CHINA: Shanghai prepares to close most visited, most expensive Expo ever

Record ID: 578615

  • Title: CHINA: Shanghai prepares to close most visited, most expensive Expo ever
  • Date: 30th October 2010
  • Summary: GIANT BABY'S FACE MOVING COMMISSIONER OF SPAIN AT THE SHANGHAI EXPO 2010 MARIA TENA GREETING VISITORS (SOUNDBITE) (English) COMMISSIONER OF SPAIN AT THE SHANGHAI EXPO 2010 MARIA TENA SAYING: "The special thing of this Expo are the visitors. China has been very, very active in soliciting the attention of the visitors. And we have had 70 million visitors in this Expo, so t
  • Embargoed: 14th November 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China, China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: Industry,Science / Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVAEEVIJOCAPNW3FLA16DHD3X6UZ
  • Story Text: Crowds of visitors from across China flocked to the Shanghai World Expo on Thursday (October 28) to catch a final glimpse of the international extravaganza before it finally closes in three days.
    According to official figures, 70 million people have visited the Expo as of Sunday (October 24), meeting authorities' target, and putting it well ahead of the previous record of 64 million visitors held by the 1970 Osaka World Expo, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
    At its peak in mid-October, the Shanghai Expo saw over 1 million visitors in one day, almost double the originally estimated maximum capacity of 600,000 people, the report said.
    As the gates opened at 9am, crowds surged forward to get near the front of the queues that would form at the most popular among the pavilions of the 190 countries and 50 international organizations participating.
    Visitors have had to endure hours of waiting at pavilions like the China pavilion, and on Wednesday (October 27) many wanting to see the Saudi Arabia pavilion knew they were in for the long haul.
    "The Saudi Arabia pavilion is a good one, we have to wait seven hours, but I felt we had to come and have a look. Plus this is the very last opportunity, the Expo is about to end. So I have to queue, however long it takes I will queue," said Xu Hui (Pron: shu huey), who was visiting the Expo for the fourth time.
    Shanghai, China's richest and most glamorous city, has made unprecedented efforts to impress with its Expo, a world fair which has in recent years largely dropped off the world's radar, China says it spent $4.2 billion on preparing for the event - double what it spent at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
    It has been the most expensive and largest Expo to date, and local media reported the true cost is closer to $58 billion, including infrastructure.
    Some Chinese have wondered why the country, with its growing rich-poor gap, severe environmental and other problems has spent so much on an event.
    But for many like 24-year-old IT worker Zhang Shanglei (pron: jang shang-lay), it is too big an event to miss.
    "Usually on the weekend there are lots of people, so today I took a day off especially. Otherwise I'd miss it. I've asked lots of people, and they all say 'Seeing the Expo is pretty exhausting, but if you don't see it, you'll regret it.' It's a rare opportunity," he said.
    Once the Expo closes, all pavilions except China's will be torn down in line with World Expo regulations.
    The Spain pavilion will donate its crowd pleasing giant baby to an Expo Museum that will sit on the current site.
    Organizers at the Spain pavilion have been amazed by the number of visitors, which peaked at around 56,000 per day earlier this month, and has totaled almost 7 million over the six month period.
    Maria Tena, commissioner for Spain at the Shanghai Expo, says it has been unlike any other, and a hard act to follow.
    "The special thing of this Expo are the visitors. China has been very, very active in soliciting the attention of the visitors. And we have had 70 million visitors in this Expo, so the country has been here, no? We have had all China here," she said.
    China hoped its Expo would be an opportunity to assert its growing global clout and show off the fruits of its economic transformation.
    Guests have included Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, and British chancellor George Osborne.
    There were also fun and games.
    African pavilions held football events to mark the opening of the South Africa World Cup in June, while pavilions have attracted crowds with anything from bicycles to cable cars.
    Latvia even installed a skydiving simulator.
    Shuan Rein, managing director of consultancy firm China Market Research Group said a more relaxed attitude to holding the mega-event had paid off.
    "What I think that the organizer of the Expo did very well which I think helped its soft power globally was that they didn't overreact to some of the security concerns. I think in the run-up to the Olympics the government made it very difficult for people to get visas, they shut down all outdoor terraces and even banned the sale of a lot of kitchen knives. I think the World Expo they were able to have a safe, secure event over a six month period, without potentially or perhaps over, being overly cautious," he said.
    China has been so pleased with the event that the manufacturing hub of Guangdong (pron: gwang-dong) province has already applied to host it in 2020.
    The 2015 Expo is due to be hosted by Milan, Italy.
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