World Expo 2010 Shanghai
When the Chinese nation hosts international events, or events of any nature for that matter, they are known to pull all stops to ensure that they stamp their unique DNA on proceedings, leaving onlookers and partakers with a very real impression of something they probably haven't experienced anywhere else.
It was no different in the city of Shanghai, which held the World Expo 2010, on either side of the Huangpu River, running from the beginning of May right up to the end of October.
The significance of this Expo was simply to mark the arrival and emergence of the city of Shanghai, as one of the leading cities in the world, making a lot of progress in way the city is run, the developments going on in the city and how attractive the city is for both visitors and local residents.
Highlights
In true Chinese style of hosting major events, probably the most outstanding feature of the fair is the mere fact that it officially amassed the status of being the most costly Expo, when compared to the world's fairs historically and the very biggest fair ever to have hit this world.
Must See
The promotion of a better city and a better life, as communicated through the tag line "Better City, Better Life", couldn't have been facilitated through a more spectacular way, with the characteristically amazing fireworks display adding volumes to the scenery that was erected in decoration.
Since the actual event has in fact already taken place, all that is left to do for the curious minds is go back and have a look at some of the magical scenes, since pictures do indeed speak a thousand words, but the feeling of physically being there can possibly never be recreated, unless a similar Expo is arranged some time in the future.
Travel Information
Travelling Arrangements
Nonetheless, getting to the scene of the "crime" is relatively straight forward, since Shanghai is indeed a major city of significance within the tourists' circles, and judging by the great show the Chinese put on to promote Shanghai as a city which offers a better life, they hold it in high regard, which means there will be a number of attractions to enjoy long after the fair itself has taken place.
Budget and Costs
It can only be speculated as to the actual cost of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China, but one can be sure of the fact that it didn't come cheap, since more than 73 million visitors from over 250 countries had to feel like it was worth their time and effort to make their way over there.
Legacy
In a bid to preserve the memory and gist of what the Shanghai 2010 World Expo was trying to achieve, by way of best practices and better living conditions, the Expo Museum is undergoing construction at the Puxi location where the Expo was held, with a number of databases about the Expo to be displayed, as well as some of the latest innovations and inventions showcased during the expo.
List of Participating Countries (A-Z):Australia, Argentina, Bangladesh,Belgium, Brunei, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia,Denmark, Egypt,Finland, France,Germany, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Macau, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Nigeria, Norway
,Oman, Cook Islands, Solomon Islands, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Venezuela, Vietnam.
In addition to the pavilions set aside for each of the nations listed above, there were a number of themed pavilions, specifically exploring the many aspects of modern, urban development, in the form of Urban Footprints, Urbanian, City of Being, Urban Planet and Urban Future.
The corporate pavilions included a number of companies as well, with the likes of Coca-Cola and Aurora, amongst a long, long list of many other renowned companies that contribute to the modern city theme.
