Shanghai Daily news
Shanghai World Expo 2010 will "never close" so that visitors will not miss
any part of the event, said Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Xiong today at a press
conference in the State Council Information Office in Beijing.
Organisers said that since most visitors would only be able to see a
small part of all the pavilions, they hoped that the Expo's 3D Website would
attract more visitors and give people a more complete picture of the event. And
since the site will be accessible all the time, organisers said it's like the
Expo will never close.
Organisers also said the basic one-day admission price has been changed to
160 yuan (US$21.33) instead of the previous US$20 in 2001. Yang also said the
price will change according to reservation times. Senior visitors, students and
group visitors can get discounts. Organizers added that they will set different
prices for various periods of the day to balance the number of visitors.
The 70 million visitors expected to visit Shanghai during the Expo presents a
challenge to the organisers, Yang said. It's possible that the organizers have
underestimated the number of visitors, but they will do their best to cope with
it.
Another highlight of Shanghai Expo, the Urban Best Practices Area, has
attracted more than 20 cities to submit applications to participate.
Organisers vowed the city will host a "green" Expo by using renewable energy
sources such as solar power, as well as recycled rain water.
"All the vehicles in the site will use clean energy with no emissions," said
Yang. "No private sedans are allowed in or near the site. We encourage visitors
to take public transport to the site."
Yang said the Metro lines will be the main way to transport people to and
from the site during the event. Shanghai will expand the total length of its
Metro system to more than 400 kilometers by 2010.
Yang also said Shanghai is enlarging its two international airports to a
total capacity of 100 million.
Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation and Shanghai General Motor, as one
of the global partners of the Expo, were the first companies to confirm they
will build a company pavilion.
Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, said
the site will build at least nine corporation pavilions. Any company with a
well-known brand and an ability to innovate will qualify.
The construction of China Pavilion and theme pavilions will start this year.
Other national pavilions of participating countries and international
organizations will start construction in 2009.
Organizers will also launch a tour exhibition in Shanghai as well
as other major cities nationwide to mark the 1,000-day countdown to
the opening of Shanghai Expo on May 1, 2010.
So far, 158 countries and international organizations have confirmed
participation at World Expo 2010, in which 45 have appointed their commissioner
generals.
