Fireworks lit up the sky over Shanghai on the night of April 30, 2010, to celebrate the opening of the 2010 World Expo. Finally, China’s century-old dream of hosting the global event came true. For many, especially Shanghai residents and visitors, the night brought little sleep. While the setting sun indicated the end of the day, bright light in the sky and excitement in the air made the moment feel like a new day.

At 8:10 p.m., the commencement of the opening ceremony at the UFO-shaped Expo Culture Center marked the official start of the Shanghai World

Expo. China’s five-star red flag ascended a flagpole accompanied by the national anthem, followed by respective flags of the Bureau of

International Expositions (BIE) and the Shanghai World Expo. More than 8,000 spectators joined expo officials to witness the ceremony. At the

podium, BIE president Jean-Pierre Lafon expressed his good wishes for the event not only in French, but also in English and Chinese as well,

which was greeted with applause from the audience.

Lafon was followed by a series of performances, which lasted one hour, relatively short compared to Beijing’s epic Olympic opening ceremony. The

 program included 11 performances, of which five were presented by foreign artists. Regardless of brevity, the ceremony rivaled Beijing’s with its

 similarly extravagant visual effects.  A gigantic LED display, measuring 6.5 meters tall and 50 meters wide, served as a dynamic backdrop to the

stage, changing patterns to complement each performer and add a dreamy, romantic atmosphere.

The foreign artists mesmerized the largely Chinese audience with their performances. An American singer’s rendition of the theme song for the

 Expo, “Better City Better Life,” illustrated the Shanghai Expo’s mission to connect the world. Performances by New Zealand’s Maori Troupe

and South Africa’s Soweto Choir signified the Expo’s inclusiveness towards all world cultures. Yet to many, the highlight of the evening was the

song “Star,” performed by the well-known Japanese singer Shinji Tanimura.

“So many large-scale celebrations start with deafening drumbeats and gongs,” explains Teng Junjie, chief director of the performance, “so we

opted for the soft hum of a female university choir to create a more tranquil, idyllic opening. I think the audience preferred it this way.”

The ceremony climaxed with the fireworks show. Organizers launched over 100,000 rockets to illuminate three kilometers of Shanghai skyline

from Lupu Bridge to Nanpu Bridge on the Huangpu River. According to Zhao Weiping, president of the fireworks supplier, the Shanghai Expo

ceremony featured 20,000 more rockets than those used for the Beijing Olympics.

Lasers were used to form dazzling renderings of the letters “E-X-P-O” to begin an outdoor multimedia show.

The lasers, which are some of the world‘s most powerful, then projected the phrase “Welcome to China” on the river surface, and the letters

quickly melted into fluid patterns. Searchlights illuminated the night sky as bright as day, aided by the breathtaking display of fireworks.  Around

9:30 p.m., spectators were startled by 6,000 glowing LED balls floating down the river, coloring the water red, yellow, and orange. The balls

were followed by a parade of 218 boats, each carrying a flag from a participating nation or organization. Another giant LED screen, measuring

26 by 283 meters, graced the river bank and glowed with complementary colors. Its 7,000 square meters of surface space reportedly made it

the largest of its kind in the world.

Even after the last rocket was fired, the excitement inspired by the stunning spectacle left spectators sleepless well into the night.

A Festive Occasion for All

Although the ceremony wasn’t open to the public, many still took the opportunity to celebrate. Despite being scheduled for an 8 p.m. start, nearly

1,000 people had gathered near the entrance on Shangnan Road much earlier, hoping to catch the fireworks. Feng Tingqun, a Shanghai

local, was amongst them. After lunch, he accompanied his wife and daughter to the site to wait for the show to open. “The opening ceremony of the

 World Expo shouldn’t be missed,” he smiled. “Even though I can’t watch from inside the Expo Site, I can still feel the joy out here.”  

As darkness fell, Hankou Road leading to the Bund  (Shanghai’s historic riverfrontarea became crowded with people and vehicles. As policemen

attempted to keep order, they were inundated with questions from passersby, wondering if the fireworks would be visible from the Bund. An hour

before the fireworks began, the section of the Bund from Chen Yi Square to Lover’s Wall was already packed with people.

Others chose to watch the ceremony on television. Pan Zongling from Henan Province, who works in construction in Shanghai, didn’t leave his

job until 5 p.m., when he and two co-workers walked to People’s Square to view the presentation on a building’s commercial video display.

Although the trio lamented the need to rise early to work the following morning, they insisted, “No matter how late it is, we’re not leaving until the

ceremony is  over.”

This is just the beginning of the 184-day display of today’s culture and technology. All those Expo fans will see countless other delights housed

within pavilion walls.