London debut for treasures from Shanghai

Chinese and British officials are pictured at the opening ceremony of the exhibit.

Song Chao, director of the Information Office of the Shanghai Municipality, grants a certificate to British singer Sarah Brightman. Brightman has become the official Shanghai 2010 World Expo Promotion Ambassador in Britain.

scene of the press conference of Shanghai Week in London

Neil MacGregor, director of the British Museum, answers reporters' questions at the press conference.

Zhu Yonglei, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, answers reporters' questions at the press conference.

The British Museum has celebrated the launch of Shanghai Week in London with the opening of "Treasures from Shanghai," a spectacular collection of 60 ancient Chinese jade and bronze masterpieces on show in Europe for the first time.

"This exhibition brings to London pieces of superlative quality rarely seen outside China itself," said the exhibition's guest curator Jessica Rawson.

"The Neolithic jades on display are astonishing, particularly those that feature fine designs of strange human-like figures, birds and monsters with large teeth."

She added: "The Shanghai Museum houses one of the world's greatest collections of Chinese art."

Chen Kelun, deputy director general of the Shanghai Museum, said the exhibition would provide "insights into the time-honored urban civilization and etiquette of China" and identify themselves with the theme of the World Expo to be held in Shanghai next year.

The month-long exhibition is another example of the British Museum's collaboration with China after the exhibition "First Emperor: China's Terracotta Army" in 2007.

Officials check the model of the China Pavilion.

A photographer takes photos on the model of the China Pavilion.

promotion posters on The Times

scene of the exhibition

Shanghai Week is designed to commemorate the increasingly close relationship between Britain and China, and showcase the heritage and culture of Shanghai as it prepares for the World Expo.

Other highlights include a seminar at the Victoria and Albert Museum entitled "From London to Shanghai: Inheritance and innovation - wisdom in urban development" and a photographic exhibition at City Hall - "Shanghai and Shanghai Exposition."

Shanghai Mayor Han Zheng and Boris Johnson, his London counterpart, sent congratulatory messages to Shanghai Week organizers.

Meanwhile, Sarah Brightman, who sang at the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, has been named Shanghai 2010 World Expo Promotion Ambassador in Britain.

Grenada delegates visit bureau

scene of the meeting

Hu Jinjun, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, presents a gift to senator Arley Gill who also serves as the Minister of State for Youth Empowerment, Culture & Sports of Grenada.

A delegation led by senator Arley Gill who also serves as the Minister of State for Youth Empowerment, Culture & Sports of Grenada visited the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination this afternoon.

Hu Jinjun, deputy director general of the bureau, invited Grenada to stage performances with a Caribbean flavor during the Expo.

Grenada will exhibit at a joint pavilion for the Caribbean Community.

Yao Ming gears up for Expo

NBA star Yao Ming will appear at an Expo gala on July 5 as an Expo ambassador to help raise donations for children who suffered in the Sichuan earthquake and those in impoverished regions.

Money raised at the gala will be used to buy Expo 2010 tickets for these children.

The basketball player will also participate in other Expo events to raise eco-friendly awareness among the public on July 5, which will mark the 300-day countdown to the Expo.

Yao said he was excited about Expo and would do everything he could to fulfill his role as an ambassador

Expo songs available on mobile phones

China Mobile has uploaded a series of Expo songs to its Website (www.12530.com) today.

China Mobile users will be able to download Expo songs on the Website. The first 34 songs have been available, including "Better City Better Life" sang by Sky Wu.

China Mobile users can log on the Website or send SMS or dial 12530999 to download

Music carnival hits the right note

Students perform with Expo 2010 mascot Haibao.

Australian people pose with Haibao.

An Expo-themed music carnival is touring the world. It involves a bunch of musical and cultural exchange programs that bring students across the planet together.

The debut concert of the carnival was staged on June 26 at Fudan University in Shanghai. This was followed by a performance of Chinese student choir, dance troupe and symphony orchestra at the closing ceremony of the 20th Australian International Music Festival on July 12.

Chinese students performed Expo-themed songs and danced with Expo 2010 mascot Haibao at the Sydney Opera House to promote the event to their overseas peers.

Other stops on the global tour have not yet been determined as details are still being worked out.

The carnival was organized by the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and will run through the Shanghai World Expo, which ends on October 31, 2010.

During the Expo, students from nearly 100 top universities such as Harvard, Yale, Oxford and Cambridge will perform and conduct cultural exchanges with their Chinese counterparts from Tsinghua, Peking, Fudan and Jiaotong universities.

Organizer issues posters of Expo ambassadors

Expo 2010 poster

Expo 2010 poster

Expo 2010 poster

Expo 2010 poster

The Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination has issued four posters featuring cartoon images of three World Expo 2010 ambassadors - movie star Jackie Chan, pianist Lang Lang and NBA star Yao Ming.

The China Pavilion, the landmark Oriental Pearl TV Tower as well as Haibao, the Expo's mascot, are also featured on the posters, which read "Welcome to Expo 2010 Shanghai China."

More posters will be released in line with the different stages of Expo preparations.

Media watchdog officials visit Expo bureau

A delegation headed by Sun Shoushan, deputy chief of the General Administration of Press and Publication, yesterday visited the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

Sun visited the construction site of China Pavilion and toured the bureau's exhibition hall where the 2010 event's master plan can be found. He also got a view of the Expo site from atop the building.

The heart and soul of Japan to be on display at Expo

The World Expo 2005 Aichi in Japan amazed the world with its intelligent robots, innovative performances and its "green" thinking.

Next year, at the Shanghai World Expo, the country that has hosted five World Expos aims to continue its glory on the Expo stage.

Along the Huangpu River, about 500 spectators sit in a traditional wooden theater, enjoying a modern opera. Many robots walk among the spectators. They will welcome people and some will even lend a hand to seniors. Several robots will play violins. This will be the Japan Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo.

The Japan Pavilion has secured a 6,000-square-meter plot at the Expo site, neighboring the South Korea Pavilion and close to the China Pavilion. The 24-meter-high pavilion is the largest and most costly the country has ever built for a World Expo.

The pavilion is a semi-circular structure, covered by a purple membrane material. Its facade is similar to China's National Aquatics Center, or Water Cube, in Beijing. Several antennae and caves make the pavilion a "breathing organism," which will express the harmony between the human heart and technology.

The pavilion has been dubbed "Purple Silkworm Island" by Chinese people.

The pavilion will use solar energy collection batteries hidden in the double-layer membrane, and the cave will collect rainwater to spray on its exterior surface to keep temperatures cool.

Inside the pavilion, Japan will express the "harmony between the human heart and technology," its exhibition theme.

Journey through time

The pavilion will be divided into past, present and future exhibits. People will experience a journey from ancient times into the future within a one-hour visit, says Yasuhito Harayama, senior official of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

At the "past zone," the friendship between China and Japan will be highlighted. Historic cases such as a Chinese envoy's visit to Japan in the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) and expertise such as Nishijin weaving will be showcased to highlight the cultural connections between the two countries.

Japan's modern energy saving and water purification technologies will be exhibited in the "present zone." The exhibition will focus on three topics: water source protection, global warming and the aging problem.

The "future zone" will feature a modern opera developed by both Chinese and Japanese directors. It will be the centerpiece of the pavilion.

The opera will tell the story of a rare bird that has avoided extinction in Japan with the help of China.

'Beautiful future'

The crested ibis was declared extinct in Japan in the 1970s. The Chinese government began giving some of its stock to Japan in the 1990s and the birds managed to re-establish themselves in Japan.

The opera will be easy to understand, with children its prime target audience, says opera creator Makoto Sato.

"I am trying to send a message to the next generation that we will provide a beautiful future," Sato says.

The production will involve some traditional Chinese opera such as Kunqu Opera, says Danny Yung, the Chinese co-director.

The Japanese Expo team will soon begin recruiting Chinese actors for the opera. High-tech robots may also be involved.

The 20-minute opera will be performed in the pavilion's 500-seat theater many times each day during the Expo, Sato says.

Yangzhou signs deal to exhibit in UBPA

scene of the signing ceremony

Yangzhou City in Jiangsu Province will display the city's livable environment and its heritage protection practices in World Expo 2010's Urban Best Practices Area.

The city signed a participation contract with the organizer yesterday to exhibit in the third type of presentation planned for the UBPA, which involves forums with the use of multimedia.

Yangzhou is famous for its well-preserved gardens as well as Slender Western Lake. It has a history dating back at least 2,500 years.

UK minister confident of Expo showcase

Lord Davies of Abersoch (center), United Kingdom's Minister for Trade, Investment and Business, and Fu Ying (right), Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, visit the under-construction UK Pavilion at the Expo site.

Lord Davies of Abersoch, United Kingdom's Minister for Trade, Investment and Business, and Fu Ying, Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, learn about the progress of the UK Pavilion.

Lord Davies of Abersoch, United Kingdom's Minister for Trade, Investment and Business, said in Shanghai today that he views the 2010 World Expo as a platform to "showcase British excellence and creativity."

He made the remarks this morning during a visit to the under-construction UK Pavilion at the Expo site.

"The United Kingdom is committed to having an outstanding entry at the Expo," Davies noted, adding that reducing the country's Expo budget has not been considered.

He also expressed confidence that the UK's display would be memorable. "I think the pavilion will be very impressive and exciting and visitors will love it," he said.

Fu Ying, Chinese ambassador to the United Kingdom, and Carma Elliot, British consul general in Shanghai, also visited the site with representatives from five British corporations — Diageo, BP, GKN, AstraZeneca and Barclays, which are sponsors of the pavilion.

The UK Pavilion will look like a huge "light box" with thousands of needle-like protrusions which will extend from the structure and quiver in the breeze.

During the day, each of these 7.5-meter long rods will act like fibre optic filaments, drawing on daylight to illuminate the interior, thereby creating a contemplative awe-inspiring space. At night, light sources at the interior end of each rod will allow the whole structure to glow.

Britain will also embed more than 60,000 seeds into the structure of its pavilion to urge people to protect natural species from extinction.

Construction on the pavilion began in March.

Senior NPC official visits Expo exhibition

Chen Zhili, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, visits the ongoing World Expo 2010 exhibition at Capital Museum in Beijing.

Chen Zhili, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, visits the ongoing World Expo 2010 exhibition at Capital Museum in Beijing.

Chen Zhili, vice chairwoman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese National People's Congress, on Wednesday said China's hosting of the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Shanghai World Expo 2010 had "historical significance."

She made the comment while visiting the ongoing World Expo 2010 exhibition at Capital Museum in Beijing.

She was interested in the models of the 60 pavilions on display at the exhibition. The vice chairwoman also learned about the master plan of the Expo.

The exhibition ends tomorrow.

Meanwhile, overseas staff from the Embassy of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay in China, Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica in China, and Embassy of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas in China also visited the exhibition on Wednesday.

Former Chinese vice premier visits Expo 2010 exhibition

Former Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi visits the World Expo 2010 exhibition at Capital Museum in Beijing.

Former Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi and other officials take a photo with Haibao.

Wu Yi learns about the master plan of Expo 2010.

Wu Yi and volunteers

Former Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi visited the ongoing World Expo 2010 exhibition at Capital Museum in Beijing yesterday afternoon.

Wu was updated on Expo preparations. She praised the work of organizer during the tour.

The delegation also included Wan Jifei, executive director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee and chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT), Bi Jingquan, deputy secretary-general of the State Council and deputy director of the Expo's organizing committee, Shanghai Vice Mayor Yang Xiong and Zhong Yanqun, full-time deputy director of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai Executive Committee.

Wu also encouraged volunteers to do a good job.

The exhibition, the latest and the most detailed of its kind, ends tomorrow.

It has two themes: World Expo history, as well as China and World Expo. More than 200 historic photos and items have been used to illustrate the World Expo from its origins and development to its relationship with modern civilization and cultural development.

Date palms add life to Saudi pavilion

Saudi Arabia plans something a little different for its World Expo 2010 pavilion.

They will plant 150 date palms, which are common in the desert country, on the roof of their pavilion.

The trees were transplanted to Zhejiang Province and will be replanted on the roof of Saudi Arabia Pavilion as soon as construction is finished.

So far 200 million yuan (US$29.3 million) has been spent on the pavilion, which is now 20 percent complete. It may end up being the most expensive pavilion at World Expo 2010 as the Middle-East country said it has no budget limit, according to Mohammed Alisssan Al-Ghamdi, executive director of Saudi Commission Expo 2010 Shanghai China.

Construction of the pavilion is to be finished by Chinese New Year.

The pavilion is a combined effort of Chinese and Saudi designers. The pavilion has a "moon boat" shape and is surrounded by deserts and seas, just like Saudi Arabia.

The first floor of the pavilion is a garden with both Chinese and Saudi trees growing, a symbol of the friendship between the two nations.

The pavilion's main attraction will be a huge cinema screen. The 1,600 square-meter screen will be larger than any other cinema screen on earth.

Swarovski delegation explores cooperation

scene of the meeting

A delegation headed by Andreas Braun, CEO of Swarovski Crystal Worlds, visited the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination this afternoon.

Hu Jinjun, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, discussed co-operation opportunities with Braun.

World Water Council President visits Expo Bureau

Xu Weiguo, deputy party secretary of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, meets Loïc Fauchon, President of World Water Council.

Fauchon and other member of the visiting delegation learn about Expo 2010's master plan.

World Water Council President Loïc Fauchon and Vice-President Benedito Braga yesterday visited the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination accompanied by China's Deputy Minister of Water Resources Hu Siyi.

Xu Weiguo, deputy party secretary of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, discussed the council's participation in Expo 2010 with the guests.

The big Expo 2010 and Expo site has been impressive and the council will try to promote water resources protection on Expo 2010 through exhibition, seminar and forums, said Fauchon.

The theme for this Expo is "better city, better life" and cities can not be better without well-organized water management, said Xu.

The organizer will offer good service for the Expo participants and he is looking forward to the outstanding exhibition of the council, Xu added.

Fauchon and his delegation also visited the Exhibition Hall and went atop the Expo Mansion to have a bird view of Expo site accompanied by Xu.

The World Water Council was the first non-governmental organization to announce its participation of the Expo 2010. The council confirmed its participation in September 2006.

African officials and journalists visit Expo Bureau

African officials and journalists visit Expo Bureau

African officials and journalists visit Exhibition Hall in Expo Mansion.

Fifty African officials and journalists yesterday visited the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination at the invitation of External Publicity Office of Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Expo Bureau officials in charge of Joint-Africa Pavilion introduced African countries' participation in Expo 2010 and the latest updates of Joint-Africa Pavilion's construction. The officials also answered questions from the group.

The group also visited Exhibition Hall and went atop the Expo Mansion to have a bird's view of the Expo site.

These African officials and journalists belong to a journalism training class and they are from 25 English-speaking countries in Africa.

Up to 42 countries and regions together with the African Union will present their interpretations of the "Better City, Better Life" Expo theme at Joint-African Pavilion. Eight other countries from the continent, including South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria, will rent pavilions from the organizer. This pavilion is in a prime location along the Huangpu River and near a main entrance to the Expo site.

Chile Pavilion to reflect people's life through wells

Constructors will dig several wells in the Chile Pavilion to reflect on water surface realtime images of Chilian people's life through state-of-the-art technologies, Hernan Somerville, commissioner general for Chile's Expo exhibition, said during an inspection to the preparation of the Chile Pavilion.

Similar wells will be launched simultaneously in Chile to showcase its participation in the World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

The concept stems from the notion that by digging an imaginary well from China and through the earth's core one can reach Chile when the well-turned tunnel is put through. It is not only a creative artistic concept but also a metaphor that however far apart people can become friends and closely related collaborators, like what China and Chile have achieved, Somerville said.

Chile has upgraded its initial plan of renting a pavilion to have a self-built one, which is the first case among South American participants. The total floor area of the Chile Pavilion will be 3,000 square meters, in which 2,500 square meters will be for exhibition. Chilian government's investment for the construction and exhibition of the pavilion is expected to hit US$7 million.

In view of the adjustment of Chile's participation policy in the context of a world-scale financial crisis, Somerville deemed the upgrade a significant investment of strategic importance rather than increased expenses.

Chile is expecting the 200th anniversary of its independence in 2010. The World Expo 2010 is the best platform to showcase to the globe its development and achievements since independence, especially in the areas of poverty relief, traditional culture conservation, creative thinking and solutions to urbanisation challenges, Somerville said.

Chile was the first South American country to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Today, China is Chile's largest trade partner. Chile is to highlight its identity of a "reliable collaborator" in the World Expo 2010, Somerville said.

The design of the Chile Pavilion will resemble an undulating crystal palace. It also conveys an abstract image of ships on the sea. The steel and glass structure is to be covered with nets made with steel wires and topped with a large roof garden, which will screen the sunlight and contribute to energy conservation, said Wang Haili, deputy general manager of Shanghai Art-Designing Corp, official service provider of the Chile Pavilion.

Putuo District stages Expo promotion show

The Children's Palace of Putuo District yesterday staged an Expo promotion show as part of the city's "Expo Goes Into Communities" serial events. The show was co-sponsored by the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, headquarters of the "600-Day Countdown to the Expo" Campaign, Shanghai Office of Moral Progress and Putuo District Administration.

Zhou Guoxiong, party secretary of Putuo District, delivered a speech on the show, summoning the district to contribute to the World Expo 2010 Shanghai through commitment, vigor and creativity. Sun Rongqian, acting governor and deputy party secretary of Putuo District, summarised the achievements in the first 300 days of the district's 600-day campaign to welcome the Expo.

Zhu Xiangying, deputy director of the Shanghai Office of Moral Progress, representatives of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination and nearly 1,000 spectators also attended the show.

The promotion show concluded with Expo-themed performances.

Security rehearsal held for Expo

A security rehearsal is held for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo to ensure seawater security in East China Sea during the event.

A security rehearsal was held Saturday for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo to ensure seawater security in East China Sea during the event.

Two helicopters, five vessels and an emergency response team carried out the search and rescue of people who fell into the sea, transfer and medical treatment of the injured, and evacuation of people in danger and firefighting for vessels.

The 45-minute exercise was conducted at Wusongkou, Shanghai, on Saturday afternoon by the Donghai (East China Sea) Rescue Bureau of the Ministry of Transport.

Sun Fumin, director of the bureau, said the bureau had made an emergency plan to ensure the security of seawater in the East China Sea during the Expo, a six-month-long event that starts on May 1 and ends October 31 next year.

Steel structure finished on State Grid Pavilion

Workers complete the steel structure on the State Grid Pavilion.

Zhang Yunjie, special assistant to director-general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination

Zhao Yiliang, Party secretary of the Shanghai Electric Power Company

Workers have completed the steel structure on the State Grid Pavilion, officials in charge of the pavilion announced yesterday at the World Expo site.

Meanwhile, the power supplier has also confirmed July 26 will be its pavilion day, which marks the anniversary when the first electric light was used in China in 1882. The first light was lit at a hotel on Nanjing Road E. with the old Shanghai Electric Co starting operations that day.

The grid's pavilion will provide a showcase of "light and electricity." It will be a metallic square with a crystal cube embedded inside. It will include displays showing how power substations work.

The pavilion's theme will be based on the "relationship between electricity and daily life." It was designed by Zhao Xiaojun, the senior designer for the National Aquatics Center for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

an artist's rendition of the State Grid Pavilion

an artist's rendition of the State Grid Pavilion

The pavilion covers 4,000 square meters and will be in the Puxi side of the Expo site.

Zhang Yunjie, special assistant to director-general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, and Zhao Yiliang, Party secretary of the Shanghai Electric Power Company, attended the ceremony.

Popular Expo exhibition draws to a close

scene of the exhibition

scene of the exhibition

A total of 96,821 people visited the World Expo 2010 exhibition at Capital Museum in Beijing, which opened on July 5 and lowered its curtain on Saturday.

A multi-media film clip taking visitors on a journey through the Expo site was last aired at 5pm on Saturday amid applause.

The exhibition, the latest and the most detailed of its kind, had two themes: World Expo history, as well as China and World Expo.

Some students said the exhibition helped them learn about various aspects of world expositions and some found the exhibition innovative and amazing.

Major Chinese media such as People's Daily, Xinhua news agency and China Central Television have all covered the exhibition.

Caribbean Community approves pavilion design

scene of the meeting

delegation members and officials of the Caribbean Community

The design of the Caribbean joint pavilion at Expo 2010 has been worked out and approved by representatives from member countries of the Caribbean Community early this month.

The organizer held a meeting in Bridgetown, capital of Barbados, on July 10 to consult with representatives from the 12 member countries of the community on pavilion issues.

They discussed detailed plans on cultural performance and exhibition designs during the meeting. Caribbean officials said they would cooperate closely with the organizer.

The joint pavilion will host the exhibition of all the 14 member countries of the Caribbean Community as well as the Caribbean Community Secretariat. The countries are Dominica, Bahamas, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Saint Lucia, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

Expo to break even, says top official

Next year's Shanghai World Expo is expected to break even and the event may even make a profit, the city's top official said during a TV interview.

If the city government does make a profit, it will build affordable housing on the Expo site for low-income citizens, Shanghai Party chief Yu Zhengsheng told Hong Kong's Phoenix Satellite TV.

"I estimate that the investment in the Shanghai Expo can be recovered," Yu said.

In the history of the World Expo, only a third of organizers made a profit from the global event.

The overall budget for the Shanghai Expo is 28.6 billion yuan (US$4.19 billion).

This is made up of 18 billion yuan for the construction of the Expo site and 10.6 billion yuan for running costs during the May to October event.

The money from the Shanghai government includes the US$100 million fund to help developing countries take part, Yu said.

The city will collect the money mainly from Expo construction bonds, ticket income and sponsorship. China's top planning body, the National Development and Reform Commission, has authorized the Expo organizer to sell 8 billion yuan worth of bonds across the country. Income from the 62 million tickets to be sold is expected to reach 6 billion yuan.

The city government will also get some money back from the re-exploitation of the Expo land after the event, Yu added.

The 2008 Beijing Olympics cost US$2.3 billion, including US$1.9 billion for construction of the Olympic venues. The event is reported to have made a profit of US$16 million.

Yu said investing in the World Expo was worthwhile as it was leading to the city's infrastructure, especially the Metro system, being largely upgraded.

The city will have a total of 420 kilometers of Metro lines by next April, nearly double the length at the end of 2008.

"Shanghai can take a big step to settle the traffic problems of local people by holding the Expo," he said.

"To host the Expo is not to defeat or compare with other countries, but because the Expo can drive scientific and social development, and fuel economic growth," Yu said.

The Expo will have an "inestimable" long-term effect on the city's economic growth and help the world overcome the global financial crisis, he said.

The 2010 event is also expected to fuel the city's economy by driving its tourism industry.

"Some tourism-related stocks are expected to appreciate," said the Party chief.

He also said the Expo would exhibit many new-energy products and promote energy-saving ideas, which would help the establishment of an energy-saving economic development style.

Yu said the biggest problem for the Expo might be the huge number of visitors.

The organizer is considering bringing forward the opening time of the Expo site by one or two hours from the planned 9am, he said.

People can take pictures, take a walk or just have a rest before the opening of the pavilions, which is set to be at 9:30am, he said.

Hong Kong's cards to show the way

exterior exhibition structure

The surface of the exhibition structure is animated with interactive video graphics that are sensitive to the patterns of visitor flows.

Hong Kong's exhibition in the Urban Best Practices Area will introduce its widely-used smartcard to show how its people use innovative ways and technology to improve efficiency in city life and promote communication within the city and other parts of the world.

By showcasing the everyday city life of Hong Kong residents, the exhibition will demonstrate various smart card applications in payment and non-payment transactions so that visitors can experience the fabulous cosmopolitan life of Hong Kong, echoing the theme "Smart Card, Smart City, Smart Life."

dynamic video graphics - Hong Kong's contrasts

dynamic video graphics - Hong Kong's contrasts

Smart cards are widely used in Hong Kong, and the current applications include Octopus cards, smart identity cards and autotoll cards. Hong Kong is also developing smart cards for new areas such as education, medical care and environmental protection.

New applications of the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology will also be on show as the Hong Kong International Airport is one of only two airports in the world using RFID technology to handle the passenger baggage.

The sleek surface of the exhibition structure will be animated with interactive video graphics that are sensitive to the patterns of visitor flows.

The virtual host will invite the visitor to learn about smart cards in an interactive manner.

Each pixel will represent an individual entering the pavilion, or visiting the online exhibition. On entering the exhibition, visitors will be immersed in an impressionistic interpretation of Hong Kong's contrasts through dynamic video graphics that react to the number and movement of visitors.

On the reverse side of the video graphic panels, visitors will see digital silhouettes representing the diversity and energy of Hong Kong people. When a visitor comes closer, the silhouette transforms into a virtual host who will introduce HK's smart cards. The virtual host will invite the visitor to learn about smart cards in an interactive manner.

Visitors can further experience Hong Kong's unique communications through interactive portals, which will be connected to other portals at the Hong Kong Pavilion, or perhaps even portals in Shanghai and Hong Kong, to provide real-time connections with other people.

Palace copy work starts

Construction starts on a replica of a palace for emperors of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in the Puxi side of the Expo site.

 

an artist's rendition of the replica

an artist's rendition of the replica

People can taste the daily life of China's ancient emperors at the Shanghai Expo.

Construction began yesterday on a replica of a palace for emperors of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) in the Puxi side of the Expo site.

The Qifengge Palace, literally meaning "a building for phoenix to live," was a side palace for 17 Tang emperors.

The replica will house the Urban Best Practices showcase of Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province.

Historians got the full picture of the palace from diggings in the city, said Liu Lei, deputy chief planner for Xi'an's protection campaign for the Tang relics.

The historic city will share its experiences on protecting historic buildings inside the replica palace.

The city covered the relics, mostly foundations and pillars, with glass and set up signs to show how the construction looked a thousand years ago, Liu said.

The city also moved more than 1 million residents who were living where the Tang palace once stood and is turning the area into a 20-square-kilometer park, which will open in October 2010.

The replica palace will be moved to the park after the Expo, said Liu.

Construction of the palace is scheduled to be completed by the end of October.  

 

an artist's rendition of the replica

 

an artist's rendition of the replica

an artist's rendition of the palace

an artist's rendition of the palace