inspired through participation. Children will experience the joy of growing up here, learning about ethics, diligence, team spirit, and a sense of responsibility.
Trial Course in the ◎
France Pavilion
Time: May 14
Venue: France Pavilion
Come learn the rudiments of French with a French professor from the Alliance Française of Shang-hai in the beautiful setting of the France Pavilion. One of our Chinese-speaking French teachers will in-troduce you to the French language
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The multimedia children’s musi-cal drama Magic Map of Sesame Street is based on characters from the famous American TV program Sesame Street , and also features Haibao, mascot of the Shanghai Expo. The play is entertaining as well as informative and interactive with its hi-tech stage sets. It showcases modern life in China where imagina-tive children face the future with rich exploring spirits, in accordance with the theme of the Shanghai Expo.
Dance Show ◎
Time: May 10-18, 2:30 p.m.
Venue: Oceania Square
Ora is a top dance troupe in Tahiti. Their dance performance on the Expo stage tells a love story about a French explorer and a girl in Tahiti and the many obstacles they encounter. They finally marry and live a happy life.
in the company of Leon the Kitten, the mascot of the pavilion. Groups will receive a guided tour of the France Pavilion before the course.
We Are the World ◎
Time: 9:30 a.m. each day from May 1 to October 31
Venue: Houtan Square
We Are the World is a stage show telling the story of a Chinese fam-ily’s life in the year 2015. Visitors will be invited to experience aspects of life in the future, including a low-carbon kitchen, a long-distance medical diagnosis system, and the “happy farmland” where vegetables and fruits are planted without soil.
The We are the World
poster shows a young wom-
an spelling “Expo” with
hand gesturesMagic Map of Sesame Street
Kids are learning how to bake bread in Abilia
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62 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
Shanghai: The Perfect VenueBy Colin Robinson
On visiting Shanghai last Decem-ber I witnessed the great en-ergy and enthusiasm of the city firsthand. The city was covered
in Christmas decorations; the shopping malls were crowded and busy, suggest-ing the growing interest of Chinese in the Christmas holiday. This appeared to fit with Shanghai’s reputation as a city that represents a fusion of Eastern and Western cultures. This can be seen in all areas of the city from architecture to shopping and transport.
Shanghai has been a popular city among tourists for a number of years and has a large number of permanent resi-dents originally from Europe and America. It is easy to see why Shanghai is so appeal-ing to visitors from around the world. It has an interesting fusion of Eastern and Western cultures—from the vivacious
shopping area of Nanjing Road and the many restaurants offering a wide range of cuisine, to the stunning architecture of the Bund and the friendly nature of Shang-hai’s citizens. The historical nature of the city was also very apparent at a number of landmarks, especially the City God Temple which dates back over 600 years to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Recently, I traveled to Shanghai a sec-ond time. I visited the Expo site and was able to see the impressive Expo Park from Lupu Bridge. Several pavilions stood out, particularly China’s Oriental Crown, which looms large above the Expo site with its imposing stature and bright shades of red. The wide variety of pavilions of all shapes and sizes means there will be no shortage of things to do, see and experience at this world exhibition.
As one of the largest cities in the world
Two tourists pose for a picture at Shanghai’s major shopping area—Nanjing RoadIC
with a developing and expanding infra-structure, I have no doubts that Shanghai will be an excellent venue to host a World Expo. Shanghai will be the first city of a developing country to host a world exhibi-tion and there could be few cities better equipped for such a prestigious honor. The city appears set to handle an intense six-month period which will see the influx of millions of visitors from China and around the world.
I look forward to seeing the ideas and creations from around the world and learn-ing about any developments and progress in terms of ideas for promoting tourism in China as well as environmental protection. I hope and believe the Expo will be a success and help bring progress and prosperity to Shanghai, and China as a whole, as well as provide some useful suggestions on how to resolve urban issues.
Colin Robinson is a Londoner working in Beijing
LEArnInG CHInESE
64 EXPO WEEKLY May 13, 2010
试试这双鞋吧。Shìshi zhè shuāng xié ba.Would you like to try on this pair of shoes?
DialogueA: 试试这双鞋吧。Shìshi zhè shuāng xié ba.Would you like to try on this pair of shoes?B: 有43码的吗?Yŏu sì shí sān mă de ma?Do you have size 43 in this style?
Related expression这些都是最新款式的鞋。Zhèxiē dōu shì zuì xīn kuănshì de xié.
TipsWhen choosing shoes, make sure that the pair provides proper support for your feet and legs, as a pair of suitable shoes can reduce fatigue and
有点小,请帮我换一双。Yŏu diăn xiăo, qĭng bāng wŏ huàn yī shuāng.
please bring me a bigger pair?
DialogueA: 有点小,请帮我换一双。Yŏu diăn xiăo, qĭng bāng wŏ huàn yī shuāng.
please bring me a bigger pair?B: 好的。Hăo de.OK.
Related expression您想要低跟的还是高跟的?Nín xiăng yào dī gēn de háishì gāo gēn de?Would you like low heels or high heels?
TipsWhen deciding to buy high heels, remember to choose a pair that properly suits your feet instead of being a bit bigger than your feet to give your legs good support. While high heels may make your legs look good, for a comfortable walk, buy a pair of sports shoes instead!
这双怎么样?Zhè shuāng zěnmeyàng?How’s this pair?
DialogueA: 这双怎么样?Zhè shuāng zěnmeyàng?How’s this pair?B: 很合适。Hěn héshì.
Related expression这种鞋非常耐穿。Zhèzhŏng xié fēicháng nài chuān.
TipsTry a pair of the traditional Chinese cloth shoes as they are very comfortable. Some time-honored shoe stores like Neiliansheng and Buyingzhai in Beijing sell many kinds of cloth shoes of good quality.
Source: Chinese 101 in Cartoons (for Travelers) and 250 Chinese Words to Get You Around Bei-jing, published by Sinolingua Press
Make Your Way AroundChina with Simple Chinese
Shopping
Shanghai Glory Media Co. Ltd, Expo Weekly (English
Edition)'s exclusive advertising agent, is
committed to providing marketing and promotional
plans for high-end brands. Working with an array of top
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Shanghai Glory Media Co. Ltd, Expo Weekly (English
Edition)'s exclusive advertising agent, is
committed to providing marketing and promotional
plans for high-end brands. Working with an array of top
publishers including Qiushi Magazine, Beijing Central
Business District Administrative Committee and the
China Radio and TV Association, Shanghai Glory Media
Co. Ltd provides successful brand development
solutions for its clients.
No.9 Yintao Golf Villa, 2222 Huqingping Road, ShanghaiTel: 021-59891808 Fax: 021-59891806
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