'Dollhouse' returns to bottom; 'Brothers' matches

The second season premiere of Fox's "Dollhouse" was down sharply in the ratings compared to its series opener and resumed about where the show left off -- as Friday's lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

Only this time, "Dollhouse" had some company. The series premiere of Fox's comedy "Brothers," which served as a lead-in for "Dollhouse," was equally abysmal.

While over on CBS, the debut of "Medium" in its new time period (and network) retained most of its "Ghost Whisperer" lead-in and ranked as the most-watched show of the night despite dropping considerably in its new time period.

CBS started with "Ghost" (8.6 million viewers, 2.2 preliminary adults 18-49 rating), down 12% from last year. "Medium" (8.8 million, 2.0) matched the debut of "Ex-List" in the slot, yet fell sharply -- 33% -- from its debut on NBC on Monday nights last season. "Numbers" (7.9 million, 1.7) was down 19% from last year. Overall, these are somewhat soft for CBS' block, though the network did win the evening.

ABC was second in the demo, picking up some additional sampling by re-airing a few of its premieres, along with "20/20" (7.1 million 2.3), which won 10 p.m. and ranked as the night's highest-rated show (a tad depressing, that).

NBC aired the 20th season premiere of Dick Wolf's "Law & Order" (6.3 million, 1.3). Judging by the rating, this show is ready for pasture. The procedural was also down 41% from its Wednesday night debut last season. "Dateline" (5.8 million 1.5) was modest and "The Jay Leno Show" (5.7 million, 1.5) hit a new low, now creeping into the upper region of Leno's "Tonight Show" average and matching ABC's repeats of "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" in the demo.




And then there's Fox. Nobody expected "Brothers" (2.8 million, 1.0) to open and it didn't (mixed reviews, weak promotion, terrible time slot). "Dollhouse" (2.6 million, 1.0) was down 41% from its first season premiere, basically picking up where its finale ended.



As stated time and time again, once a heavily serialized show like "Dollhouse" starts to decline, it's almost impossible to reverse -- the same mythology that keeps some fans tuning in each week discourages new viewers from leaping in (or previous fans from giving the show a second chance).



On the CW, the premiere of "Smallville" (2.5 million, 1.0) took a hit being moved to Fridays, down 45%. CW points out this is the network's best performance in the time period in more than a year, though naturally if you burn off the (presumed) final season of one of your highest rated shows on the lowest-rated night of the week, that's what you get.

'Dollhouse' returns to bottom; 'Brothers' matches

The second season premiere of Fox's "Dollhouse" was down sharply in the ratings compared to its series opener and resumed about where the show left off -- as Friday's lowest-rated program on a major broadcast network.

Only this time, "Dollhouse" had some company. The series premiere of Fox's comedy "Brothers," which served as a lead-in for "Dollhouse," was equally abysmal.

While over on CBS, the debut of "Medium" in its new time period (and network) retained most of its "Ghost Whisperer" lead-in and ranked as the most-watched show of the night despite dropping considerably in its new time period.

CBS started with "Ghost" (8.6 million viewers, 2.2 preliminary adults 18-49 rating), down 12% from last year. "Medium" (8.8 million, 2.0) matched the debut of "Ex-List" in the slot, yet fell sharply -- 33% -- from its debut on NBC on Monday nights last season. "Numbers" (7.9 million, 1.7) was down 19% from last year. Overall, these are somewhat soft for CBS' block, though the network did win the evening.

ABC was second in the demo, picking up some additional sampling by re-airing a few of its premieres, along with "20/20" (7.1 million 2.3), which won 10 p.m. and ranked as the night's highest-rated show (a tad depressing, that).

NBC aired the 20th season premiere of Dick Wolf's "Law & Order" (6.3 million, 1.3). Judging by the rating, this show is ready for pasture. The procedural was also down 41% from its Wednesday night debut last season. "Dateline" (5.8 million 1.5) was modest and "The Jay Leno Show" (5.7 million, 1.5) hit a new low, now creeping into the upper region of Leno's "Tonight Show" average and matching ABC's repeats of "Modern Family" and "Cougar Town" in the demo.




And then there's Fox. Nobody expected "Brothers" (2.8 million, 1.0) to open and it didn't (mixed reviews, weak promotion, terrible time slot). "Dollhouse" (2.6 million, 1.0) was down 41% from its first season premiere, basically picking up where its finale ended.



As stated time and time again, once a heavily serialized show like "Dollhouse" starts to decline, it's almost impossible to reverse -- the same mythology that keeps some fans tuning in each week discourages new viewers from leaping in (or previous fans from giving the show a second chance).



On the CW, the premiere of "Smallville" (2.5 million, 1.0) took a hit being moved to Fridays, down 45%. CW points out this is the network's best performance in the time period in more than a year, though naturally if you burn off the (presumed) final season of one of your highest rated shows on the lowest-rated night of the week, that's what you get.

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Croatian Parliament Speaker visits Expo Bureau

Luka Bebić, the Speaker of Croatian Parliament, talks during the meeting.

Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee, talks during the meeting.

Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee, yesterday afternoon met the visiting Luka Bebić, the Speaker of Croatian Parliament.

Zhong first introduced the background of Expo 2010 and introduced the latest development to Bebić. She said that she believed the visiting of the delegation will promote Croatia's participation in Expo 2010. She said she is also expecting a wonderful exhibition of Croatia Pavilion in Expo 2010 next year.

Bebić thanked the Expo 2010 organizer's help for Croatia. He said that Croatia will stick to the promise to participate the Expo 2010 despite the international financial crisis. He also hoped that Croatia and China will enhance cooperation in fields such as trade and culture via Expo 2010.

Zhong also accompanied the Croatia delegation to visit the exhibition hall and went atop the Expo mansion to have a bird's view of the Expo site.

Participants well covered at Expo 2010

China has created a three-tier insurance policy frame work to meet the requirements of China's law, Bureau of International Expositions regulation and specific demands of participating countries and organizations, a senior insurance industry official told Shanghai International Insurance Forum for Expo 2010 Shanghai China yesterday. Up to 70 million people are expected to visit the event where hundreds of national treasures will be displayed.

Participants will have to follow Chinese laws to be covered by mandatory policies, such as vehicle mandatory liability insurances, employee work injury insurances and employee health insurances, said Deng Xionghan, deputy head of China Insurance Regulatory Commission Shanghai Bureau.

BIE has traditionally required several policies, which were not readily available in Chinese insurance product frame, to be in place to cover participants. The Chinese industry has worked out the issue and is ready to offer policies under the categories as general liability insurances, construction and erection insurances, property insurances, exhibits and artworks insurances.

Insurers are also going to provide customized policies for Expo participants to buy, industry officials said at the forum.

National treasures such as Denmark's Little Mermaid, Japan's Monk Jianzhen statue, and paintings by Van Gogh and Paul Cezanne from the Musee d'Orsay will be displayed during Expo 2010.

Expo forum opens in Lhasa

Expo 2010 forum on Tibet starts in Lhasa today.

Wan Jifei, executive director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, delivers a speech.

Wu Yingjie, executive vice chairman of Tibet Autonomous Region, delivers a speech.

Doje Cezhug, Mayor of Lhasa, delivers a speech.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, delivers a speech.

scene of forum

scene of forum

Many Chinese ecological and environment experts today gathered at an Expo forum in Lhasa City to discuss the ecological system and urban development of the capital city of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Tibet, the "roof of the world," hosts the origins of many important rivers in Asia. The global warming has affected the ecological system in Tibet, experts said. The glacier and plateau permafrost are thawing, desertification is spreading in the region while erosion situation gets worse every day.

"Lhasa is striving to develop itself into a beautiful and ecologically sustainable city and we attach great importance to protect historic relics and environment," Mayor of Lhasa Doje Cezhug said.

Trees have been planted along railway lines and up to 26 natural reserves have been set up, including three national-level reserves, Doje Cezhug added.

Lhasa will keep developing a recycle economy, improve the ecological system of the city and promoting environment protection ideals among residents, he added.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, and Wang Yi, Chief Scientist of sustainable development of China Academy of Science, also delivered key-note speeches.

Expo Shanghai Forums are categorized into a summit forum, theme forums and public forums. The Lhasa forum is one of the public forums. Public forums intend to discuss specific issues for urban development and promote the Expo's theme of "Better City, Better Life" among the public through various events.

Expo promotion week starts in Tibet

Expo 2010 promotion week opens at the Potala Palace square in Lhasa today.

Wan Jifei, executive director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, and chairman of China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, delivers a speech.

Hao Peng, vice chairman of the Tibet regional government, delivers a speech.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, delivers a speech.

Tibetan girls pose for a photo with Expo Mascot Haibao.

Expo 2010 promotion week in Tibetan Autonomous Region began this morning at the Potala Palace square in the regional capital Lhasa City.

Chinese government and Communist Party of China have put Expo 2010 as their top priority and the Expo will display a glamorous Tibet to the world, said Wan Jifei, executive director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee.

With the leadership of regional government and the regional party committee as well as the efforts of Tibetan people, Tibetan exhibition in China Pavilion will be a bright spot during the event, Wan added.

Hao Peng, vice chairman of the Tibet regional government, said that Expo 2010 is a good opportunity for Tibet to showcase itself and boost its economy.

Tibetan people will participate in the Expo to thank Shanghai people's contribution to Tibet's development, Hao said. He also said that the promotion week will let more Tibetan people know about Expo.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, said that Tibet and Shanghai were like brothers and were cooperating in economic, social, educational and cultural aspects, which have been productive.

This promotion will further improve the cooperation and help both to capture the Expo opportunities to make further contribution to each other's development, Zhou said.

The Expo promotion week in Tibet includes an Expo exhibition, an Expo forum and Expo-related activities in Tibet University. The week from September 1 to 5 in 2010 has been set as Tibet Week in Expo 2010. During that week, glamorous culture shows from Tibet will be staged.

Japanese media briefed on Expo

scene of the salon

A group of journalists from leading Japanese media yesterday were briefed about the Shanghai 2010 World Expo by the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

The Expo will have more than 20,000 performances during the 184-day event. About 100 sessions will be held every day in 32 outdoor or indoor stages around the Expo site.

The opening ceremony of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo on the night of April 30 will highlight the dialogue between cultures and China's exchange with the world, organizers told the reporters.

The closing ceremony on October 31 will sum up the achievement of the Expo, during which the "Shanghai Declaration" will be passed to provide guidelines for future urban development as a legacy of the Expo.

The performance theme in the Pudong section will be "World Classic," while in Puxi it will be "Future Innovation," Expo officials revealed.

As of June 19, 710 performances from across the world have been submitted, among which 240 came from Japan, organizers revealed yesterday. The media group also toured the Expo site following the meeting.

Coca-Cola discuss Expo cooperation

scene of the meeting

Senior Coca-Cola Company management yesterday met with the Shanghai 2010 World Expo organizers to discuss the company's participation as one of the event's global partners.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee, and Clyde C. Tuggle, Coca-Cola's senior vice president of global public affairs and communications, touched upon issues such as Coca-Cola's brand promotion at the Expo. Zhou talked about the master plan of the Expo site and the event's progress.

Finnish Expo preparation in fast lane

The steel structure for the Finland Pavilion will be put erected early next month and its overall exhibition plan has been fixed, according to the Finnish Website for the Shanghai 2010 World Expo.

The exhibition plan will be implemented next month, the Website said.

A Shanghai company and a Finnish firm have already been chosen to form a joint venture to run the pavilion's cafeteria, and their names will be announced soon.

The reserving process for a conference room inside the pavilion will start this autumn, according to the Website.

The Finland Pavilion will include a 100-square-meter sauna, which is only open to the pavilion's sponsors, but there are plans to introduce a Finnish sauna to the public, said Pertti Huitu, Finland's commissioner general for the Expo.

The three-floor building named "Kirnu" will be surrounded by a lake, appearing to float on the water. Its them is "Sharing Inspiration."

Former Mongolian president wishes Expo 2010 success

Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, presents a gift to Punsalmaa Ochirbat, a former president of Mongolia.

Punsalmaa Ochirbat, a former president of Mongolia, on Wednesday delivered his best wishes to the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination for the 2010 World Expo on a visit here.

Hong Hao, director of the bureau, briefed Ochirbat on the latest progress of the Expo. He believed the Expo would help boost Sino-Mongolian friendship.

Ochirbat's delegation also toured the bureau's exhibition hall where the 2010 event's master plan can be seen. They also got a view of the Expo site from atop the building.

A dream comes true for city's state-owned enterprises

As the only pavilion of local enterprises, the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion has been attracting people's attention since it was announced last year. Although it's still under construction, the simulated diagram of the pavilion has already impressed a lot of people with its nickname "Dream Cube."

Located in the enterprise zone of World Expo 2010, the Shanghai Corporate Pavilion will occupy an area of about 4,000 square meters. It's 24-meter-high main building is held up by four huge pillars.

The budget is about 300 million yuan (US$44 million), which is contributed by about 40 state-owned enterprises. It is being built by Shanghai Guosheng Co.

Construction began in late April and will be completed by the end of this year, with all the building materials environmentally friendly.

The pavilion has the theme of "My City, Our Dreams" and gathers together talented architects and artists all over the world.

The team is headed by Shi Derong, one of the main producers of the opening ceremony at the 2007 Special Olympic Games, and members include: designer Dr Edwin Schlossberg; Gu Shuhang, general manager of the 2007 Special Olympics opening ceremony; and Bobby Dickinson, who has been the lighting designer at several Olympics opening ceremonies as well as at the Oscars and Grammy award ceremonies.

The Shanghai Corporate Pavilion will provide visitors with a 17-minute interactive experience in four different zones - Sound of the City, Close to the Huangpu River, Road of Shanghai and Travel to the Future.

Using pictures and music, visitors will be encouraged to think about how to make the city's future better.

When people step into the pavilion, they will first be in the Sound of the City zone, which is also the waiting zone. It includes all the ground area under the main building.

In this zone, visitors will hear music and an introduction to Shanghai, as well as instructions as to how to enjoy the visit.

Then, visitors will go through an automatic lift and a long corridor of hundreds of meters and finally enter the main pavilion on the second floor, which is the second part of the whole experience. On their way, people will watch a movie on the walls of both sides of the corridor which is a brief history of Shanghai, from little village to huge modern city.

The highlight comes at the third zone, Road of Shanghai, where visitors will begin their journey with a dialogue between a senior man and his granddaughter.

They represent different ideas on the city and the lives of two generations.

This part will last for over five minutes, with various problems raised. But finally, the two will reach an agreement on how to make a better city and a better life.

"The whole part is like a 3D movie show but much more than that," says Shi, chief producer of the pavilion. "We will add a lot of interactive elements into the whole visiting experience.

"The movie content, even the light of the whole building may change according to the visitors' responses."

After their dialogue, there comes the last part where Dr Butterfly will show up. This character originates from the ancient Chinese tale "Zhuang's Butterfly," which tells a story about a dream of an old saint.

In this part, Dr Butterfly will discuss with the audience the questions appearing in part three and give his own opinion.

"There will be no single answer to those questions since the problems of the city are always complicated," Shi says.

"What we want to show is the concept of how to deal with the problems. We're just raising an example actually."

Although it's the last part of the journey, it's not the end. After stepping out of the show zone, visitors will reach the gift shops and a brand new "robot restaurant." In this restaurant, all the meals will be cooked by an intelligent robot system without any human chefs at all. It will be a grand buffet but not free.

"Although it's called the Corporate Pavilion, we don't plan to make it a commercial or industrial exhibition," says Shi.

"Instead, we want to show the direction of the future, on what enterprises may do for city development, such as how to use technology and how to take responsibility."

Compared with some other pavilions, the budget of 300 million yuan is not big.

There are a total 17 pavilions in the enterprise zone of Expo Shanghai, but the production team is hoping that it is the best.

"It's a show of our attitude and ability, and we believe we will make it," says Gu, the other main producer of the project.

Insurance officials get Expo updates

Zhou Yanli, vice chairman of China Insurance Regulatory Commission, learns about the master plan of the 2010 World Expo.

A delegation headed by Zhou Yanli, vice chairman of China Insurance Regulatory Commission visited the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination this morning.

Zhou visited the Expo site and toured the bureau's exhibition hall where the 2010 event's master plan can be seen.

Wu Yunfei, deputy director general of the bureau, accompanied Zhou during the visit.

Tibet's tale to unfold at Expo 2010

scene of the press conference

Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region will present a stunning picture of its development and breath-taking scenery on the rooftop of the world at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo, a senior official of the Tibet regional government told a press conference today.

The world's highest railway, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, will be highlighted to show the superb ecology and good life along the railway, Meng Yang, deputy secretary-general of the Tibet regional government revealed.

The exhibition aims to display Tibet's achievement in the past few decades as this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Democratic Reform in Tibet.

An impressive film clip will be made to display Tibet's life, Meng said.

Meanwhile, a variety of performances will be staged from September 1 to 5, which will mark the Tibet week during Expo.

A week-long promotional campaign will kick off tomorrow in the region, involving a forum and a series of campus activities.

Tibet preparation well on track

scene of the meeting

scene of the meeting

Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region has worked out its exhibition plan for the Shanghai 2010 World Expo and is planning cultural performances, Hao Peng, vice chairman of the Tibet regional government, said in Lhasa yesterday.

He told visiting Expo organizer that the government is committed to be part of the Expo as it's a national event.

He believed the upcoming Expo promotion week in Lhasa will further fuel the preparation of Tibet in participating the Expo.

Wan Jifei, executive director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, said 241 countries and international organizations have confirmed their participation so far, a record number of Expo participants.

Wan, who also serves chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), thanked Tibet's support and contributions in promoting Expo. He believed the Expo will display a glamorous Tibet to the world.

Zhou Hanmin, deputy director of the Shanghai 2010 World Expo Executive Committee, promised an all-out effort from the organizer in serving Tibet's exhibition.

Sunny side of Expo's main street

The lighting is tested outside one of the six "Sunny Valleys" at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai. The funnel-shaped structures can divert sunlight into underground rooms and collect rainwater for recycling. The Sunny Valleys are on a major passage that links the Expo's main theme pavilions. - Xinhua

Danish opt for 'take it easy' style

Shanghai is expecting a special guest participant next year during the World Expo: the little mermaid.

Built in 1913 to honor the famous fairytale character created by Hans Christian Anderson, the statue of the little mermaid has graced a rock in Copenhagen harbor for nearly a century.

It will be the first time for the statue, a Danish national icon and major tourist attraction, to leave its hometown. It is expected to be warmly welcomed by visitors from around the world and, of course, Shanghai residents.

The structure of the statue's temporary new location, the Danish Pavilion, is almost complete and the steel foundations are expected to be finished by November 7.

At the pavilion's entrance, a man-made lake filled with sea water from Denmark will resemble the sights of Copenhagen harbor where the mermaid statue resides.

"We will bring water from Copenhagen to Shanghai to reflect that the water in our urban areas is clean enough for people to drink and swim in," says John Hansen, project director of the Danish Expo Secretariat.

"Welfairytales," the theme of the pavilion, combines the two words "welfare" and "fairytale" that evoke the total concept of the pavilion and exhibition.

The Danish Pavilion will present new images, ideas and knowledge related to how Denmark can create sustainable cities with high-quality lifestyles.

This sustainability will be reflected in free bicycle riding within the pavilion, among other things. Riding a bike through an area which is designed like Copenhagen streets will not only evoke the real Danish lifestyle in the capital city, but also promote environmentally friendly concepts, says Hansen. "It's our plan for the future for people to ride bicycles. It's a good way to reduce carbon emissions," he says.

Another aspect is that the 3,750 lights integrated into the facade of the pavilion will be no more energy-consuming than an ordinary cooking plate.

There will also be a 300-meter-long zigzag "social bench" inside the pavilion, where people can sit down to rest and have a chat with other visitors. "We see communication as an important issue," says Hansen.

Apart from theater shows and operas planned for the pavilion, the Royal Danish Ballet will collaborate with troupes in China to present shows. One of the players in the Royal Danish Ballet will be a Chinese person.

A musical style called "mermaid music," which includes various styles like jazz and pop, will be played in the pavilion once a week.

Among the exhibitions, a number of presentations by young Danish artists who have won global recognition will be featured.

A series of photographs taken by famous Danish photographers will be presented in a story-telling mode. Three films, "Water City," "Bicycle City" and "Family City," are in production for presentation.

The titles of the films are simple but convey the pavilion's key elements.

And at the end of the day, visitors to the pavilion's roof top, will be able to go for a fun picnic. "It will be enjoyable to have a beer at sunset in such an open and green space," says Hansen.

Source: Shanghai Daily

UN green experts praise city efforts

The United Nations Environment Program releases an environmental assessment on World Expo 2010.

scene of the press conference

The United Nations Environment Program praised Shanghai's efforts in organizing an environmentally friendly 2010 World Expo in an assessment released yesterday.

The assessment applauded the city's efforts in nine areas of the Expo - air quality, transport, energy, solid waste, water, green coverage, protected areas, climate neutrality and the overall site.

The city had a network of air pollution monitoring stations comparable to developed countries, the UN group said.

It realized the reduction of sulfur dioxide through desulfurizing power plants in five years and would build a world-class rapid transit network of more than 400 kilometers of tracks in 20 years using many new-energy vehicles.

The city government also limited private car growth through license-plate auctions, the assessment said.

Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, meets Achim Sterner, UN under-secretary-general and UNEP executive director.

The traffic measures the city implemented, such as tightening emission standards and accelerating replacement of older and more polluting cars, were effective in stabilizing nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide emissions, the two main air pollutants of recent years.

The city accelerated its environmental initiatives when preparing for the Expo.

By 2009, investments in environmental protection reached 42 billion yuan (US$6.15 billion), three times more than in 2000, the assessment said.

The Expo would "leave a green legacy for the citizens of Shanghai and contribute to worldwide initiatives."

It offered "a glimpse of greener future" to the world, Achim Sterner, UN under-secretary-general and UNEP executive director, said at the releasing ceremony in the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination in Shanghai.

The report recommended the city use more renewable energy rather than largely depending on coal for electricity.

It also suggested developing a more comprehensive waste-reduction system apart from the use of landfill and mechanical-biological treatment plants.

The city needed to tackle the nitrification of the river system, it said.

It urged the city government and the Expo organizer to activate public participation in environmental protection.

Sterner hoped the city would "turn its modernization into a green example for urban development of the future."

The UNEP will do another follow-up report after the Expo ends on October 31, 2010.

Editor: Yang Jian

Expo signs confectionery supplier

scene of the signing ceremony

Hong Hao, director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, presents plaques to Wang Zongnan, chairman of Bright Food.

Guan Sheng Yuan (Group) Co Ltd, a local foodstuffs giant, yesterday became the confectionery supplier to 2010 World Expo after signing a project sponsorship agreement with the organizer in Shanghai.

Guan Sheng Yuan's monosodium glutamate won gold awards at three previous World Expos in 1926, 1930 and 1933. It has donated the certificate won by the brand at the Chicago World Expo in 1933 to the Shanghai Municipal Archives.

Jiang Suping, deputy Party secretary of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Shanghai Municipal Government, delivers a speech.

Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, gives a speech.

Jiang Suping, deputy Party secretary of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of Shanghai Municipal Government, called on local enterprises to make full use of the 2010 Expo to promote their brands.

Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, hoped Guan Sheng Yuan would become a "friendship ambassador" in cultural exchange and make contributions to a "successful, splendid and unforgettable" event.

Editor: Hu Min

Expo takes a spotlight at book fair

A huge China Pavilion model draped in red captures the attention at the central hall of the book fair.

Readers take photos of Expo 2010 pavilions.

The Shanghai Book Fair - the city's annual extravaganza for reading buffs - this year offered something new with a raft of Expo-themed books for sale.

Expo elements were shining at the fair as the city ticks off the time to the event with only 255 days to opening.

Readers browse Expo-themed books.

A huge China Pavilion model draped in red captured the attention at the central hall of the book fair, accompanied by two cute Haibao who welcomed visitors and invited them to take photos.

Models of a variety of Expo pavilions made of paper are also on display, together with Expo-themed post cards and stamps which presented a vivid picture of the trail of world exposition history.

Readers were able to find various Expo books that traced the event's history, taught Expo-related etiquette, elaborated on Expo architecture or promoted Expo-themed tour packages.

And readers' responses were enthusiastic.

A child browses a book about Expo 2010 mascot Haibao.

The book "My Fate with Expo" written by Wu Jianmin, the former ambassador to France and former chairman of the Bureau of International Expositions, was popular, according to staff at the fair. Wu shared his World Expo experiences in the book as he and his wife Shi Yanhua participated in the bidding and preparation for the 2010 Expo.

Many readers recorded their best wishes and expectations for Expo, one saying "The Expo is an event for us all which demonstrates China's power. Wish Expo Shanghai a successful event."

The fair at Shanghai Exhibition Center on Yan'an Road will close today.

Editor: Hu Min

Innovation the key for Sweden

The Sweden Pavilion at World Expo 2010 is a temporary building. However, it is constructed from recyclable materials that can be reconstructed somewhere else. That feature of the pavilion represents the three keywords Swedish team aims to convey: innovation, sustainability and communication.

The theme of the pavilion is "Spirit of Innovation."

The design concept of the pavilion is the relationship between city life and nature.

Nature is very close to the Swedish people, and it inspires and triggers their creativity, while a well-developed urban city is essential for the enjoyment of a good life.

Glass walkways

The 3,000-square-meter pavilion is in four parts, divided by a cross or "plus sign."

"It means the city life plus the nature," says Annika Rembe, commissioner general of the Swedish committee for Expo 2010. "The design is easy and simple, but is interesting in itself."

It also represents the national flag of Sweden.

The four parts are connected by glass walkways for the convenience of visitors.

Photographs taken by a famous Swedish photographer will be displayed along the pavilion's passages. Though the specific way they will be presented has not yet been revealed, it is promised to be "exciting and eye-catching."

The outside look of the pavilion is like a city map of Stockholm, the capital city of Sweden.

"I can point out to you where I live," says Rembe half-jokingly.

In the pavilion, people will come through a "story" by walking through different parts of the pavilion and its three floors.

One of the key elements of the pavilion is in seeing things from the perspective of a child, with their sense of fun, curiosity and strange but inspiring ideas.

Pippi Longstocking has been selected to represent the innovative spirit of Sweden.

Longstocking is a fictional character in a series of children's books by Swedish author Astrid Lindgren and a household name in Sweden because of her strength and ideas.

"In Sweden, if a child is like Pippi and has a lot of ideas, people will consider him or her to be a Nobel Prize winner-to-be," says Rembe.

The pavilion features materials that have been specially treated so they can be applied in modern architecture.

Taking the advantage of rich forest resources in Sweden, the construction team chose wood to build the structure of the pavilion with steel as its roof. The wood is thickly compressed to be a very strong material for buildings. The steel is also specially treated to become a supplement for the cooling system and save energy. The same is true with the rubber floor, air cleaning system and so on. Sweden brings Swedish solutions to China with interesting systems and products.

The activities include music, street artists and circus performance, which will include a lot of joyful and interactive fun. People are not only visitors in the pavilion, but also participate in the activities and are part of Swedish challenges.

Source: Shanghai Daily

Taiwan Pavilion for Shanghai Expo breaks ground

 scene of the ground-breaking ceremony

Zhong Yanqun, fulltime deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee, delivers a speech.

Chih Kang Wang, chairman of the Taipei World Trade Center, gives a speech.

a model of the Taiwan Pavilion

an artist's rendition of the Taiwan Pavilion

Construction began on the Taiwan Pavilion for the 2010 World Expo yesterday despite its deadliest typhoon in half a century that has also brought great economic loss.

Taiwan will keep its 200 million yuan (US$29.26 million) budget to build its pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site, a top official involved in the island's Expo participation made the assurance in Shanghai yesterday.

But the Taiwan organizer had halted private fund raising for the pavilion across the island and would not restart until after rescue and relief work were finished, said Chih Kang Wang, chairman of the Taipei World Trade Center, the organization that will be responsible for Taiwan Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo.

The 1,000-square-meter Taiwan Pavilion will be a transparent cube housing a giant ball in its center.

The pavilion will be mainly made of steel and glass, with the outlines of the island's Mount Morrison and Mount Ali painted on the facade.

The main part of the pavilion will be built with stone from Jade Mountain and soil from Yin-Ko Town.

Its exhibition theme is "Mountain, Water, Heart and Lantern."

The pavilion would showcase the island's scenery, its kind-hearted people and culture, said C. Y. Lee, chief designer of the pavilion as well as Taipei 101, one of the world's tallest skyscrapers.

Editor: Yang Jian

Haibao lands in Ningxia

Visitors learn about the master plan of Expo 2010. model of Ningxia's Expo 2010 exhibition on display Visitors check the model of Ningxia's Expo 2010 exhibition. Visitors take photos with Expo 2010 mascot Haibao. Officials of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and the 2010 World Expo organizer this morning unveiled a statue of Shanghai 2010 World Expo mascot Haibao in Yinchuan, capital city of Ningxia. The unveiling ceremony at the Yinchuan International Conference and Exhibition Center heralded the start of a week-long Expo promotion campaign in Ningxia, which features an Expo-themed exhibition at the ongoing China (Ningxia) International Trade and Investment Fair at the center. The exhibition provides an introduction to World Expo's history and an update on the preparations for the Shanghai Expo. It also shows a model of Ningxia's Expo 2010 exhibition, which will tell a legend of Ningxia. The fair, which has attracted more than 6,000 business representatives from more than 80 countries and regions, will run until August 23. More Haibao statues will appear in downtown Yinchuan, including the Yinchuan Railway Station. Visitors learn about the updates of Expo 2010 preparation. A visitor takes a picture of the China Pavilion's model. Editor: Hu Min

Ningxia shows off Yellow River life

scene of the press conference

an artist's rendition of Ningxia's Expo 2010 exhibition

an artist's rendition of Ningxia's Expo 2010 exhibition

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwestern China will showcase its enchanting scenery, Islamic flavor and profound culture at its 2010 World Expo exhibition, a senior official in charge of Ningxia's participation told a press conference yesterday.

Ningxia will take visitors on a journey through history, exploring the Yellow River's role in breeding Ningxia's civilization, including its grotto art and gold-plated bronze ox, which represent the region, said Zhang Yangqiang, director of Ningxia's Expo 2010 preparatory office.

An interactive section will show visitors how the Yellow River irrigates the arid region and improves the environment, Zhang said.

an artist's rendition of Ningxia's Expo 2010 exhibition

an artist's rendition of Ningxia's Expo 2010 exhibition

There will also be a cultural extravaganza, including a costume show by the ethnic Hui.

Visitors will also be able to envision the future development of 10 Ningxia cities along the Yellow River via a large screen wall.

An Expo-themed forum is scheduled for September 10 in Ningxia's capital city Yinchuang, which will invite experts to discuss how to fuel the development of Ningxia cities to create an "old bank bloc" along the Yellow River.

Xu Wei, spokesman for the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, updated the preparation of the 2010 Expo at the press conference.

Editor: Hu Min