City folk gear up for Expo 2010
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China Pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai. Provided to China Daily. |
Many Beijingers are gearing up to attend the year's most significant event, Expo 2010 in Shanghai, with heavy bookings for air and bus tickets between two cities.
The show - which will run from May 1 to Oct 31 - is expected to attract between 70 and 80 million visitors, which will make it the highest attendance of any single event in history.
Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected every day - peaking at as many as 800,000 visitors are expected each day to see what 200 participants around the world have put on display.
Ctrip.com, the designated travel agency of the Expo, said so far, about 50 percent of those who had booked through it want to go in May. And visitors have indicated a preference to visit on weekends, with numbers about three times higher than that on weekdays.
China
Designed with the concept of "Oriental Crown" in mind, the pavilion combines traditional style and imposing design, which represent the taste and spirit of Chinese culture.
The pavilion is sure to be a highlight of the event.
UK
It may tell you what the World Expo is all about - awesomely odd-looking buildings that you would never see anywhere else except at a world expo.
The 20-meter-high cube-like Seed Cathedral will be covered by 60,000 slim, transparent acrylic rods, which will quiver in the breeze. Each 7-meter-long rod contains a certain type of seed, a call from the British to protect all animal species and the future of mankind.
It is the best seen under the moonlight, against the backdrop of the Huangpu River.
Turkey
The country has worked hard at integrating its history and culture tightly with the theme of the expo.
The pavilion looks like an amazing red and beige box with an animal sculpture, inviting visitors to explore a maze of dreams.
The first section of the pavilion will take visitors through a journey to learn about Turkey's historical firsts. A map indicates the sites of Turkey where the world's first mirror and the world's first man-built dam made their appearance.
Romania
The green apple might be the most photographed place at the expo. Focusing on a "green city" concept, it covers 2,000 sq m and its shape and "Greenopolis" logo reflect the importance of healthy lifestyle, sustainable development and knowledge-based solutions for modern society.
Denmark
"Welfairytales" is a blend of the words "welfare" and "fairy tales" and will feature a salt-water pool filled with water from Denmark's harbor.
It will showcase a fairy-tale world with the Little Mermaid, the country's symbol, making her first visit to Shanghai. The Little Mermaid statue is one of Denmark's major tourist attractions and sits on a rock in Copenhagen harbor.
The pavilion will also contain 1,500 bicycles.
Germany
The theme of the pavilion is "Balancity" and it uses unique angles and moving parts.
It will demonstrate the importance of balance between modernization and preservation, innovation and tradition, community and the individual, work and leisure, and between globalization and national identity.
Saudi Arabia
The pavilion's main attraction will be a huge cinema screen. The 1,600 sq m screen will be the largest in the world.
If you go
Opening hours
The World Expo site will be open from 9 am to midnight. But you can't gain entry into pavilions until 9:30 am. You can't get into the site after 9pm, and most pavilions will not allow entry after 10 pm.
How to get tickets
Try the four official Expo ticket sellers - China Mobile, China Telecom, Bank of Communications or China Post.
Hotline numbers:
12580 for China Mobile,
114 for China Telecom,
95559 for Bank of Communications, 11185 for China Post. They will direct you to the nearest ticket seller.
Ticket costs
Five types are available:
Standard day tickets: 160 yuan
Peak day tickets: 200 yuan
Evening tickets: 90 yuan
Three-day tickets: 400 yuan
Seven-day tickets: 900 yuan
Ticket details
Evening tickets, which should be on sale on May 1, will provide entry after 5 pm.
Peak-day tickets are now in short supply. The 17 peak days - May Day, National Day holidays and Expo's final week (October 25 to 31) - are expected to be especially busy.
Peak-day tickets are designed for one of the 17 peak days.
However, if the tickets are not used during that time, they can be used for any day instead.
Children under 1.2 meters will be admitted for free, but must be accompanied by an adult.
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