Shanghai Exposition 2010 News Update (01)

Infrastructure Construction

Reporters learned from civil department, from restoration of Bund to the expansion of subway, all enterprises has to respond to the municipal government called for supporting the 2010 Expo Site.

1. Shanghai to restore Bund ahead of World Expo
2. Shanghai subway to be world's longest by 2010
3. Shanghai is Sprucing Up its Image
4. Metro Line 7 takes the express lane
5. Top city advisers make public transport priority

Services During 2010 Expo

Multicategories of services will be performed for all participants as well as tourists during the 2010 Expo Season, such as Security Drill, Emergency Medical Treat, China Mobile Green Information, Famous exotic food, Free Bus and Musical performance.

1. Security drill held for Shanghai World Expo
2. Shanghai buses to have emergency escape windows
3. Emergency medical teams ready for Expo
4. China Mobile to provide green information service during 2010 World Expo
5. Famous Danish Specialities served during Expo
6. Free Bus service for Expo Visitiors
7. Philadelphia Orchestra to perform at Shanghai Expo

Business and Diplomatic Opportunites

2010 Expo will bring many opportunities for economy and diplomacy. Shanghai and British officals are happy about this great event. So do golden souvenirs investors and online community developers.

1. Signs of rebound for Shanghai's greener economy
2. 7.25 million World Expo tickets sold
3. Buying souvenirs is risky business, warn collectors
4. Shanghai lures the luxury travelers despite tough times
5. Shanghai-British official says World Expo good to Britain-China relations
6. Philadelphia Orchestra to perform at Shanghai Expo
7. Celebrities in support of Expo
8. Tencent to build largest online Expo community
9. Beijing replicates Olympic Village for UBPA display y

2010 Exposition Progress

Countries participating in the World Expo Shanghai 2010 that plan to build their own pavilions for the event in this eastern Chinese city must begin construction work by June 30 of this year, the organizers announced today.

1. Stunning Shanghai Corporate Pavilion Made From Used CD Cases!
2. 'Sun Valleys' lit up in Expo Axis
3. Shanghai-Full-length historical human documentary begins shooting in Shanghai
4. 2010 Shanghai World Expo invites Tibet
5. Construction of Taiwan Pavilion at World Expo starts
6. Fukuda salutes Japan Pavilion
7. South Korea Business Pavilion
8. Indonesia Pavilion at Shanghai Expo
9. Construction of Taiwan Pavilion begin


10. Shanghai-Mexico Pavilion breaks ground for 2010 World Expo


11. Pakistan to show intimacy with China

Shanghai to restore Bund ahead of World Expo

Restoration of historic "Bund Origin" buildings, including the recently saved Shanghai Rowing Club, has started and is expected to be finished before the 2010 World Expo starts in May, the Shanghai Daily reported Monday.

The area contains many historic buildings and 14 of them are on the city's protected buildings list, which means they cannot be torn down. The buildings will be also developed to improve their function, Pan Yihua, from the Shanghai New Huangpu Real Estate Co Ltd, the developer of the "Bund Origin", was quoted as saying by the newspaper. The former British Consulate, built in 1873, will be turned into a public place that can hold major events and art exhibitions. A total of 18,000 square meters of insignificant buildings around the former consulate will be demolished to make a public park on the Bund.

The restored Union Church, built in 1866, is expected to house a local civil affairs department office for issuing marriage certificates. The church was almost demolished after a big fire in the abandoned building in 2007 but was saved by public protest. The Shanghai Rowing Club did not originally make the city's protected buildings list and was earmarked for demolition last month but it was found to have high historical value during the development of the "Bund Origin" project and has been saved.

Shanghai subway to be world's longest by 2010

Sources: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ Shanghai will have the worlds longest subway system in the world by the 2010 World Expo, with 430 kilometers of lines carrying 5.5 million passengers per day, the Shanghai Municipal Transport and Port Authority announced on Tuesday. In addition, Transport and Port Authority said that by the end of this year, the city will have the third longest system in the world, with 350 kilometers of lines.

Shanghai currently has the most extensive subway system in China, with 250 kilometers split between eight subway lines carrying 4.42 million passengers per day. Ultimately, however, the city plans to build up 11 subway lines before the 2010 World Expo, including three more lines C numbers 7, 10 and 11 C which the city expects to be operational by the end of this year. By 2010, the subway will carry more than 35 percent of Shanghais public transportation passenger volume. In addition, 50 percent of visitors to the World Expo are expected to use the subway as their primary means of transportation through the city.

Shanghai is Sprucing Up its Image

Name of the reporter: HOWARD W. FRENCH Sources: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/15/world/asia/

History has encouraged Shanghais people to feel a certain entitlement to the spotlight. After all, this is Chinas first truly modern city, its first world city, and it remains Chinas largest city, even if nowadays just barely so.

For months now, that has meant extraordinary things for the neighborhoods of this city. Extensive new subway lines are being rushed into service. The finishing touches are being placed on flying cloverleaf expressways. And as buildings rise like plants in some Miracle-Gro commercial, construction cranes can be seen wheeling in every direction.

Much of this theater of change is occurring in the places one would expect, like main streets of central Shanghai, where the sidewalks are being ripped up for the umpteenth time in the seven years Ive known this town. The police, meanwhile, are already stepping up their vigilance against perceived eyesores, like the unlucky beggar I saw being escorted away after he had squatted on the sidewalk on Nanjing Road for momentary relief from the heat in the plume of chill air that streamed out of a downtown shopping mall.

Shanghai is also reportedly rushing into effect new smoking regulations aimed at bringing this tobacco-friendly city into line with increasingly widespread global standards requiring smoke-free zones in restaurants, shopping centers and other public places.

Another key element in the citys drive has equally deep roots in the revolutionary past, with its endless movements and campaigns. In any of these neighborhoods, one cant fail to be impressed by the proliferation of red propaganda banners and slogans, festooned on buildings or hanging above the streets, that exhort the masses to help promote the Expo by being more civilized.

But amid all of this busy re-engineering, both physical and social, Shanghai has overlooked what is perhaps the most basic campaign of all: a hospitality campaign aimed at persuading Chinese people that they are the common siblings of the rest of mankind.

The divide that lingers between the Chinese and the outside world has its roots, of course, in the political choices of the state, which has long taught people to regard foreigners with suspicion the better to foster nationalism and control. In a chapter titled Can We Be Friends?, James Kynge captures this quality perceptively in his book, China Shakes the World. Chinese officials, he writes, are taught that intimacy is forbidden and that making friends with foreigners is work. Observations like these certainly do not represent a judgment on the innate friendliness or unfriendliness of the people Chinese, like people everywhere, come in all types, and that is indeed the point. For Shanghai, the most cosmopolitan city in the country and the one that has arguably benefited more than any other from globalization, though, the time is past due to finally de-exoticize the other, and as good a place to begin as any would be with a sincerely meant hello.

Metro Line 7 takes the express lane

Date:08/09/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/

Another across-river rail service Metro link, Line 7, is expected to be up and running in November, a month ahead of schedule. The line will be a key link between downtown and Baoshan and Putuo districts. Metro Construction Headquarters said yesterday that most of the construction work for the 28 Line 7 stations had been completed, making it possible for the new line to launch trial operations in November.

The headquarters said it had 25 new trains to be used on Line 7 under testing. Another 17 trains will gradually arrive in Shanghai and are expected to be ready before World Expo opens next May. The six-carriage trains will be mainly orange, the theme color of Line 7. Metro officials said they would have 20 trains in service on Line 7 when it opened for trial operations.

The 35-kilometer route starts in the north of the city at the Outer Ring Road in Baoshan District, runs through Putuo, Jing'an and Xuhui districts, and ends at Longyang Road Station, which Line 7 is to share with Line 2. The second phase of Line 9 and first phase of Line 11 are both scheduled to open for trial services before the end of this year. The headquarters said technicians would be aboard each Line 7 train during the early months of service to prepare for any problems caused by malfunctions. When the three new lines come into service, the city will boast a Metro network of 350 kilometers. This will be expanded to 420 kilometers by the start of the Expo.

Daily passengers were expected to jump from 3.4 million at present to nearly 5 million during the Expo, Shanghai construction authorities officials said yesterday. The city will continue to purchase new trains and plans to have 400 in service on Metro routes by the Expo, increasing from the present 215. Metro officials said they would also focus on refitting existing trains with extra carriages.

Top city advisers make public transport priority

Editor: Shanghai Daily Date:27/10/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/a/20091027/000001.htm

The city's top advisory body is urging the municipal government to implement policies to help reduce traffic congestion in the CBD area during the 2010 Shanghai World Expo by encouraging the use of public transport.

After completing a study of the city's transport industry and traffic conditions, a team of members of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference released a report yesterday on initiatives. It suggests allowing Expo ticket holders free travel on trains and buses running to the Expo zones would be an effective way to reduce the use of private and company vehicles.

The report suggests that the government issues temporary bus and subway fare coupons citywide to make travel by public transport cheaper during the Expo. The report also suggests that Expo ticket holders be granted free parking at P+R (park and ride) lots built at outlying traffic hubs. The city government plans to have seven large P+R lots in operation by the start of the Expo, all connected to major Metro and bus hubs. Not all members support the free-travel initiative.

"We need to think about it more carefully," a top advisory body member said yesterday at one of their meetings. "It could easily cause disputes among passengers. Those without an Expo ticket could complain it is unfair." Others said it would cause unnecessary losses in public transport income as some may abuse the tickets. However, all members agreed that Shanghai should adjust parking charges citywide, with an emphasis on increasing costs in CBD areas to control the number of vehicles on downtown streets.

The members also urged lawmakers to look into possible alternative methods to replace city's often criticized car-plate auction system. The city could consider selling long-term parking spaces as a revenue source to replace the car-plate tax, the committee report said

Security drill held for Shanghai World Expo

Sources: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/

SHANGHAI: A security rehearsal was held Saturday for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo to ensure seawater security in East China Sea during the event.

Two helicopters, five vessels and an emergency response team carried out the search and rescue of people who fell into the sea, transfer and medical treatment of the injured, and evacuation of people in danger and firefighting for vessels. The 45-minute exercise was conducted at Wusongkou, Shanghai, on Saturday afternoon by the Donghai (East China Sea) Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport. Sun Fumin, director of the bureau, said the bureau had made an emergency plan to ensure the security of seawater in the East China Sea during the expo, a six-month-long event that starts on May 1 and ends October 31 next year.

Shanghai buses to have emergency escape windows

Sources: China Daily BEIJING: Emergency escape windows will be installed in about 8,000 city buses in Shanghai before the 2010 World Expo opens in May next year, local transport authorities were quoted as saying by Monday's Shanghai Daily.

All new buses must be fitted with escape windows opposite the rear door, and old buses will be gradually fitted with the emergency windows, according to the newspaper. Most air-conditioned buses don't have emergency exits, posing a concern after 27 passengers died and 74 were injured in a bus fire in southwest China's Chengdu City in Sichuan Province on June 5. The accident led to Shanghai Communications, Transport and Port Bureau recommending dedicated escape windows for the city's bus fleet. Last Thursday, seven people were injured when a bus carrying about 20 passengers caught fire in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

Emergency medical teams ready for Expo

Name of reporter: Wang Hongyi Sources: China Daily

Shanghai is prepared to respond to any medical emergencies that may arise during next year's expo, according to city health officials. The event, which is expected to draw up to 700,000 visitors a day, will see five medical stations made up of staff from the city's top hospitals stationed at various posts around the expo site. An additional 10 emergency teams composed of senior physicians from over 30 Shanghai hospitals will also be on stand-by. A number of Red Cross booths will work together with city staff to ensure the safety of visitors during the expo, said Li Weiping, deputy director of the Shanghai Health Bureau.

Up to 10 ambulances will be stationed at the expo site daily to immediately transport patients to hospital if needed. Meanwhile the Shanghai Blood Administration Office has formed an emergency team consisting of over 2,000 members from 19 of the city's districts and counties. In preparing to respond to emergency situations in which large amounts of blood may be needed, it completed its first citywide drill last month. On average the team was successful in collecting up to 282,200 ml of blood within a two-hour span, gathering 34 percent more blood than the original goal set by health authorities. The city's 100 emergency medical teams have also been given additional professional training to help guarantee things go smoothly during the expo period. As a final measure, the bureau has outlined standards for food safety. Protocols for managing infectious diseases are in the pipeline.

China Mobile to provide green information service during 2010 World Expo

Source: http://www.chinaview.cn/index.htm

China Mobile says it's going "green" at the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai. During a social responsibility forum, the communications giant announced it will provide conservation-oriented mobile and internet services at the event. Taking advantage of dozens of new "eco-friendly" technologies, China Mobile says it will reduce its electrical power consumption at the expo by about a third while providing fast, stable and safe internet access through a model network. China Mobile will also be first to use solar and wind energy in the construction of their communication base station.

Famous Danish Specialities served during Expo

Source: http://www.ebst.dk/expoinfo.english/shanghai_nyheder/136479

Danish chef and cookbook author Adam Aamann will be in charge of the catering at the Danish Pavilion where guests can try famous Danish specialities such as open-faced sandwiches known as 'sm?rrebr?d'.

The Chinese will soon get the chance to sink their teeth into real Danish open-faced sandwiches, better known as 'sm?rrebr?d'. The Danish chef Adam Aamann, famous in Denmark for having redefined and modernized the world-famous Danish open-faced sandwiches, will be in charge of the catering at the Danish Pavilion where there will be a roof top caf and a welcome bar.

Adam Aamann is currently in Shanghai to meet with local Chinese suppliers who are going to provide the ingredients for the Danish Pavilion, except when it comes to for instance rye grain because the Chinese traditionally dont eat rye bread which is the base for most Danish sm?rrebr?d. Perhaps you can say that sm?rrebr?d and Danish pastries are Denmarks only contribution to the world cuisine and Im excited to introduce the food to the Chinese and other visitors at the Danish Pavilion, says Adam Aamann who already runs two popular restaurants in Copenhagen.
Not only will visitors be able to taste sm?rrebr?d and Danish pastries, but also other Danish classics such as a special chicken soup will find its way to the menu in the Danish Pavilion.

I want to bring a wide selection of dishes that we in Denmark specialize in making. I want the visitors to know how great Danish food can be when the quality and craftsmanship behind is at its best, says Adam Aamann.

The Danish open-faced sandwiches come with a huge variety of toppings and used to be considered slightly old-fashioned in Denmark. But Adam Aamann thought they deserved a second chance and he discovered that there was a lack of decent places to eat this national speciality. The quality was often poor and the toppings were sometimes buried in a sea of mayonnaise and tartar sauce.

His mission is to go back to the roots of Danish cuisine and to make sm?rrebr?d as delicious as it used to be before the era of mass production. He makes almost everything from scratch, uses only the freshest ingredients and usually arranges his food with a modern touch.

Free Bus service for Expo Visitiors

Date: 25/09/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/

More than 100 free shuttle buses will drive visitors from pavilion to pavilion, and ferries will carry them across the Huangpu River to ensure convenient transportation throughout the site of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, organizers said yesterday.

Visitors will be able to find a shuttle bus station every 300 meters within the 5.28-square-kilometer Expo site, and buses will roll by every three minutes, Huang Jianzhi, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, told a news conference at the annual meeting of Expo participants. The update session, the last before the Expo begins on May 1, brought together 818 representatives of the 242 countries and organizations taking part in next year's event.

The main 14-kilometer-long shuttle bus route will be served by 120 zero-emissions buses that will make stops at an Asian Pavilions Station, China Pavilion Station, Theme Pavilion Station and America Pavilions Station in the Pudong section of the Expo site and a Corporate Pavilions Station in Puxi, or the west side of the Huangpu River.

The vehicles will use the Xizang Road S. Tunnel, one of Shanghai's newest cross-river passages and the only one connecting both Expo zones along the Huangpu River, Huang said. There will be a second, 3-kilometer route in Pudong. Thirty buses will pass the Asian countries' pavilions, the Expo Center, the international organizations' pavilions, European pavilions and African pavilions.

Visitors will also be able to tour the grounds for a fee on eight-seat, golf cart-like vehicles, Huang said. The charge is still under consideration. The electric tour buses will run on the elevated pedestrian paths that link the pavilions, and on the roads. Visitors can stop and board anywhere on the site. In addition to the buses, 70 ferry boats will take visitors across the river. Three wharves will be set up in Pudong and two in Puxi. Another wharf will be built in Pudong for VIPs. Visitors will be able to take six Metro lines - No. 4, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 13, which is known as the Expo Special Line - to the site, officials pointed out. The organizer will build 19 parking lots near the Expo entrances, with capacity for 4,000 buses and 1,400 cars.

An average 400,000 visitors are expected a day, but the number is forecast to double during peaks such as May 1, the opening day of the event, and October 1, National Day and a special day at the China Pavilion. To make entry more convenient, the organizer will advance the opening time by one to two hours from the planned 9am start if substantial numbers of early arrivals are waiting outside.

Philadelphia Orchestra to perform at Shanghai Expo

Date:10/09/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/

The Philadelphia Orchestra has agreed to perform at the Shanghai World Expo next year, an American diplomat said Tuesday, the first US cultural group to sign up for the May 1 - Oct. 31 event. An agreement signed Tuesday calls for the orchestra to perform on May 7 at the Expo Performance Center, which is now under construction and will seat 18,000 when completed. The Philadelphia Orchestra became the first US orchestra to perform in modern mainland China, at President Richard Nixon's request, in 1973 as the US and China worked to re-establish bilateral ties. It has since performed in China four times, including a gala concert in Beijing in 2008. "This occasion marks another step in the US's commitment to the Expo," Shanghai US Consul General Beatrice Camp said in a statement. Organizers say they expect 70 million people to attend the Expo, which is under construction along the banks of the city's Huangpu River. Some 241 countries, regions and organizations plan to stage exhibits, though American organizers struggled to raise private sector funds for the US pavilion, which is now under construction. The Philadelphia Orchestra, founded in 1900, is led by conductor Charles Dutoit.

Signs of rebound for Shanghai's greener economy

SHANGHAI: Shanghais economy appears to be recovering after a nine-month slowdown, mayor Han Zheng said yesterday. "I believe Shanghai will achieve its goal of a 9 percent increase in GDP by the end of the year," he said. Disposable income grew 7.6 percent in the first six months of the year and employment was stable. Foreign investment continued to increase. Han's comments come as a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report said Shanghai's rapid development in the last decade has not had damaging effects to existing air pollution. The city has taken considerable care of creating an environmentally friendly Expo in 2010.

The city has achieved ratings of higher than 85 percent in air quality from 2003 to 2008; the city's overall energy efficiency was 0.79 tons of coal equivalent per RMB 10,000 GDP in 2008, 31 percent lower than 2000. Shanghai's public transportation experiment with new energy vehicles and the tightening of vehicle emissions are all positive measures that have created productive effects in mitigating air pollution, the UNEP report said And regional cooperation is key in controlling air and water pollution, the report said, as pollutants and a large volume of incoming motor vehicles from neighboring provinces affect Shanghai. The Expo will also be a good way for China to demonstrate to the outside world its efforts in mitigating climate change and encouraging a green economy, Steiner continued. Name of reporter: Qian Yanfeng and Cao Li Sources: http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/cndy/

7.25 million World Expo tickets sold

More than seven million tickets for the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai have been sold, Shanghai World Expo Organizer spokesman Xu Wei said at a press conference on Monday, according to Xinhua. Seventy million visitors are expected at next years Expo, with about 3.5 million visitors from overseas, Xu said. Sources: China Daily

Buying souvenirs is risky business, warn collectors

Shanghai Expo-themed collections will sell like hot cakes among impassioned Chinese collectors but this does not make them a safe bet for investors, pundits warn. The first gold models of the China Pavilion were unveiled earlier this month and will be sent to over 250 expo-licensed stores in China already authorized by the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

Organizers hope they follow in the disappearing footsteps of the maiden batch of 10,000 Shanghai Expo gold bars, which ran dry within a month of their release last December. Chinese buyers have also been quick to gobble up the 24,000 silver bars that were placed on souvenir shelves in June.With officials hungry to claw back some of the millions ploughed into the expo, the most expensive Shanghai World Expo 2010 souvenir now comes with a price tag of 58,800 yuan ($8,600), making it the reserve of China's mega-rich, mega-patriotic or megalomaniacal.

Yet despite the initial fervor, veteran collectors are quick to caution that expo memorabilia may prove to be a dangerous investment. To support their claim they point to the slumping prices encountered by Olympic memorabilia in the wake of last year's Beijing Games."We will probably see the same thing happen again," said Wu Shaohua, president of the Shanghai Collectors Association. "Expo collections will devalue soon after the event."Running from May 1 to Oct 31, the 2010 Shanghai Expo is an idea with a pedigree that dates back to the 19th century. Cities like Paris and New York also used their respective expos to highlight their claims to trend-setting modernity and distinctive cosmopolitanism.But with its wealth of coins, badges and other items, Chinese are viewing the event as a golden investment opportunity, said Peng Rongqian, a member of the Shanghai Collectors Association.

One private collector from Wuhan, Hubei province forked out 28,000 yuan last month on four gold and silver bars based on the logic that, in the 160-year history of the expo, this is the first time such souvenir bars have been issued.According to the Beijing Daily, over 200 gold models of the China Pavilion were ordered on the first day of sales at one shop in the capital's downtown area. Produced by Beijing Yuanlong Yato Culture Communications Co, the models are targeting high-end consumers. The 50g model is limited to 10,000 editions and will cost 19,800 yuan ($2,895) apiece, while the 100g model will cost 39,800 yuan (5,000 editions) and the 150g version (2,010 editions) will set buyers back a whopping 58,800 yuan.

All are to-scale miniatures of China's national pavilion, nicknamed the Oriental Crown. The original features traditional Chinese wooden structures as its core architectural element. Twenty artists were involved in designing the models to give them an unusually high art value."So far the expo has received a very warm welcome so we are trying to produce exquisite artifacts," said chief designer Xu Ming. "By taking advantage of the pavilion's theme of the material and spiritual wealth of China and its people, the models have an auspicious meaning of peace and wealth." But analysts remain skeptical as to whether the costly collections can translate into real gains."The room for these souvenirs to appreciate is limited," said Wang Zhenbing, a member of the Putuo Collectors Association. This is especially true if supply begins to outstrip demand, he added.

"Due to patent concerns, the government and expo organizers are restricting the sale of souvenirs to licensed stores, but there are still (exceptions to be found) in the market," he said. "If too many souvenirs like gold or silver coins come out with less cultural value, it is bad news for collectors." The Beijing Olympics are a case in point, with groups of Olympic-themed coins made of valuable metals slumping from 9,000 to 8,000 yuan in the span of a year. "It's hard to tell the true cultural value of these Shanghai Expo souvenirs right now," said Wu of the Shanghai Collectors Association, adding that more time was needed. On the plus side, he said, "they are created by talented individuals rather than by machines." On the down side, the cultural value of most collections "is currently overstated in the market." Name of reporter: Wangzheng Hua Sources: China Daily

Shanghai lures the luxury travelers despite tough times

Global travel may be ailing, but China's biggest city of Shanghai is pursuing luxury travelers with a vengeance, bent on restoring a reputation for opulence and elegance that once made it the Paris of the Orient. As it spruces up for next year's six-month-long World Expo, the metropolis of 20 million is transforming itself from a gritty industrial hub of crammed tenements into a showcase of glittering skyscrapers, quaint but quiet alleyways and meticulously landscaped parks.A complete makeover of the legendary Peace Hotel, which sits astride the city's riverside Bund, is one of scores of projects aimed at packaging the city's Western colonial-style heritage for upscale travelers."The barrier is just being pushed higher and higher," said Rupert Hoogewerf, a Shanghai-based researcher of wealthy Chinese. "Previously (the hotels) may have sought to be the best in the city. Now they're aiming to be the best in the country, or the world."

'Hipper than Hong Kong' Shanghai may not be the first name that pops into mind when it comes to elite travel destinations, but luxury tour operators are flagging it as a choice option, especially for shopping and gourmet dining.Shanghai is "hipper than Hong Kong and more alluring than Beijing," says Concierge.com."The city is probably China's most fashionable and international, boasting the best shopping and nightlife," enthuses luxurytravel.com. A new cruise liner terminal is now a regular stop for deluxe Yangtze River tours; a recently opened Peninsula Hotel and the Hyatt on the Bund, both nearby, offer stunning views of the Huangpu River and the Bund's majestic colonial architecture.Key parts of the city have been transformed by a craze for upscale urban renewal, encouraged by authorities keen to boost real estate prices and lure wealthy investors, both foreign and domestic.Freshly renovated art deco masterpieces and colonial-style villas in the leafy former French concession house sidewalk cafes, luxury boutique hotels and restaurants.Add to that fashion shows, Formula One racing, art shows and other events catering to the well-to-do.

Getting ready for Expo Shanghai's planners expect 70 million visitors to next year's Expo which runs May 1 to Oct. 31. to be held in waterfront plazas that have replaced rusting steel mills and shipyards along the Huangpu River, which slices the city into crammed, older Puxi to the west and ultramodern Pudong sprawling to the east.China's biggest event since last year's Beijing Olympics is expected to draw scores of dignitaries and other elite travelers.Bad news so farBut so far the news for travel this year, luxury or otherwise, is discouraging.Shanghai's tourism arrivals were down about 11 percent from January-April from the year before, while hotel occupancy rates averaged only 46 percent, down about 10 percentage points from a year earlier. Room rates are down by 20 percent to 50 percent, according to the Shanghai Tourism Administration. Those figures reflect the downturn even before travelers began worrying over potential exposure to swine flu, or to being caught up in quarantines imposed no exceptions on anyone suspected of having been exposed to the virus.

Most construction continues, though, backed by lavish spending on Expo preparations and a Chinese economic stimulus package heavily focused on building projects.Most of the world's top hotel operators are expanding here: As of the first quarter of this year China had 964 hotels, or 260,560 rooms, under construction or in planning, according to Portsmouth, N.H.-based real estate consulting firm Lodging Econometrics. Nearly two-thirds of those were luxury-grade hotels. Name of Writer: Elaine Kurtenbach Sources: The Associated Press

Shanghai-British official says World Expo good to Britain-China relations

Mervyn Davies, British minister of state for Trade, Investment and Business, told Xinhua Thursday that World Expo 2010 will be a great opportunity for Britain and China to carry forward bilateral relations. Davies said Britain will invest more than 13 million pounds (21.4 million U.S. dollars) in World Expo 2010. He said Britain attaches great importance to World Expo 2010, and regards the expo as a good chance to promote trade between Britain and China.

Soundbite: Mervyn Davies, British minister of state for Trade, Investment and Business "It's an opportunity with 70 million estimated visitors to showcase how Britain has changed. You know, Britain is now a very modern society, a very diverse economy. And we've really got to make sure the people of China and international to recognize how competitive Britain is, and how it changed." Davies said Britain is busy making preparations for the 2012 London Olympic Games, and will strictly fulfill its commitment to the International Olympic Committee although his home country is undergoing a serious economic downturn.

Soundbite: Mervyn Davies, British minister of state for Trade, Investment and Business "I think the cooperation between Beijing and London has been very close. And I think inevitably, because of the expo, the cooperation between London and Shanghai is will also close. I think that relationship between Britain and China has never been stronge

Philadelphia Orchestra to perform at Shanghai Expo

The Philadelphia Orchestra has agreed to perform at the Shanghai World Expo next year, an American diplomat said Tuesday, the first US cultural group to sign up for the May 1 - Oct. 31 event. An agreement signed Tuesday calls for the orchestra to perform on May 7 at the Expo Performance Center, which is now under construction and will seat 18,000 when completed. The Philadelphia Orchestra became the first US orchestra to perform in modern mainland China, at President Richard Nixon's request, in 1973 as the US and China worked to re-establish bilateral ties. It has since performed in China four times, including a gala concert in Beijing in 2008.

"This occasion marks another step in the US's commitment to the Expo," Shanghai US Consul General Beatrice Camp said in a statement. Organizers say they expect 70 million people to attend the Expo, which is under construction along the banks of the city's Huangpu River. Some 241 countries, regions and organizations plan to stage exhibits, though American organizers struggled to raise private sector funds for the US pavilion, which is now under construction. The Philadelphia Orchestra, founded in 1900, is led by conductor Charles Dutoit. Date:10/09/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/

Celebrities in support of Expo

A number of national and international personalities have sent special messages in support of Expo 2010 in response to an invitation from the organizer. The list so far includes Singapore's veteran politician and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, former German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and former Russian Ambassador to China Igor Rogachev. Tsung Dao Lee and Ding Zhaozhong, both Nobel Prize winners in Physics, have also sent messages of support. Domestic names include Li Wuwei, a leading Chinese economist, Xu Kuangdi, president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE) and Wu Guanzhong, a renowned painter. International figures placed high expectations for the 2010 Expo, believing China has the capability to host a grand economic, scientific and cultural event. They also shared their views on the Expo in terms of international relations, global economy, global culture, investment cooperation and urban development.

The project, called "100 celebrities worldwide talking about Expo 2010" is being organized by the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipal Government, the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, Jiefang Daily, Wenhui Daily and Shanghai Daily. The messages will be about the interaction of human civilization, sound urban development and a harmonious society, international cooperation and mutual trust, the coexistence of the global economy, as well as scientific innovation and the Expo philosophy . Up to 70 messages will be from abroad, including political leaders, mayors of sister cities, heads of international corporations and organizations, Nobel Prize winners, and others from the fields of economics, culture, academia and sport. The messages will be published in Shanghai newspapers including Jiefang Daily, Wenhui Daily and Shanghai Daily from January 21, which marks the 100-day countdown to the Expo. A book comprising their messages will also be issued Date:02/09/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/

Tencent to build largest online Expo community

Expo 2010 senior sponsor Tencent unveiled its strategic "iCity iExpo" project along with a series of Internet products for Expo 2010 on Thursday in Shanghai. The "iCity iExpo" online community project will interact with Shenzhen-based Tencents existing products and services, such as QQ.com, the instant messenger QQ, QQ space and QQ game. Tencent, a Hong Kong-listed company, is expected to organize up to 170,000 Expo volunteers to invite other QQ users to join a volunteer team to promote Expo on the Internet. The online community will also encourage 448 million Tencent service users and about 100 million Expo visitors to the real Expo site to contribute contents to the online Expo travel encyclopedia. Tencents Expo section (2010.qq.com) is expected to have more than 100 million of page views by the opening of Expo 2010 next May.

More than 60 Tencent employees are directly working for the Expo 2010 project. Expo Online will go online in shortly, said Liu Zhiping, president of Tencent Holdings. Expo Online is a virtual reality Website where Expo 2010 participants can show their pavilions and exhibitions online. We are deploying our best technologies and our best teams in online Expo projects and we will offer all-round, top quality Internet services for Expo 2010, Liu added. Zhu Yonglei, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, highly appreciated Tencents contribution as the exclusive Internet service supplier and said that Expo 2010 joining hands with Chinese Internet business shows that Expo 2010 will share its creativity and humanity with more users and let more people know about the event.

Tencent is the senior sponsor in Expo Shanghai's Internet service, including operating and maintaining the official Website of Expo 2010, Expo Online, Expo virtual community and other value-added projects involved in Expo 2010. It also undertook the Expo-related online promotion campaigns for other Expo sponsors. Shanghai Daily works with Tencent to operate and maintain the English version of the official Expo site. Date:31/10/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/a/20091031/000001.htm

Beijing replicates Olympic Village for UBPA display

Beijing will present a green residential community, incorporating the comprehensive use of renewable energy and eco-friendly technology, for its Urban Best Practices showcase at Expo 2010. The initiative was inspired by the energy-efficient Olympic Village, which created a healthy and cozy environment for residents. Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, and Liu Zhi, deputy secretary-general of the Beijing Municipal Government, signed Beijing's UBPA participation contract yesterday. The display will showcase technology in generating power and heating from a wide range of natural energy sources such as wind power and geothermal power. Visitors will be able to experience eco-friendly buildings via some interactive items such as an intelligent control system. Editor: Echo Wu Date:28/10/2009 Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/a/20091028/000002.htm

Stunning Shanghai Corporate Pavilion Made From Used CD Cases!

With the Shanghai World Expo 2010 fast approaching, architects are jumping in on the Better City, Better life theme with concepts like this Shanghai Corporate Pavilion. The plans include many green features, including a structure made from recycled CD Cases. Name of Blogger: Sean Fallon Sources: http://gizmodo.com

'Sun Valleys' lit up in Expo Axis

A "Sun Valley" is lit up in the World Expo 2010 Axis in Pudong Section of the Expo Site in Shanghai, August 17, 2009. All six cone-shaped "Sun Valleys" recently made their debut in the Expo Axis. The Expo Axis is a large, integrated commercial and traffic complex providing catering, entertainment, and exhibition services. It also serves as the main entrance to the Expo site and connects with four major pavilions through an elevated platform and underground passages. [Xinhua]

Shanghai-Full-length historical human documentary begins shooting in Shanghai

Source: http://www.chinaview.cn/index.htm The Bund, a full-length historical human documentary which is scheduled to release in May 2010 when the Shanghai World Expo opens, started shooting 05 Aug 2009 in Shanghai. The Bund, known as exhibition of World's art architectures and landmark of Shanghai, boasts witnessing the history of the city for more than 160 years. Directed by Zhou Bing, whose representative masterpiece is the Forbidden City, the Bund sets bilingual scripts, Chinese and English, to cater to international markets.

Soundbite: Zhou Bing, director of the Bund "The National Geographic Magazine has a product mode which set a model for this. Our target audiences are not only Shanghai residents, but also those who are familiar to English."

The Bund will continue to employ the 3D technology which was also used in Zhou's documentary the Forbidden City. Besides, roles of famous historical figures such as legendary Du Yuesheng and British Robert Hart will be seen in the film.

Soundbite: Zhou Bing, director of the Bund "Audiences are expected to like the Bund more than the Forbidden City. The Bund has more dramatic conflicts and more emotional expression. I always talk about human emotion, which makes a film more attractive."

The production team will visit US Library of Congress in Washington and French National Audiovisual Institute to get some rarely-known video materials.

2010 Shanghai World Expo invites Tibet

Tibetan women dressed in traditional costumes pose with "Haibao", mascot of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region August 22, 2009. A promotion campaign of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo was launched in Lhasa to invite the Tibetans to the Expo. [Xinhua] Sources: China Daily

Construction of Taiwan Pavilion at World Expo starts

Construction of the Taiwan Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo started in Shanghai Monday despite the losses from Typhoon Morakot. The ground-breaking for the pavilion should be attributed to the care and support from all the relevant departments although Taiwan is suffering the worst flood in the past five decades, said Wang Chih-Kang, board chairman of Taipei World Trade Center.

The center received the invitation to build the pavilion only about three months ago. The construction started quickly thanks to the support from the expo organizers, departments in Taiwan and Taiwan-invested enterprises in the mainland, Wang said. The pavilion is expected to cost 200 million yuan ($29 million) and to be finished in March next year.

The pavilion resembles the "sky lantern" or Kong Ming lantern. People fly the lanterns to pray for happiness, safety and health in Taiwan. Morakot wreaked havoc across central and southern Taiwan. At least 126 people were killed and 61 others were still missing by 8 am Monday, according to local disaster response authorities. Another 45 people were injured. Sources: China Daily

Fukuda salutes Japan Pavilion

SHANGHAI (Kyodo) Former Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda and Takamori Yoshikawa, senior vice minister at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, lay the cornerstone of the Japan Pavilion at the Shanghai World Exposition on Friday."The Shanghai Expo will be important as an economic symbol, and Japan will do its best to help it succeed," Fukuda said of the exhibition scheduled to open next year.The dome-shaped Japan Pavilion, covering 7,200 sq. meters and estimated to cost 13 billion, will exhibit energy-saving and water-purification technologies and robots. Sources: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20090228a9.html

South Korea Business Pavilion

Construction is underway of South Korea's business pavilion at the Shanghai Expo site. China News takes you there.The pavilion, covering an area of 3,000 square meters, will give enterprises a chance to showcase their latest developments in eco-friendly technologies. The construction project began Friday.

Green City, Green Life is the theme of the pavilion. 12 enterprises, including Sumsung electronics, Hyundai Motors and Kumho Asiana, are jointly involved. The pavilion, whose architecture draws its design inspiration from Korean traditional dance, will showcase automated housing technology and cutting-edge transportation systems of the future. The pavilion, which will have its own snow maker, is due to be completed in March 2010. It is expected to receive 6 million visitors Source: http://www.chinaview.cn/index.htm

Indonesia Pavilion at Shanghai Expo

Indonesia started construction of its pavilion for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo on 18 Sept 09.With the theme of harmony and diversity, the 4,000- square-meter pavilion in the B zone of Shanghai Expo Site is using bamboo as its main construction material. This is said to symbolize the harmonious interactions of Indonesian traditional culture and modern life.

Soundbite: Mari Elka Pangestu, Minister of Trade "Through this multi-media exhibition, we put visitors in keen touch with Indonesias natural scenery and diversified culture."

Indonesia also confirmed participation in the Expo on June 1, 2006. Its pavilion is expected to reveal Indonesias potential in natural and human resources, tourism and trade. Source: http://www.chinaview.cn/index.htm

Construction of Taiwan Pavilion begin

Construction of Taiwan Pavilion begins Intro: Construction began on the Taiwan Pavilion for the Shanghai Expo 17 Aug 09. As China News shows you- it is designed to look like a "sky lantern." PKG: Architecturally, Taiwan's pavilion resembles a Kong Ming lantern which people fly to pray for happiness, safety and health on the island. According to the plans, it will be a transparent cube made of steel and glass housing a giant ball in its center.

Soundbite: Wang Zhigang, Taipei World Trade Center There will be a platform for praying inside the sky lantern. When praying, all the people will stand on the platform. The platform is made by rock and clay from Taiwan, and also with Sun Moon Lakes water. You'll feel like standing on the earth of Taiwan when standing here. " The outlines of the island's mountains will be painted on the facade of the building- with the theme Mountain, Water, Heart and Lantern.

The Taiwan Pavilion will cost 200 million yuan or about 29 million U.S dollars. Construction is expected to be complete in late March 2010. Tag: Despite huge economic losses after Typhoon Morakot- the deadliest storm to hit the island in half a century, Taiwan officials say they will continue to invest in the pavilion's construction. Source: http://www.chinaview.cn/index.htm

Shanghai-Mexico Pavilion breaks ground for 2010 World Expo

With colorful kites flying by kids from China and Mexico, Mexico Pavilion broke ground for 2010 World Expo 06 Aug 2009. With a theme of living better, Mexican Pavilion is designed to be a semi-underground sloped building. On the sloped roof, Forest of Kites, which serves as a significant symbol of the cultural links between Mexico and China, is surrounding open public spaces. Vistors can go up and fly kites there.

Soundbite: Eduardo Seldner, Commissioner General In Mexican Spanish, the kite is called Papalotl, which is a legacy from Mexican idiom. It not only means kite but also butterfly. We all know that kite originated from China and was then introduced into Mexico. So we hope it be utilized for exchanges and crossroads of culture between the two countries.

The 4,000 sqm Mexico Pavilion will show their culture and history inheritage, preservation of the natural environment and the pursuit of future harmonious city. Source: http://www.chinaview.cn/index.htm

Pakistan to show intimacy with China

A group of Pakistani senators, including Jan Muhammad Khan Jamali, deputy chairman of the Senate of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, visited the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination yesterday. Jamali and his delegation, accompanied by Wu Yunfei, counselor of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, toured the exhibition hall at the ground floor of the Expo mansion and were briefed on the preparation progresses of the Expo 2010.

Pakistan will highlight its close relationship with China in its Expo pavilion, a senior official of the pavilion said yesterday as he unveiled exhibition plans for the pavilionIt will also show how Pakistani rescue teams helped victims in the killer earthquake in southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2008.

The national flags of China and Pakistan would be painted on the roof of the pavilion, said Abdul Wahid, deputy commissioner-general of Pakistan. The pavilion's theme is "Harmony in Diversity" and it will be adjacent to the China Pavilion, representing the continuing close relationship. Wahid said multimedia would be widely used to show elements of people's daily lives, its capital of Islamabad, Buddhism, the country's founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah and its cultural relics.

Source: http://en.expo2010.cn/a/20091024/000001.htm