Prep Accelerated

To date, the World Expo has been held more than 100 times in 30-plus countries, and the Shanghai Expo will be the first to be hosted by a developing country. This fact has brought an unprecedented level of attention upon the Shanghai Expo.

According to the BIE regulations, World Expo structures are divided into permanent and temporary buildings. At the Shanghai Expo, permanent buildings will account for 30 percent, while the rest are temporary pavilions for the varying participating countries. The construction of the Expo Park is now going smoothly and according to plans. Taking form along the 1.3-km-long, 100-meter-wide Expo Axis are the four primary permanent buildings; the Theme Pavilion, Expo Center, Performance Center and the China Pavilion.

The nearly completed China Pavilion and Theme Pavilion, landmark buildings of the Expo site, feature a typical Tang-Dynasty style and are strongly atmospheric in Chinese culture. A fusion of traditional and modern is embodied in most designs from exterior outline to bracket structure and dormant windows. In addition, the design concept of the Expo emblem and the exhibits in different pavilions also reflect the traditional cultural elements unique to China.

According to the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, all the participating nations have attached importance to the design of their respective pavilions. Over the past few years, for example, six design teams from the United Kingdom have paid investigatory visits to Shanghai, based on which they worked out six design plans and publicized those for Shanghai citizens to offer suggestions and comments. The design plan for the UK pavilion, characterized by degradability, demountable trait and zero emissions, was finally determined through public voting.

The pavilions for different countries within the Shanghai Expo site fall into three categories: self-built pavilions, rental pavilions and joint pavilions. According to the design plans made public to date, the pavilions will feature characteristics of their respective countries, incorporating a diversity of cultural symbols. The Spain Pavilion is shaped like a flying skirt, as of the flamenco, the nation’s famed dance; the illuminant optical fiber scattered around the exterior wall of the irregularly shaped UK Pavilion dazzle the eyes and trigger the imagination; the Switzerland Pavilion highlights the concept of environmental protection and nature conservation by adopting bean fiber as the material of its exterior wall; the Japan Pavilion also applies high-tech environmentally-friendly building materials; and the Luxemburg Pavilion, though not large, resembles a forest castle. The African Joint Pavilion, now under construction, adopts a diversity of African cultural elements, and is accompanied by an African cultural square. After completion, it can accommodate exhibitions by 40-plus African countries.

Zero emissions and elimination of pollution were designated as important environmental considerations in the planning for the Expo Park development. Many of the permanent buildings adopt and utilize solar and geothermal systems, river-water heating sources, and rainwater collection and purification devices. And the transit vehicles operating within the park will run on alternative energy sources, expelling no emissions.

Concurrent with hardware con-struction, the organizers of Shanghai Expo have focused on service support and other people-oriented operations. Last September, the municipal government of Shanghai launched the “600-Day Countdown to the World Expo” campaign, advocating and guiding its citizens to improve their etiquette and manners. The government invited an independent third party to conduct a survey and evaluation every 100 days on the performance of all districts (counties) and all trades in Shanghai. Then the assessment results were publicized.

Another collateral campaign is “Three Fifth,” initiated this year. Designed to devote the 5th, 15th, and 25th days of each month to a specific theme, like smiling, public hygiene and observation of good order, this campaign aims to enhance citizen politeness and civility. As the 2010 Expo draws near, the tide of reinforcing civilized behavior will reach its highpoint in Shanghai. The municipal government is committed to adding more humanistic warmth to this modern metropolis through the building of a pleasant social order and a positive service environment for the hosting of World Expo.