scene of the opening ceremoney

Shanghai Daily news

The 1,000-day countdown is underway to the World Expo 2010 Shanghai, when the city officially flings open its doors?Cand its arms?Cto the world. Yesterday marks 1,000 days.

Expo organisers yesterday launched a national touring exhibition to display the city's preparations for the expo and the history of world expositions. The Expo opens on May 1, 2010.

The Exhibition, "The Path to World Expo 2010 Shanghai China," opened at the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Center. It seeks to arouse public recognition for the Expo, the first in a developing country, and to explain the purpose of exhibitions and review the history of past expositions.

Wan Jifei read congratulations from Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi at the opening ceremony.

Wu said the Expo will present the entirety of China, and need supports not only from Shanghai but also from the whole nation.

The month-long promotion of the Expo in Shanghai will build a wider recognition of the Expo and help the whole country to share in the opportunities afforded by the event, said Wu.

Wu said the World Expo is a platform where people around world can meet and exchange ideas, and show the world's civilization. The Expo 2010 Shanghai is the first exposition to take the "city" as its theme.

Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Xiong hosted the ceremony.

The organisers will launch the online version of the exhibition with a contest about all things Expo. More promotional activities and advertisements will be seen on mass media and on the street.

The exhibit will stop in Beijing, Chongqing, Nanjing, Hanghzou and Guangdong.

The officials attending the ceremony are Shanghai Party Chief Xi Jinping, Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng, Wan Jifei, president of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, Vicente Loscertales, secretary general of the International Expositions Bureau, Gong Xueping, director of the Standing Committee of the Shanghai People's Congress, Jiang Yiren, chairman of the Shanghai Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Yin Yicun, deputy secretary of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Wang Zhongwei, a member of the Standing Committee of the CPC Shanghai Municipal Committee, Ding Xuexiang, standing member of the CPC Shanghai Committee, Zhong Yanqun and Zhang Xuebing, deputy directors of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee.