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As the season of hope and rebirth returns to Shanghai this year, a global celebration of human ingenuity unfolds on the banks of the Bund. The 2010 World Expo opens on May 1, ready for a protracted run of 184 days and an anticipated 70 million visitors from all over the globe. Since its debut in London in 1851 the event has provided a showcase for the latest fruits of civilization. A series of inventions that stand out for their importance in recent human history – steam engine, light bulb, telephone, film, television, automobile, aircraft and spacecraft – were all unveiled in this exposition, and eventually became just part of the way people live. The fact they have completely changed the way we interact with each other and with the universe is overshadowed by how much we take these miracles for granted now.
The Shanghai Expo will be an international fair with a new perspective. The “city” is a first-time theme in the event’s history. So is the Urban Best Practices Area, where 80 cities in five continents offer their experiments in urban design for the consideration of everyone else concerned with quality of life issues for city dwellers.
Practicing what it preaches, the Shanghai Expo is also a pioneer in the sense of deliberately minimizing its carbon footprint. Its buildings and exhibits embody the latest advances in energy-saving and environment-preserving technologies. Natural lighting, solar photovoltaic roof or green walls – all these eco-friendly adaptations are inspiring the search for robust solutions to the climate and resources crisis looming over the earth’s growing population.
Technologies can save the planet, as well as save you the trouble of making dinner. To be introduced at the Expo are a raft of contraptions that add fun to our daily routines and offer ease to the overworked – including a holography display and a robot housekeeper.
Shanghai 2010 has set several records in the history of the World Expo: the first hosted by a developing country, the largest volunteer legion ever deployed, and an unprecedented number of participating countries (192) and international organizations (50). The experience undoubtedly behind these numbers and achievements inspires well-founded confidence that visitors can expect fresh experiences and attentive service.
Foreign guests in China are sure to delight in the Expo compound. Shanghai is one of the most culturally and economically vibrant metropolises in China. Its early and wide exposure to Western influences has bred a natural cosmopolitism in the local ethos. And its food, whether extravagant banquet dishes or fancy snacks, teases the taste buds of epicureans both East and West.
The Shanghai Expo will be an international fair with a new perspective. The “city” is a first-time theme in the event’s history. So is the Urban Best Practices Area, where 80 cities in five continents offer their experiments in urban design for the consideration of everyone else concerned with quality of life issues for city dwellers.
Practicing what it preaches, the Shanghai Expo is also a pioneer in the sense of deliberately minimizing its carbon footprint. Its buildings and exhibits embody the latest advances in energy-saving and environment-preserving technologies. Natural lighting, solar photovoltaic roof or green walls – all these eco-friendly adaptations are inspiring the search for robust solutions to the climate and resources crisis looming over the earth’s growing population.
Technologies can save the planet, as well as save you the trouble of making dinner. To be introduced at the Expo are a raft of contraptions that add fun to our daily routines and offer ease to the overworked – including a holography display and a robot housekeeper.
Shanghai 2010 has set several records in the history of the World Expo: the first hosted by a developing country, the largest volunteer legion ever deployed, and an unprecedented number of participating countries (192) and international organizations (50). The experience undoubtedly behind these numbers and achievements inspires well-founded confidence that visitors can expect fresh experiences and attentive service.
Foreign guests in China are sure to delight in the Expo compound. Shanghai is one of the most culturally and economically vibrant metropolises in China. Its early and wide exposure to Western influences has bred a natural cosmopolitism in the local ethos. And its food, whether extravagant banquet dishes or fancy snacks, teases the taste buds of epicureans both East and West.