So .. what does one do in Shanghai if it’s 36 ºC (97 ºF) and steamy outside and you wanted to go to the World Expo? You go anyway. There was a massive downpour with lightning during my visit as well ! We had to find cover for 40 mins and the public announcement said to stay away from tall structures and not to touch any metal.
So what is the Expo? It’s a modern world’s fair – countries were invited to host a pavilion and put content inside which should illustrate the theme of the Expo : ‘Better Life/ Better City’ and sustainability. The Expo is actually as much about that, as it is about putting Shanghai on the world map and attracting visitors from all over the world.
But I will let the pictures tell the story.
Top to bottom : The entrance to the Expo from the Shanghai Metro station .. very convenient since there is a stop across the street from my Marriott hotel.
Artwork in the ‘Expo Axis’, an elevated walkway, a totem pole of animal heads. (By the way: I treated the entire expo more as an outdoor and architectural exhibition. Most pavilions had very long lines, and it seemed a better use of my time to walk around outside).
And how about this whimsical Picasso-like blob with legs? Like it? : )
Next two pics of the Taiwan pavilion, then Nepal and India. The flying saucer is the Expo Cultural Center. It will stick around after October (most other structures will be torn down) and has a concert arena, movie theaters and restaurants inside.
It provides a nice view of some of the pavilions. The giant red upside down tapered one is the China pavilion. The Korea pavilion (perforated 3D surface) is where the rain storm hit, and I huddled under a canvas umbrella there for a long time.
The rain stopped (sort of) and here are the Israel, Pakistan and Jordan pavilions. The ‘Urbania’ pavilion was one of the themed pavilions, with colorful artwork outside.
This is a coconut milk stand outside the Phillippines pavilion, followed by Thailand, Australia and Portugal. Then Bosnia & Herzegovina and the Republic of San Marino (‘the oldest and smallest republic in the world’ its tag line), Norway beautiful wooden structure, the Ukraine, Turkey and Iceland’s ice cube. Sweden (also the picture with the red horse), Latvia, Germany (a very engineered construction – and we wouldn’t want it any other way) and the Netherlands.
