The host city: Shanghai

According to the decision of BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) in 2002, Shanghai, a Chinese metropolis with over 20 million inhabitants, obtained the right to organize the World Expo 2010.

About the city

Shanghai was a huge harbor city at the entrance of the delta of Yangtze and Huangpu rivers. From the middle of the 19th century Shanghai became the fastest developing and urbanizing city in China, due to the presence of western civilization. The Revolution of 1949 ended the western type development and the modernization of the city with foreign involvement. The next phase of opening came decades later, in the beginning of the 1990’s. This time the change was not forced by foreign countries: the Chinese Government decided to open Shanghai for western capital and technology.

The policy of reform and opening announce by Deng Xiaoping made a lion of Shanghai again. The Chinese Government’s expressed aim is to make the city the financial and commercial center of China again, by policies supporting capital investment and technological development and by the implementation of tax allowances for foreign companies.

Today, foreign capital is highly welcome, constructions are underway all around the city, the whole infrastructure is being modernized. The problems of traffic were eliminated by the extensive system of overhead roads, new bridges, tunnels running under the river and modern metro lines. The city center and the Pudong Airport is connected by 30 kilometers of magnetic train line, whose extension is among the plans of the city government. Around 260 kilometers of metro lines operated in the city as of December 2009. This system is being extended to nearly 400 kilometers until the opening of the World Expo in May 2010, in only 5 months (!). The second phase of Hongqiao Airport was completed in March 2010. The two terminals are able to welcome 30 million passengers a year. The city government expects 1,1 million passengers a day to use the gigantic traffic hub created by the airport and metro lines, railway and road junctions.

About the World Expo

The organizers expect around 70 million visitors, which means 400 000 visitors a day, on peak days even 600-800 000 people. Approximately 5% of the visitors arrive from abroad, therefore ticket prices are based on the Chinese income level.

The Expo 2010 Shanghai China will last for six months: although the trial period will be launched in April, it opens officially on the 1st May and closes on the 31st October.

One of the greatest event of all, will be opening ceremony on the 30th April. The ceremony will celebrate the common wish of the entire humankind for a better living in future urban environment. Colorful fireworks, dancers, laser shows will entertain the audience. Every nation will introduce themselves by spectacular marches showing the countries’ folklore.