Haibao, Shanghai's mascot for the 2010 World Expo, makes
his debut last night. The smiling blue cartoon figure is modeled in the shape of
the Chinese character ÈË or people. The Expo, which opens on May 1, 2010, is
expected to attract 70 million visitors. - Shanghai Daily
Shanghai Daily news
Shanghai unveiled its World Expo mascot last night on the Shanghai Grand
Stage - a blue smiling cartoon figure in the shape of Chinese character ÈË
(people).
Dominoes tumbled and a stunning light and sound display
announced the arrival of Haibao in Shanghai.
And Haibao, which means "the
treasure of the seas," got to work immediately - as soon as the mascot was
unveiled, more than 100 varieties of it went on sale at five official outlets
throughout the city.
"Haibao is a jolly, confident and cute kid," said
Shao Longtu, 62, CEO of the Jiumuchuansheng advertising company and head of the
mascot design team.
"Using a human being as a mascot reflects the spirit
of human-orientation, while the color blue stands for water, sea, the Earth,
life, dreams, the future and technology," Shao said.
Haibao is another
Expo symbol created from a Chinese character - the Expo emblem itself takes the
shape of ÊÀ(world).
"The mascot is a perfect match for the emblem. It also
deepens the Expo theme 'Better city, better life', " Shao said.
The
structure of the Chinese character ÈË, in which two strokes support each other,
reflects the feeling that a harmonious society needs everyone's
support.
The winner was selected from 26,655 entries after a four-month
international search launched on January 17.
An 11-member selection team
- experts in art, design, culture, sales and animation from Shanghai, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, Japan, Italy and Portugal - eventually selected the idea of local design
company Yokan Corporate Identity.
A revision jury, led by Shao Longtu,
then worked the original entry into the current mascot over three
months.
The mascot design was approved at the Fifth Meeting of Expo's
Organizing Committee presided over by Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi on September
24.
Instead of asking designated teams to create mascots like most World
Expos and Olympics, the organizers launched a public appeal to find out what
ordinary people felt.
Eight teams traveled around more than 50 cities in China and across the world
and teams also visited more than 80,000 people personally asking them to submit
ideas for the Shanghai Expo mascot.
The youngest person to submit one of
the 26,655 ideas considered was just three and the oldest 93.
The mascots
for last World Expo held in Aichi, Japan, in 2005 were two forest elves - the
knowledgeable grandpa Morizo and his curious grandson Kiccoro.
The
Shanghai Expo, which runs from May 1 to October 31, 2010, is expected to draw 70
million visitors.
The number of countries and international
organizations committed to attending the Expo has reached 180 so far, surpassing
the previous record held by Hanover, Germany, in 2000.
It was the first
time for the Expo to be held in a developing country since the inaugural fair in
London in 1851.
