EXPOShanghai Newsletter

Countdown: 446 days to gowww.expo2010china.com Newsletter No.17, February 9, 2009 Singing contest for world fair “EXPO Singing Gala,” a TV competition to spot singing talent for Expo, kicked off on January 22 in . Its sponsors, the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coor- dination and the Shanghai Media Group, hope the show would encourage ordinary citizens to sing and win an opportunity to perform in Haibao, the Expo mascot, greets people Expo pavilions. during the Chinese New Year celebration Contests will be held next in London on February 1. — Shen Kai month in Shanghai, Hang- zhou, Suzhou, Ningxia, Wuxi, Nanjing and Chongqing. The winners from each city will gather in Shanghai for the grand final. The show will be Expo tours UK broadcast on Dragon TV. Contestants are stopped by the judges hitting a gong. BRITISH people are getting a in Zhejiang Province, trace the Ambassador to the United King- The longer the participant preview of Expo 2010 with the heritage of Rongji Silk that won dom, Jiang Zhuoqing, Deputy keeps singing, the better the opening of an exhibition that a gold medal at the 1851 Great Secretary-General of the Shang- prize he or she will win. If features dozens of pavilion mod- Exhibition in London, the first hai Municipal Government, they last 20 seconds, they els and pictures, all designed to world Expo. and Song Chao, Director of outline the Expo master plan Models of the China and UK the Information Office of the can win quilts and bicycles. as well as China’s role in the pavilions were presented be- Shanghai Municipality, toured Those who last a minute can event’s history. neath the “Royal Commission” the exhibition. win tickets to World Expo, The exhibit “From London to painting which depicts the scene The Victoria and Albert Mu- air-conditioners, televisions Shanghai,” unveiled on January of members of the commission seum, founded in 1852, is named or refrigerators. Participants 29 at the Victoria and Albert checking pavilion designs. The after Prince Albert and Queen who last the full 90 seconds Museum in London, heralded commission, founded in 1850, Victoria who initiated the first will have an opportunity to the start of the Organizer’s pro- administered the 1851 Expo. Expo. The museum now boasts win a car. motional drive in Britain. Prince Albert, who conceived a vast collection of exhibits from The competition is open to A short digital film takes the idea of World Expo, is also the world’s first Expo held in anyone regardless of age, sex visitors on a virtual journey seen in the painting. 1851. or nationality. See 2009.vip. through the Expo Site, and silk The exhibit runs through to qq.com for online application exhibits from Nanxun, a town February 12. Fu Ying, Chinese See more on Page 3 or call +862162871111.

Expo Fact So far 231 countries and international organizations have confi rmed their participation. 2 www.expo2010china.com Newsletter No. 17, February 9, 2009 City leaders visit builders In Brief SHANGHAI Party Secretary Yu Expo starts global Zhengsheng and Shanghai Mayor paid a visit to construc- video campaign tion workers at the Expo Site and EXPO 2010 started a global pro- had dinner with them on January motional video campaign around 25, Chinese New Year’s Eve. Chinese New Year. So far the Yu thanked workers for their videos have been shown in shops selfless contribution to the city and and office buildings in India, expressed gratitude for the support Australia, Indonesia, Guatemala, of their families. Viet Nam and China’s Taiwan re- Yu and Han, together with gion. Officials from the Bureau of Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Shanghai World Expo Coordina- Xiong and other officials visited tion said the campaign was aimed the China Pavilion construction at increasing awareness of Expo site for a panoramic view of the 2010 around the world. Expo venue. They also visited a canteen and (left) and Han Zheng (2nd on the right) make MPs in support made dumplings for the workers. dumplings in a canteen at the Expo Site. — Xu Jiecheng AN alliance of Japanese lawmakers supporting World Expo 2010 held a meeting on January 22 at the Diet building to discuss how to support the event EU’s debut at Expo and push forward construction of the Japan Pavilion. Nearly 100 THE European Union confirmed partnership, said Serge Abou, the and cultural community in Shang- lawmakers from the Japanese on February 4 its World Expo EU’s Ambassador to China and hai,” said Abou. House of Diet and House of debut at the world fair in Shanghai head of the delegation of the Eu- The participation was an- Representatives, and delegates — a change from its usual policy ropean Commission to China, in nounced by Jose Manuel Barroso, from some government units of not participating in Expos out- a letter to Shanghai Mayor Han President of the European Com- learned the progress of Expo side the EU zone. Zheng. mission, during a meeting with preparation. They agreed it was The policy switch reflects the The EU’s Expo participation Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao at a major event for Asia and would fact that the EU attaches great also reflected the “strength and EU headquarters in Brussels. help revive the growth of the importance to the Sino-EU vitality of the European business It plans to showcase policies and regional economy. efforts in environmental protec- Two young tion, energy saving, transportation Food monitoring visitors stick and product safety, said Abou. THE city has announced it will “Chinese hearts” China has been the largest ex- set up an office to monitor the to Haibao, the porter to the EU since 2007, while quality of food served during mascot of Expo the EU is China’s biggest trading World Expo 2010. The Shanghai Shanghai 2010, partner. Food and Drug Administration at the Expo Trading between the two will oversee the work of the Exhibition Centre reached US$425.58 billion in office in handling quality and on Huaihai value in 2008, 19.5 percent up on food poisoning issues. The office Road during the the previous year. will track the sources of all food Spring Festival. The EU is the 231st participant materials, the FDA said. — Jiang Ying in the Expo 2010. Public signs Expo Online GK Design Group from Japan has signed a contract with Expo 2010 Organizer to create public Seminar on building virtual pavilions signs for Expo venues. The com- pany also designed public signs for THE BIE and the Bureau of of their online “Experiencing Pavil- to solve their problems. Expo Aichi in 2005. The fact that Shanghai World Expo Coordina- ions” and issues they encountered The Organizer also asks would- a Japanese company was invited tion will hold the 2nd seminar on when building these pavilions. be participants to sign contracts to work for Expo 2010 reflects Expo Online, tentatively sched- The Organizer urges all par- with them before the seminar so that this Expo is a stage for the uled on March 30 in Paris. ticipants to get well prepared with more time can be devoted to testing whole world, said Chen Xianjin, Confirmed and would-be par- their specialists and kick off their their online pavilions. So far 150 Deputy Director-General of the ticipants of virtual Expo will be construction work as soon as pos- countries and organizations have Bureau of Shanghai World Expo invited to discuss technical details sible because the seminar will try confirmed their participation. Coordination.

Expo Fact Urban Best Practices Area and Expo Online are new inventions for Expo. Newsletter No. 17, February 9, 2009 www.expo2010china.com 3

2. From Left: Song Chao, Director of Shanghai Government Information Office, Neil MacGregor, Curator of the British Museum, Fu Ying, Chinese Ambassador to the UK, Jiang Zhuoqing, Deputy Secretary-General of Shanghai Government, and Ian Clement, Deputy Mayor of London, cut the ribbon for the Shanghai Week in London and 1 “Treasures from Shanghai” 2 exhibition at the British 1. Haibao greets passengers in London’s subway Museum. as part of Shanghai Week activities. Snapshots of Shanghai Week in London 3 SHANGHAI Week in London began on January 3. A lion dance celebrates the Chinese New 29 with the opening of the Year in central London’s Trafalgar Square. “Treasures from Shanghai” exhibition at the British Mu- seum. British singer Sarah Brightman, who performed at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, was named Shanghai 2010 World Expo Promotion Ambas- sador in the UK during the ceremony. On the same day, a semi- nar was held in London as Chinese and British academ- 4 ics and officials discussed topics ranging from urban 4. A photographer takes pictures of the model planning to architecture and China Pavilion for Expo 2010 at the “From energy conservation. London to Shanghai” exhibition. On January 31, Haibao, the Expo 2010 mascot, greeted visiting Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao whose visit to London coincided with Shanghai Week. The event organizers also staged a colorful Chinese New Year celebration in 6 central London’s Trafalgar Square, pushing the Shang- 5 hai Week and Expo London promotion to a climax. More 6. Three-year-old Hazel Mehmet sitting on the than 350,000 people watched shoulder of her mother Carmen Mehmet as they 5. Sarah Brightman, Expo Shanghai’s promotion the Chinese lion dance and watch the Chinese New Year celebrations in ambassador in the UK, visits the “Treasures from other performances. London’s Trafalgar Square. Shanghai” exhibition.

Expo Fact Haibao means ‘treasure of the sea’ and resembles the Chinese character for ‘man’. 4 www.expo2010china.com Newsletter No. 17, February 9, 2009 Japan to display national treasure THE highlight of the Expo 2010 representative for the Information the new technology it Japan Pavilion will be a statue of Office of the Shanghai Municipal uses to tackle global Monk Jianzhen, one of the coun- Government and the Expo Orga- warming, water try’s most prized treasures. nizer in Japan. shortage, and an Jianzhen was a Chinese monk Even if the container fell from aging population, he who popularized Buddhism in an aircraft into the sea, the statue added. Japan during China’s Tang Dynas- would not be damaged, Xu said, Robots will wel- ty (AD 618-907) and introduced a adding it will cost about 20 million come visitors to the great deal of Chinese culture to yuan (US$2.92 million) to ship. pavilion and can take Japan. The statue is a clay impres- The statue was brought to care of children and sion made from his body shortly Jianzhen’s original temple in elderly people. after his death in AD 763 in Japan. Yangzhou, Province, At other Expos, It is now stored in the Toshodai in 1980 in a friendly exchange robots have always Temple in Nara City. program. been a highlight of The statue will be on display at Japan’s Expo exhibition will the Japan pavilions. Jianzhen’s statue is a clay impression Expo 2010 as a symbol of Sino- highlight the historic period from At Expo 2005 Aichi made from his body shortly after his Japanese friendship and cultural 7th and 9th century when it sent in Japan, robots were death in AD 763. It is now enshrined in the exchanges, said Japan’s Econom- dozens of envoys to China’s Tang one of the biggest at- Toshodai Temple in Nara, Japan. ic, Trade and Industry Minister Dynasty to learn about culture, tractions, Xu said. Toshihiro Nikai. science and technology, Xu said. The Japanese govern- Japanese Section of the Expo. The Japanese government is Sino-Japanese friendship will ment will not trim its Expo budget, Japan will build a 6,000-square- constructing a special container to be the main theme of Japan’s ex- despite the financial crisis, Xu meter pavilion which, at 24 meters protect the statue during transpor- hibition, Xu said. added, citing Hiroshi Tsukamoto, high, will be one of the largest pa- tation to China, said Xu Dimin, a The country will also showcase the Commissioner-General of the vilions at the event. French offer wedding of a lifetime

THE France Pavilion at Expo 2010 inside classical French-style gar- win a honeymoon in the French Restaurants will offer the best will offer couples a chance for a dens in the pavilion, according city of Tours and castles in the of French cooking in an outdoor romantic dream wedding during to France’s official participation Loire Valley. setting, with flowing water, sing- the six-month event. Website at Expo Shanghai. Tours has operated several group ing birds, fragrant flowers and It will host a group wedding, pos- The lucky couples, whose names weddings for Chinese couples marvelous food. sibly involving dozens of couples, will be selected in a lottery, will since 2007, when 40 couples tied Construction of the pavilion the knot there (pictured left). started in November last year. The 6,000-square-meter France Couples seeking to enter the Pavilion, dubbed “The Sensual wedding draw should email their City”, will showcase the sights, names, address and mobile phone smells, tastes, sounds, and glam- numbers to romantique@pavillon- our of France. france.com.cn.

Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination Contact us: Ms. Lixing Lu Tel: +86-21-2206-2310 Email: [email protected] Mr. Jun Zhang Tel: +86-21-2206-2924 Email: [email protected] Fax: +86-21-2206-0645 Email: [email protected] Address: 3588 Pudong Road S. Shanghai 200125, China

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