The World Expo Shanghai 2010 mascot “Haibao,” which means “treasure of the seas,” is a symbol conceived based on the Chinese character 人 (people).

Master Plan of Shanghai Expo.

Design sketch of British Pavilion.

Design sketch of Spain Pavilion.

By November 12, 2008, 182 countries and 45 international organizations had confirmed their participation in World Expo Shanghai 2010, setting a new record. One hundred and thirty-five nations and eight international organizations have appointed their Expo representatives. One hundred and twenty nations and international organizations have signed participant contracts. Fifteen corporations and enterprises have confirmed that they would take part, and 21 of 56 city cases have executed contracts.

Themed on “Better City Better Life,” World Expo Shanghai 2010 is expected to convey the human aspiration for positive sustained development in the cities of the world. The United Nations estimates that by 2010, urban populations will account for 55 percent of humanity, and this operative theme is thus important for vast numbers of city dwellers.

“Shanghai city proper dedicated 5.28 square kilometers to the World Expo site. The goal is to present an example of sustainable lifestyle in harmonious urban areas and the theme of Shanghai Expo will be fully exhibited,” said Yang Xiong, vice mayor of Shanghai and executive deputy director of the Executive Committee of World Expo Shanghai 2010. According to the sponsor, steady progress is being made on such projects as Expo pavilions, participant services, ancillary exhibitions, marketing, promotion and the Urban Best Practices Area project.

China has made a commitment to present a high quality World Expo to the world. Since preparations began, top Chinese government officials, including Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao, have visited Shanghai to inspect preparations. Many times, President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao were briefed on progress made and challenges overcome. The success of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games increased the world’s expectation for World Expo Shanghai 2010. And the expectation was not lessened by recent global economic setbacks.

Green Expo

On December 3, 2002, at the Inter-national Exhibitions Bureau’s 132nd general meeting, China prevailed over South Korea 54 to 34 in the fourth round vote to win the bid for World Expo 2010. Shanghai, in holding a green Expo, is taking advantage of the opportunity to convey environmentally-friendly concepts to the world. Since the successful bid was made official at the end of 2002, Shanghai has carried out in succession three-year environmental protection programs. The city invested 140 billion yuan to environment protection programs over the past six years. Following the Green Olympics, Shanghai dedicated more resources to improving air quality and promoting the construction of environmentally-friendly Expo site. Focusing on energy saving and emission reductions, the third three-year environment protection plan is ready to begin. The city is out to set a national example for being an environmentally-friendly city while laying a solid foundation for future development.

Crown of the East

In conceiving the design of the host country’s pavilion, the organizer invited bids from all Chinese people around the world. The architecture focuses on expressing the idea of “Chinese wisdom in urban development.” The construction of what is referred to as “The Crown of the East,” for its resemblance to an ancient Chinese hat, began in December 2007.

The pavilion holds a 20,000-sq-m Chinese national hall, a 30,000-sq-m hall of exhibition space for provinces and regions, as well as a 3,000-sq-m room to be shared by Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. One layer upon another, the national hall stands apart from provincial and regional halls, which extend as a pedestal featuring traditional Chinese elements.

The color of the main structure is red, similar to that of the outer wall of Beijing Palace Museum, and this hue delivers strong visual impact. A special kind of zhuan, the seal style of Chinese calligraphy, is used to decorate the outside wall of the pavilion to display Chinese time-honored history and cultural wisdom.

Large Scale, Creative Conception

This marks China’s first hosting of such a large-scale comprehensive World Expo. During 184 days, from May 1 to October 31, 2010, the event is expected to receive representatives from 200 nations and international organizations and 70 million domestic and international visitors. It will be the largest-scale World Expo to date, in terms of participants and visitors.

World Expo Shanghai will feature two new projects, the Urban Best Practices Area and Expo Online. The Urban Best Practices Area selects representative urban practices cases and concentrates on displaying advanced concepts and the latest achievements in modern city development. It is estimated that 30 to 50 cases will be selected and displayed at the Expo. Taking advantage of 3D virtual method, Expo Online will present all information and functions concerning the Expo to online visitors around the world.