Expo 2010 once more

After I had visited the Expo once to check out options Nina and I went there together once more, now with some ideas in mind. If you’re interested: A good interactive map is on the official Expo web site.

The basic impressions were the same, though, so just let the photo session begin:

Again, we started at the Pavillion of Future on the PuXi side:

Left: The explanatory aren’t for education but as a portrait backdrop. I’m absolutely sure the texts and diagrams will sink in when browsing through the photographs over and over again. (Pavillion of Future)

Center: Basic Needs.

Right: London Waiting Queue, two of these Expo passports on the left-hand side.

We scanned some of the surrounding pavillions, seeing Venice, the Chinese-run pavillion for future interieur design, London (pretty boring), and Bremen. Then already we wanted to set over to the PuDong side, which proved to be not so easy. While the visitor figures stated on the TV displays in the metro said something about only 90000 the number of actual visitors waiting in line or walking around the area was seemingly a lot higher. At the first two ferry stops lines were so long that we decided to move on, finally ending up at the last ferry stop on the PuXi side, which I had used some day before, too.

PuDong

Left: Looking once across the river onto the PuDong side. Paulaner advertises its location by “look for the crane”. I know now why this is an exact advice.

Center: No offense meant…not supposed to say anything about Peru or its pavillion (we haven’t been to it), we just happened to sit down across this neatly aligned collection of waste bins for lunch (a Burger King Burger ;)).

Right: While searching for Starbucks (it’s one floor above) we came across this pretty typical Chinese mass eatery, including its typical smell. Only for hard-core China fans.

Left: I had praised the many volunteers earlier and let me do it just again… Even we Westerners were approached by them when contemplating too long over an Expo map.

Center: Dutch Lambs – Probably saved from harsh treatment by visitors to a meadow of their own.

Right: 3 Layers – Expo Pedestrian Walkway, Evelvated Road, Residential Buildings

Left: Entrance to the Spanish pavillion. While writing this I read that the pavillion has yesterday greeted its 2-millionth visitior (while at about the same time the German had seen its 1-millionth “only”, usually having a lot longer waiting queues, but probably a slower throughput).

Center: These figures seem to have been created as a show right at the pavillion of Nepal, which was a nice one from the outside, with a huge stupa (see night photo later).

Right: Saudi Arabia was the most popular pavillion. Worst-ever confirmed waiting times we’ve heard of was 9 hours. These people here are waiting at the 4 hour mark. Queues close at 18:30 to be able to process all waiting visitors before the pavillion closes. We certainly didnt make it. Queue preparations had obviously been extended far beyond the originally planned queues. Here, in this extended area, groups of managable size are kept under control with the help of the army, so that there is some distance between groups for others to cross lines and, so we thought, for people not to be squeezed by the masses pushing from the back.

Left: Drinking buddha – Waiting in front of the United Arab Emirates.

Center: The Morocco pavillion was one of the smaller ones we just picked up on the way seeing no line. Espacially its central part was very beautifully made. There are more displays about life and business of Morocco in the surrounding hallways to the resentment of the Chinese who just wanted to hunt for the passport stamp but had to run a sign-posted route all the way to the end 😉

Right: Also the North Korean pavillion just happened to be there and we entered. Photos and videos were about modern cities and mass performances under the motto “Paradise for People”. On sale were pamphlets under Kim Il Song’s name like “The Songun-based Revolutionary Line is a Great Revolutionary Line of Our Era and an Ever-Victorious Banner of Our Revolution”. By now I deeply regret not to have bought any one of these papers. Propably quite entertaining.

Far Left: The South Korean pavillion was a huge fragile-looking creationg celebrating their characters. Haven’t figured out what it was about exactly. Inside was firstly a huge performance stage, but then also a queue of people wanting to enter into this cube.

Center Left: Dome of India. This construction was quite appealing. Also from the outside the pavillion was beautiful, its main attraction a stage for performances. The exhibits under the dome are so lala and the holo-like projection under it technically an interesting master piece but it’s content remained incomprehensible to me as the accompanying audio ran in Chinese only.

Center Right: The Nepal stupa was close to the huge Chinese pavillion and was also frequented by many visitors.

Far Right: The waiting queues (here: India) were mostly covered by umbrellas, either fixed installations or this movable type.

That’s it…I believe I’ve seen what can reasonably been seen without spending hours in lines, which I’m definitely not up to. Which means I won’t see the main attractions like the German or Saudi Arabian pavillion…but so it be.

Today’s Lesson: There’s a second Starbucks in the Expo axis!

Categories: Shanghai

Originally Created: 06/23/2010 07:17:37 AM

Last Edited: 06/23/2010