Relax - The world in Shanghai

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[top photo: The Chinese Pavilion at the $5.6-billion Shanghai World Expo. The event boasts a record 192 countries participating and expects 70 million visitors.]

Unlike the Olympic Games, the World Expo sounds just a little pedestrian and too much like a trade show to excite anyone.

From May 1 to Oct 31, if you happen to be in Shanghai, you may change your mind about it. The Shanghai World Expo 2010 promises fireworks, colourful cultural performances, art exhibitions and a global buffet, among other attractions. Almost 200 countries, including Singapore, are taking part.

If the Olympics offer the best feats of athleticism men and women from around the world have to offer, the Expo promises to offer the world itself.

Singapore Tourism Board's director of World Expo Leong See Kay says: 'Imagine that you are going to a theme park where the theme is the world. You get a good sense of what the world is like at this one exposition alone.'

Ms Leong, who attended the previous World Expo in the Japanese city of Aichi, Nagoya, five years ago, adds that the World Expos are a time for countries to 'put their best showcases forward' and for visitors to sample many types of food and see handicrafts that are unique to their countries of origin.

No wonder the Shanghai edition of the Expo, themed Better City, Better Life, is already a must-see stop on most travel itineraries to the Chinese city this year.

Travel agents are bundling the usual tour offerings with Expo day passes and will promote them at the upcoming National Association of Travel Agents Singapore (Natas) fair next week from Feb 26 to 28.

According to World Expo authorised ticketing agent CTC Holidays, 3,000 tickets for the six-month event have been sold to both families and business travellers. At least 5,000 more are expected to be snapped up during the Natas weekend.

One-, three- and seven-day passes cost $35, $90 and $210.

Visitors on CTC tours also get priority access to the Singapore Pavilion. Guided tours to selected pavilions such as Singapore's and China's and to the Expo Boulevard are also included.

Shanghai World Expo tours were snapped up as early as last December. CTC's senior vice-president of marketing and public relations Alicia Seah says 'the demand could be because the Expo is being held in a popular tourist city like Shanghai', which is affordable and close to Singapore.

At least four other travel agencies, including ASA Holidays and Chan Brothers Travel, are also cashing in on the Expo fever, teaming up with land operators in Shanghai to offer their own World Expo tours.

His curiosity piqued by the hype surrounding the event, businessman Yeo Hock Loo signed up for a four-day, three-night Shanghai World Expo Free and Easy tour with ASA Holidays, which departs on May 12.

The 56-year-old, who is travelling with his wife, Madam Koh Geok Khim, 53, has not been to Shanghai.

He says: 'I want to see what other countries have to offer and at least I will understand better if it is in Chinese. If I like it, I will go back again in September.'

The package for him and his wife costs $2,600.

He could think it money well spent, for the World Expo is an event steeped in history - more than 150 years of history, in fact.

Inaugurated in London in 1851, it has been held all over the world, including the United States, Europe, Asia and Australia. What started out as a cultural showcase for works of art and traditional handicrafts has since evolved to include exhibitions of the latest developments in science, technology and the world economy in national pavilion showcases.

This year's US$4-billion (S$5.6- billion) event boasts the participation of a record number of countries (192) and organisations (50, including World Health Organisation and World Wide Fund For Nature), and expects 70 million visitors to the Expo's sprawling 5.28 sq km site - the size of 754 football fields - between the Shanghai Nanpu and Lupu bridges along the Huangpu River.

It is the biggest World Expo ever.

Each country's pavilion is designed to the theme, which emphasises green and energy-saving urbanisation for future populations.

Pavilions tell a story

China, as might be expected, has built the biggest and tallest pavilion, an inverted red pyramid 69m high and measuring 160,000 sq m in land area.

The trumpet-shaped structure is to soak up the sun's rays to light up galleries and catch the rain to water the green areas at the World Expo.

Drawing inspiration from Chinese language characters, history and art, its chief architect He Jing Tang says he chose the colour red to represent Chinese culture.

The pavilion, also known as the Oriental Crown, is made of wood as a tribute to ancient Chinese architecture such as those found in the Forbidden City. Its 27,000 sq m garden is modelled after the famous Yuan Ming garden that was razed in the 1860s during the Opium War.

Mr He adds: 'I hope that the China Pavilion will portray the rich history of the Chinese culture and the spirit of the Chinese.'

Over at France's pavilion, communications director Franck Serrano said its rectangular concrete fishnet building has been created to look like it is floating on water. It represents 'a sensual or romantic city' that stimulates the human senses.

He says: 'During the last century, most cities were built for cars. It is time to build them for humans instead of machines.'

Seven historic artworks, including Vincent Van Gogh and Jean-Francois Millet's from the Orsay Museum in France, will be displayed during the Expo. Considered national treasures of France, each painting is worth at least €100 million (S$191 million).

Hong Kong's pavilion is a bold design of a transparent chamber sandwiched between metal exteriors to represent 'the modernity, openness and transparency of Hong Kong society', says a spokesman.

Its exhibitions include interactive stations and works of animation 'showing the many different contrasts of Hong Kong' and there will be a meet-and-greet session with some of its famous singers.

Singapore's prickly looking three-storey pavilion is modelled on the theme of Urban Symphony.

Its principal architect, Mr Tan Kay Ngee of Kay Ngee Tan Architects, says: 'I was very impressed with the other countries' pavilions. The pieces will contribute to the architectural scene for the next 15 years.'

tcheryl@sph.com.sg

For more The Straits Times stories, click here.

The world in Shanghai

By Cheryl Tan, The Straits Times | Mon, Feb 22 2010

There is no better time to head for the Chinese city as it stages the biggest ever World Expo.

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