**Because the situation on the ground is constantly developing, become one of our Facebook fans and read our EXPO UPDATE blog to get the latest update on Shanghai Expo.   May 3rd, 2010; Updated June 15: Logistics: Getting into the Expo, Traveling Within the Expo, Food Options, Wheelchair Access, Toilets, VIP Access, Guides & Expert Lectures, Other Expo Tips Expo Content: Expo Theme & Permanent Buildings, Comparative Queue Time at Pavilions, Top Tips for Visiting the Expo, Guide of Noteworthy Pavilions Conclusion “I went to the Shanghai Expo with low expectations and plenty of skepticism. I left completely hooked, eager to return. Exhibitions like the River of Wisdom at the China Pavilion and the Urban Planet at the Themed Pavilion are sophisticated and will buttress China’s claim to thought leadership in the twenty-first century, with respect to the environment.”   Disclaimer The information below is based on trips made by Guy Rubin to the Expo on May 3rd &June 12th-13th, as well as information learned from the Expo’s trial period from April 20th to May 1st. On May 3rd, there were 130,000 people at the Expo, whereas on June12th, there were 360,000 people there. Queue times vary according to the total number of people at the Expo. On June 12th, the queue at the Saudi Arabian pavilion was over 5 hours long. Therefore, VIP fast track access is becoming more important. Based on limited experience , we are generalizing from the particular within a constantly changing context. In terms of organizing logistics, in some senses, the Expo authorities were surprisingly unprepared. Many of their original plans have not come to fruition and they are attempting to fine-tune existing operations to accommodate the reality of the situation. As a result, rules and methodologies are constantly in flux and we are reacting to changing circumstances on a daily basis. Thus, much of the below information will likely become out of date and should not be taken as Imperial Tours' recommendations for visiting the Expo inasmuch as a general attempt to inform the wider public as logistical information for this amazing event is limited. We hope nonetheless, that much of the information will remain relevant and useful in the longer term. Please write in with further developments and information, and we will try and create an Expo blog to keep visitors up to date with what is going on at this fabulous site.   Assumptions The below description assumes some knowledge about Shanghai. Shanghai is divided into two halves by the Huangpu river. The section east of the Huangpu river, the new part of Shanghai, is known as Pudong. The section west of the Huangpu river, the traditional center of Shanghai, is known as Puxi. The expo site straddles the river and is divided between both halves of Shanghai. The prominent national pavilions and significant halls are nearly all on the Pudong side of the Expo. The lesser known corporate pavilions are on the Puxi side of the Expo. One of the learning points from the trial period of the Expo’s operation was that queues to enter the Expo site on the Puxi side are customarily far shorter than on the Pudong side. In terms of navigation, there are references below to gates and to subways and to ferry lines. Therefore, the diagram here may be useful as a reference. Further diagrammatic information is available at http://en.expo.cn/#&c=home. Logistics Getting Into The Expo Your transport options are: hired tourist vehicle, subway, Shanghai Expo Taxi, public bus, and ferry. Tourist Vehicle For groups of less than 15, the challenge with hired tourist vehicles is that they cannot access areas close to the entry gates thereby requiring a long walk of sometimes 15 minutes from the drop-off point to the entry gate. For groups of 15+, the hired vehicle may use a group car park that is not too distant from a gate. Please note this rule is likely to change as such rules are highly unstable. Subway The “Shanghai Avenue” subway stop is conveniently placed in the middle of the Expo site on the Pudong site. For precisely this reason at peak times a great many people are using it and it is extremely crowded, unpleasant and frustrating. As a result, we would not recommend this entry point. Otherwise, the subway has various stops that are not too far away from entry gates, such as entry gate #7 on the Pudong side. Shanghai Expo Taxi A service available from 4,000 specially organized taxis with special access rights; they can get very close to the gates. Public Buses Requiring long journeys across town to the gates and have no advantage over the Shanghai Expo taxi, we do not suggesting access by public bus. Ferry Boats depart from Shiliupu pier to several sites along the Pudong and Puxi sides of the Expo. This is a nice way to arrive at the Expo site.   Timing Your Arrival & Leaving the Expo Site With visitor counts expected to surpass 350,000 per day, it is important to strategize your arrival and departure in advance. The Expo opens at 9am. The pavilions normally open at 9.30am and stay open to 10.30pm. Arriving early at a popular pavilion makes sense because you would have a far shorter wait to access the pavilion than at other times. Therefore, queuing to be the first into the expo, i.e. arriving before 7.30am makes sense. Otherwise, the morning rush starts to lessen at 10am. Most people arriving first thing in the morning should be expected to leave the Expo by about 5 or 6 in the evening. A recommended counter-strategy is to arrive at the Expo after an early lunch. The pavilions close at 10.30pm, and queues at all but the most popular pavilions lessen after 5pm. You will also avoid the heat of the day. A problem with this counter-strategy currently is guaranteeing a ticket to the China Pavilion since it seems to be that the early arriver is currently being allocated these tickets. Those people anticipating several days at the expo might arrive early one day to get their China Pavilion ticket and arrive later on subsequent days to make the most of the shorter queues in the second half part of the day. Traveling Within The Expo Area The most useful public transport within the Pudong-side Expo site is the #1 Shibo Avenue bus that travels east – west along Shibo Avenue linking the easterly Asia section of the Expo with the westerly European and American sections, with the China Pavilion and other sensational sections such as the Theme Pavilion placed along a central access. Otherwise the Cross-River bus does an S loop, linking the Puxi and Pudong sides via a tunnel. The cross-journey time when there are 360,000 people at the Expo is about half an hour owing to the long queue to get onto the bus. Sign-posting is generally well-done. Back to top.   Food Options At the Expo Site There are stands throughout the Expo selling poor Chinese food such as dumplings, as well as poor coffee. These temporary stands may well have been a reaction to the outcry about the poor provision of reasonably priced food that emerged from visitors during the trial period leading up to May 1st. In addition to the temporary stands, there are also food courts and dining areas with full-service restaurants. Since visitors are a captive market, meal prices are higher inside the Expo than outside. To be sure of a table, it is best to reserve two days in advance. There are many more Chinese than western restaurants. Locating phone numbers to reserve at the various restaurants is not easy as such information is limited. Apart from the restaurants in the public areas, many pavilions also have food outlets. The Korean and Japanese pavilions have restaurants, for which you can queue separately. The Waffles stand outside the Belgian/EU pavilion appears especially popular! Under all circumstances, it makes sense to carry snacks and sandwiches in a bag during a visit to the expo. Water is not easy to find. Although there are some water fountains, this is an exception rather than the rule. Otherwise, the closest thing there is to water is a carbonated lemon drink. Coca Cola is a sponsor of the Expo and many Coca Cola products are for sale at stalls and automatic machines throughout the site. There are various Starbucks stands and the smallest cup size is the Grande. Back to top.   Wheelchair Access An admirable feature of the Expo is the planning that has gone into wheelchair access, which so often is an afterthought at Chinese sites. When accessing a new site or pavilion at the Expo it makes sense to ask a volunteer, indicated by a green shirt and a badge, on where access for wheelchairs is located. Do this as soon as you get to the venue, as venues can be enormous and you don’t want to waste energy pushing in the wrong direction. For example, at the Theme Pavilion, wheelchair access for several exhibitions is located at door #2.   Toilets Facilities around the site are clean and well-kept. Both western style and squat-style toilets are available. There seem to be more western-style toilets in the European and American sections than in the Asian section.   Expo-Wide VIP Access Expo-wide VIP access and facilities are reserved for political leaders and is under the jurisdiction of the Expo authorities. A commercially available VIP access application process is now in place. Operation of this has just started and appears to be somewhat though not fully reliable. What is offered is fast entry through the main gate, a ticket to the China pavilion , access to the services of an electric cart throughout the site and provision of VIP access at two or three pavilions. VIP Pavilion Status VIP status is also determined on a pavilion by pavilion basis. As this is managed independently by each pavilion, there are no standardized definitions of what VIP access constitutes and who merits it. The obvious advantage is fast-track access into the pavilion. Other than this, there are special VIP sections at many pavilions and these have their own events. Generally speaking, for the pavilions like for the Expo, VIPs are government officials and sponsors; however, our experience so far is that the pavilions are more receptive to a wider definition of VIP status than the Expo authorities. . Pavilion Reservation System A reservations system for all pavilions was originally envisaged, whereby visitors inserted their ticket into a machine, chose the pavilions they hoped to see and were given next available appointment times for the pavilions. The system crashed several times during the trial period, for a short time in early May was used for the Theme pavilions and has now been entirely scrapped.. Back to top.   Guides All Shanghai guides are said to have studied and passed an examination to be able to provide knowledge about the Expo. Our guides have all passed this examination. That said, this examination is elemental so the knowledge of guides is not assured by this examination. As much of the expo is in both English and Chinese, the guides’ main value-added is logistical.   Specialist Lectures These are available. Please inquire from our sales office for details.   Other Take a bag with you to carry cameras, pen, paper and snacks. If the skies look inclement, this would be handy for a small umbrella also. Food is available throughout the Expo side, but since queue times vary and are not in your control it is good to have snacks on hand to free yourself from untimely pangs of hunger. Wear comfortable shoes – you will be doing a lot of walking. Take a hat, sunglasses and protective lotion – the sun is strong and bright. (You are allowed to take sandwiches into the site, but not water.) There is a security line for the site and the restrictions are much the same as restrictions for airplanes. You are allowed photographic equipment in the site, but many pavilions restrict photography within their sites. Expo organization is still a little wanting. For example, on three separate occasions the same question to different representatives yielded irreconcilable answers. Visitors need to keep their sense of humor at the ready for such instances, which is related to the highly dynamic nature of the way the organizing committee of this Expo is trying to learn how to manage various logistical aspects of the Expo. Back to top.   Expo Content Expo Theme - "Better City Better Life." Most exhibitions take up the expo theme and focus on tackling environmental challenges, mostly caused by urbanization, within the context of enabling cities to empower their residents to lead happy, fulfilled lives.   Permanent Buildings At Expo There are five permanent buildings at the Expo, and so for most overseas visitors they will be the focus of their visit. They are: 1) China Pavilion – described below. 2) Expo Culture Center – this is a very beautiful building that is both futuristic and elegant. There are cultural shows twice daily inside it starting at 4pm and at 7.30pm, lasting one and a half hours. For those who know little of Chinese television pageantry, this show might be fun to see for a while. Tickets for the performances are provided free of charge on presentation of your Expo entry tickete. However, tickets for each performance are limited and the ticket counters are open throughout the day distributing tickets. Therefore, if you decide to go the Culture Center at 3.50pm expecting to get a ticket for the 4pm performance you may be disappointed. 3) Expo Axis or Boulevard – an elevated walkway with stunning sculptures that is beautifully lit and best appreciated after dusk. This is the venue of the “Art for the World” project, an international sculpture exhibition organized by JGM Galerie and curated by Ami Barak, featuring top Chinese and international artists. “Space Extended” by Liu Jianhua, is best viewed at night. More info available at this website: http://www.artforworldexpo.com/. 4) Theme Pavilion – described below 5) Expo center – a future conference center that is not accessible on a daily basis as part of the Expo experience. Back to Top.   Typical & Comparative Queue Times At The Major Pavilions Since on On May 3rd queue times at some well-known pavilions were as follows: a. Africa Pavilion – no queue b. China Pavilion – 45 minutes (with a ticketed appointment) c. France Pavilion – 25 minutes d. Germany Pavilion – 1.5 hours e. Italy Pavilion – 45 minutes f. Japan Pavilion – 2 hours g. Russia Pavilion – 30 minutes h. Saudi Arabia Pavilion – 2.5 hours i. Theme Pavilion – almost no queue at any of the 5 exhibitions, two of which are excellent. j. UK Pavilion – 2 hours k. USA Pavilion – 20 minutes l. Queues at such pavilions as Spain, Canada, South Africa, Uzbekistan, International Organizations and Mexico were short to name but a few. Popular Pavilions With Long Queues Zone A - Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, China, UAE Zone B - Australia Zone C - Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland, Mexico, UK, USA Zone D - GM, Coca Cola, Japan Industry, Shanghai Corporate Zone E – None, and is arguably the most interesting area Top Tips For Visiting The Expo 1) DO NOT queue for more than 30 minutes for anything. It rarely is worth it. 2) Signs and guards tend to over-estimate queue times by up to a factor of 1.5 – 2. Take what they say with a pinch of salt and make your own mind up. 3) National pavilions are often dealing with stereotypes, so you will probably more enjoy the pavilions of nations with which you are unfamiliar. 4) Just because a pavilion has a long queue, it doesn’t mean it is necessarily worth queuing for. Top Pavilions For Visiting Westerners Section 1 of China Pavilion – River of Wisdom – excellent 10 – 20 minutes Theme Pavilion (Pudong side) – Urban Planet – 40 minutes worth of viewing Theme Pavilion (Puxi side) – Future– 40 minutes worth of viewing Urban Best Practice Areas – Very interesting area to roam around in for an hour or more Worthwhile Pavilions With Short Queues Theme Pavilion (Pudong side) – Urban Planet – 30 minutes Theme Pavilion (Puxi side) – Future– 30 minutes Urban Best Practice Areas – Almost no queues UN Pavilion – 30 minutes Do Not Bother With: Africa Pavilion North Korean pavilion Joint Caribbean Pavilion   A GUIDE OF NOTEWORTHY PAVILIONS Zone A - China, Israel, Japan, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, South Korea Zone B - Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, Theme Pavilion Zone C - Africa, Austria, Belgium/EU, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Russia, Spain, Sweeden, Switzerland, UN, UK, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Central & South America Zone D - Coca Cola, GM/SAIC, Japan Industry, Shanghai Corporate Zone E - China Aviation, Theme Pavilion, Urban Best Practices Pavilion, Vanke Pavilion   ZONE A – PUDONG – CENTRAL It would miss a telling geographical and cultural point, born of ancient Chinese thought, not to note that China, whose name in Chinese means Central Kingdom, has placed its key structures in this central section. China Pavilion *** Surprisingly large, and shaped like an inverted pyramid foregrounding the bracket system characteristic of traditional Chinese pavilions, the opening section, entitled River of Wisdom, displays traditional Chinese town design using a traditional scroll of a river scene during Qingming festival. Using the latest animation technology this has been brought to life, with figures displaying town life over the course of a day, in a truly excellent display. The second section, entitled Land of Hope, is a multi-media display of people within a modern city environment. Other sections are less successful, for example, the electric train ride through various environments that contrast past cityscapes with future cityscapes. Vision, the fifth section, looks at the environmental challenges that China and the world are facing.   Israel ** “Innovation for a better life” Hi-tech exterior of interlocking shell shapes represents ancient Israeli culture and its modern culture of innovation. The interior features a 360 degree screen with a movie on Israeli inventions and forest of orange trees, equipped with devices such that they appear to talk in English and Chinese.   Japan ** The solar-powered pavilion traces Japan’s cultural development from China in the Tang dynasty, discusses the Sino-Japanese partnership in protecting the ibis, and then the influence of Chinese Kunqu opera on Japanese Noh drama. The final section focuses on technological visions of the future with such demonstrations as robots playing violins and futuristic displays.   North Korea * Provoked by curiosity, visitors venture inside to a model of a tower and a small river and paintings.   Saudi Arabia *** One of the biggest and most expensive, this solar and wind-powered pavilion is in the shape of a boat’s hull, raised on stilts. The roof recreates a Bedouin oasis with date palms and gardens. Inside, is one of the world’s largest 3D Imax screens through which visitors are transported on conveyer belts through an atrium room with beautiful latticework on a multimedia educational journey that introduces the country and a vision of urban life.   United Arab Emirates ** A beautiful sand dune design made of golden stainless steel, the UAE pavilion offers the largest indoor space to feature an introduction to the country and set out some of its environmental technologies and uses.   South Korea ** The ingenious incorporation of the Hangeul alphabet in this pixilated structure gives rootedness to a modern structure; this becomes a platform for the discussion of how technology will fit into peoples’ lives, though this is less successful. Back to Pavilion Guide   ZONE B – PUDONG – EAST Australia *** “Smart solutions for our urban future” Attractive architecture. Three interior sections: first introduces various ethnicities of Australia though wax statuettes, second features multi-media panels examining various dichotomies of modern times; third, entitled “Enjoy” has various content such as various ethnicities of the future reminiscing in a fictionally desertified future about the environments of the past.   Indonesia * “Biodivercity” Theme interestingly introduces the cultural diversity of Indonesia archipelago.   Malaysia * “City of Harmonious Living” A pavilion made entirely of recyclable palm and oil, beautifully lit by night, shows the life of a typical Malaysian family.   New Zealand * The wedge-shaped building represent sthe creation of space by a Maori God. Maori warriors dance in front of the building, which has multimedia exhibition spaces introducing the geography, history and culture of New Zealand.   Thailand ** “A Sustainable Way Of Life” Divided into three sections with the overall aim of showing what it means to be Thai and how various ethnicities live harmoniously with each other in nature. With plenty of interaction the third section contains a 3D movie.   Theme Pavilion Urban Planet - A massive, highly imaginative & beautifully executed exhibition examining the many aspects of the environmental challenges our planet now faces. The slogan of this exhibit is “We only have one planet!” Urban - An interesting examination comparing the lives of 6 different families living on the six continents, done within the context of a Shakespeare quotation describing a city as being defined by its people. City of Being - An unsuccessful examination of city life from the perspective of the human body, for example with such titles as “Metabolism” and “Circulation.” Citizen Initiative - A minor exhibition providing a forum for people to discuss the needs of their city. Life & Sunshine - An exhibition relating the human rights of disabled people, and focusing on the technology that empowers them. Back to Pavilion Guide   ZONE C – PUDONG WEST Africa* 43 stands are within this large pavilion which resembles a trade fair. Austria * “Feel the harmony” - A projection of Austria’s scenery through the four seasons on walls and floors . Some interaction, for example, with people able to influence trees’ movements by pressing them. In a subsequent section, harmony is expressed through Austrian music.   Belgium/EU ** “Intelligent Europe” A transparent building focused around a truck-sized orange brain cell highlighting openness to new ideas. With smurfs, waffles, chocolate, French fries and a beer garden, this pavilion has its attractions.   Canada** Built of cedar wood in the shape of a “C”, the pavilion is popular for featuring “Circque Du Soleil” performers and a Royal Canadian Mounty outside. There are many video displays displaying the nation’s natural beauty.   Denmark ** Using an effective steel double spiral, the Danish pavilion wraps around the statue of “The Little Mermaid” moved for the first time ever for the Expo. Visitors can rent bikes to cycle to the top, a reflection of Copenhagen’s system, demonstrating how sustainable practices can be incorporated in modern life.   France ** A strong marketing piece highlighting France’s industrial, aesthetic and culinary strengths to a Chinese public already in love with its romance, savoir faire and luxury goods. As someone who has lived in France and visited it countless times, this exhibit was less interesting to me as the content was so familiar.   Germany ** “Balancity” presents a model for a sustainable urban environment within the strain of opposites in modern life. Through the 13 sections, we learn traditions in the story of the Duke of Feinburg, through the use of puppets and then move to interactive contemporary exhibitions.   Italy *** The nation of style sets its mark with ancient Roman statuary, striking contemporary art, references to high fashion and super-charged cars. The 30 piece orchestra adds panache to this celebration of the “City of Man”.   Netherlands ** “Happy Street” is a figure of 8 walkway running past 26 elevated buildings housing various exhibits. A water purification process rendering Huangpu river water potable rivals the beer garden beneath for refreshment.   Norway ** “Powered by nature.” Design uses wood, representing trees, and canvas, the sky, to suggest Norway’s long-standing harmony with nature. Interior focuses on the purification of water, which visitors can drink; water being one of Norway’s largest potential exports.   Poland ** “Humans created the city” Provocative exterior and interior designs highlight China and Poland’s shared craft of paper cutting. Inside interiors have projections of Polish life.   Russia ** “City and Citizen” A highly imaginative pavilion based on a children’s tale, we are asked to imagine the environment from a childlike perspective. Vehicles run on bio-fuel; solar paneled flowers vie for attention with dragon-fly windmills.   Spain*** Basket weaving, a common heritage of China & Spain, inspired the pavilion’s stunning exterior. The well-received interior takes visitors on a journey through traditional Spanish culture, with flamenco dancing, to multi-media outlines of our children’s future, presented by sociologist, film-makers and artists.   Sweden ** “Spirit of Innovation” reflects Sweden’s long standing innovation of sustainable technologies show-cased in four sections. If you were to fold out the pavilion’s wooden exterior you would see a street map of Stockholm. This is juxtaposed with natural interiors highlighting the intersection between innovation and nature.   Switzerland ** At night, stunning, the Swiss pavilion features a ski lift on a two cylinder structure from which hangs netting studded with red solar cells creating light. Life-size Swiss people relate green technologies used in their cities.   UN**(*) A great opportunity to find out more about the organization as involved in innovating techniques to supply drinking water as it is in disaster relief, assisting refugees and improving access to the internet, amongst a myriad other useful contributions.   UK ** The spectacular “Seed Cathedral”, an emanation of 60,000 crystalline spines, each containing a seed and lights, is at its most dramatic at night. The interior provides slightly better views but is not worth queuing for.   USA ** It takes 35 minutes to watch three movies – the first a humorous sketch showing ordinary Americans’ willingness to get their tongues around a Chinese phrase. The second movie features Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and President Obama highlighting common values shared by USA and China in building an environmentally-responsible future for our children. The third movie is an allegory; a girl motivates her community to create a public garden from derelict land.   Brazil * Footballs suspended from netting in ceiling.   Mexico ** “Living Better” Pavilion architecture uses kites as a point of commonality between Mexico and China. Past, present and future suggested through exhibition of ancient and contemporary art. Various interactive multimedia screens.   Central and Southern America * A large stand with many pavilions, none of which shine. Back to Pavilion Guide   ZONE D – PUXI - WEST Coca Cola ** Using sophisticated animation, this pavilion engages adults and children alike. Also demonstrations of various new ways of imbibing your favorite beverage.   GM/SAIC Pavilion **   Japan Industry ** Interesting exhibition centered around a massive HD screen, discussing technologies of the future.   Shanghai Corporate ** The “Magic Cube” is a paradise of interactive robotic and multimedia technologies. Back to Pavilion Guide   ZONE E – PUXI – EAST China Aviation ** Futuristic design symbolizes the possibilities of flight. Many models of the various aircraft designed in China, as well as limited information on AVIC’s designs for their commercial jets. Flight simulation replicated though a 3D ride. Theme Pavilion *** Future Exhibition - Provocative exhibition that researches past utopian writings as a roadway for improvements in contemporary city life. The future of the next 50 years is imagined in light of various technologies now being implemented or in the development process, especially with respect to the environment. Urban Best Practices Area *** From preserving the heritage of Pondicherry in India to how a quarry was landscaped in Montreal, from how German companies are at the forefront of off-shore wind platform winching to the Transportable Tourist Tower of Portugal, this area presents a wide range of Ideas, and is the area most obviously relevant to the expo theme of “Better City Better Life” Vanke Pavilion * “Possibility By Respect” Stunning pavilion design from the outside, inside the pavilion attempts to show the environmental world in 2049. Back to Pavilion Guide   Make sure to check back periodically to for more information, and become one a Facebook fan to read our EXPO UPDATE blog. Back to top.