The Charm of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion - Expo 2010

Saudi Arabia Pavilion

Why are there always extremely long queues snaked around the Saudi Arabia Pavilion in Shanghai Expo 2010? The longest queue-up time was once estimated to be 9 hours. It's crazy. What is in the pavilion? Many people raise a great curiosity about the attractions of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion. Is it worth spending tremendous time on the queues? Only after I have visited the Saudi Arabia Pavilion, I start understanding why a great number of visitors are willing to sacrifice their time for the admissions. My friends who have visited Saudi Arabia Pavilion agree with me that the pavilion has given us a beautiful memory.

The outlook of Saudi Arabia Pavilion is super charming. It features a giant hanging boat shaped like a half moon resting with a dozen of steel poles on the elevated ground. Underneath are pools, fountains, and gardens. When entering the garden, visitors will see a barrier in the style of a mini Chinese Great Wall. When leaving the garden, people will see date palm trees stand along both sides of the exit. Along the edge of the moon boat that is high up in the sky, a large belt-shaped TV revolving screen presents various artistic patterns in turns with welcome notices in different languages. Date palms are also planted on the top deck of the boat to form part of the rooftop garden. The boat appears to be full of dreams and imaginations.

The spiral walkway

After we had entered the pavilion, we walked up along a ramp. Both the entrance and exit pathways form part of the atrium hall. The entrance in the form of a continuous upward spiral ramp was on the outer circle of the atrium, while the exit pathway was located at the inner circle in spiral downward direction. There was a transparent barrier separated the entrance and exit pathways. A fountain was sited at the ground level in the hollow center of the atrium hall. After walking up for about three circles' turns, we reached the top level of the boat. We saw a warning notice before getting into the main pavilion. The notice wrote, "The film may cause dizziness. For those who suffer from heart disease or hypertension, please consider carefully". Passing through the door, we stepped onto a conveyor belt. The conveyor made us move slowly along the body of a round-shape giant theater. Initially, we were in the darkness. But then, we found ourselves embraced by a huge inverted movie screen. The huge concave screen was far under our feet and extended to our sides. This is the largest cinema in the world, I believe. The movie introduced the distinct features of Saudi Arabia including their people, natural environment, cities, culture, lifestyles, and arts. I loved the background music which seemed to be in Arabic style. It gave us a sense of comfort, like flying over wild fields. Following the movie' pathways to various areas in Saudi Arabia, we felt that we had experienced a journey of thousand miles. As we were standing on the moving conveyor and the desserts and oases moved from far to close projections below us, we had a feeling like staying on a flying saucer. It was grand and amazing. The journey was wonderful and fantastic.

Exit of the Saudi Arabia Pavilion

A wonderful journey in the Saudi Arabia Pavilion

On the top of the Moon Boat

"Super Rice" Growth at Expo 2010 shanghai

Super rice planting

World expositions are optimal places for acquiring knowledge. Before visiting Shanghai Expo 2010, I have never thought of learning something about rice. I know little about agricultural planting. After I have been to the "super rice" exhibition at China Pavilion in Expo 2010, I start realizing that the Chinese government has been putting very much effort on the research of hybrid rice engineering technology. Super rice is China's key agricultural development with phase accomplishment in rice increase production. What is super rice? It is interesting to learn about it.

What is super rice?

Hybrid rice is produced by crossbreeding of different types of rice. Super rice refers to the rice variety that has a significant increase output. In the section "Land of Hope" at China pavilion, live super rice plants were displayed. They appeared to be healthily tall and strong. Grains were in golden color. The staff of the pavilion introduced the super rice to us. It is the latest specie of high-yield hybrid rice developed by the "Father of Hybrid Rice" Yuan Longping and co-researchers. The study of super rice is an on-going project since the birth of the first generation of hybrid rice in 1970's. The current variety of super rice has more than  30% output than the ordinary rice. In order to display the flowering plants, 16 batches of super rice had been planted with different seedling time. Each batch of super rice would be transferred to the display  area and stayed there for 7 to 10 days. The first batch of flowering super rice had been transported to China Pavilion, and the rice seeded in May would be matured in September.

The Land of Hope at China Pavilion in where the super rice is shown

China Pavilion at Expo 2010

China Pavilion

The China Pavilion is the top  attraction in 2010 Shanghai Expo. Its building is grand and magnificent, blending the modern architecture with a taste of the ancient Chinese culture. The theme of the China Pavilion features the Chinese wisdom in urban development. In the first section of the exhibition, we watched a short movie which showed cases of Chinese's experiences in urbanization over the past 30 years. We then moved to the main gallery in where we were fascinated to see a giant animated rendition lively presenting a scene of Chinese people' activities during a festival back to the days 900 years ago. The scene is an imitation of the famous ancient Chinese painting scroll "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival". In the picture, animated characters were shouldering commodities, selling groceries, riding donkeys, enjoying dinners, rowing boats, etc. We strolled along the "bank" of the animated "river" which stayed right below the 128 meter-long animated rendition. Referring as one of the China's national treasures, the real painting of the "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" was also displayed in the pavilion. Other displays were valuable antiques in the hall "Crystals of civilization".

Architecture China Pavilion

In the second section, we came to the "Land of Hope". There were projections of future apartments showing how people would improve their quality of life in cities. In the agricultural area, there were displays of super rice which were tall and strong. One of the signboard's indications was the emphasis of rural-urban harmony. In further explorations, we entered the hallway in where children paintings were displayed. Peeping through the glass wall of the hallway, we could view distant scenery of the Expo site and people lining up in front of the China Pavilion. We were, in fact, staying as high as in a modern high-rise building. Getting into another exhibition hall, we found a chance to rest our tired legs by riding an excursion train. The train tour offered us a dynamic and exciting journey of discovery and enabled us to learn about Chinese wisdom in city planning. 

Looking down from the China Pavilion

The final section of the exhibition expressed the  effort of the Chinese government in the advocacy of low-carbon lifestyle to its citizens. Energy saving facilities such as wind power generators and LED bulbs were displayed. Reaching the end of the exhibition hall, we came to a large ring-shape lotus pond surrounded by sliding rains. We got into the center part of the lotus pond and stepped onto the extraordinarily long escalator which sent us down to the open-area podium. Passing the Chinese garden, we got our way to the exit. 

Watching the animated painting scroll

Part of the animated version of the ancient Chinese Painting scroll "Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival" 

The greatest attraction in the China Pavilion

Optimal Choice of Entrance Gate to the Expo Site

Reservation spot at Zone E Puxi

There are in total 13 entrances/ exits for the Expo site. Many people are making searches for the optimal choice of the entrance to the Expo site. That entirely depends on the zone area where you would like to pay a visit to. As the Expo site is extremely large, it is not possible for you to tour all 5 zones in a day's visit. More than 70% of the site area is in Pudong where most people are interested in. Fewer visitors are found in Puxi because there are fewer attractions. 

The China Pavilion remains to be the most popular visiting point in Expo 2010. Gate 5 (Gaoke Road West) is comparatively close to the China Pavilion. It is also not too far a distance if you walk along the Expo Boulevard from Gate 6 (Shangnan Road) to the China Pavilion. Many visitors rushed to the China Pavilion from Gate 5 in the very early morning with an eager for the visit. However, they couldn't achieve the visit without a reservation ticket. Therefore, it is wise to reach the reservation spot to obtain a ticket first. There is not any reservation machine at the China Pavilion. All reservation spots are far away from the China Pavilion. I am not quite sure about the reservation spots in the Pudong section. But I know that there is a reservation spot at Zone E of Puxi. This is close to Gate 3 (Bansongyuan Road), but Gate 3 is not directly connected to any metro line. If you go by subway, you may consider going through Gate 1 at Zone D and take a free shuttle bus to reach the reservation spot in Zone E. Puxi is less crowded with people. 

Since the opening of the Expo, the greatest number of admissions has been from Gate 8 (Houtan Gate) at Zone C. This is the zone where the American, European, and African Pavilions are sited. This area is always crowded with people. There are 3 shuttle bus routes staring from Gate 8 to reach various pavilions. The Shibo Avenue bus route is the best choice if you would like to go to the UK, France, Switzerland, and Spain Pavilions. It is also not too far away to walk from Gate 8 to the USA Pavilion. Based on the official statistics, Gate 8 received 80,000 visitors on June 13, 2010. On the same day, Gate 7 (Changquing Road) received 65,000 visitors. The other 3 gates at Pudong are also crowded.

Instead of waiting long at the gates in the Pudong Section, you may consider entering the Expo site from Gate 1 at Puxi and take the subway Metro Line 13 (Lupu Bridge) to Pudong. After getting out from the Shibo Avenue Metro Station, you can make an easy access to the Australia, Finland, or Denmark Pavilion. It may be more fast than you enter from the gates at the Pudong section.

Permanent Expo Projects in Shanghai

Escalators of China Pavilion

 A friend asked whether or not the 2010 Expo would be extended so that he could have a chance to go in November. The answer is unfortunately not because there are international rules to follow. The 2010 Expo will last until 31 October 2010. Five structures namely the China Pavilion, Theme Pavilions, Expo Boulevard, Expo Center, and Cultural Center, will stay permanently (The Theme Pavilions include the Urbanian Pavilion, Pavilion of City Being, Pavilion of Urban Planet, Pavilion of Footprint, and Pavilion of Future in Zone B, D, and E respectively). After the closure of the Expo, there will still be chances to visit these areas. Therefore, some visitors make their smart plans by visiting these permanent projects in later days. 

Escalators of China Pavilion

The China Pavilion will surely become the landmark of Shanghai. The design of the China Pavilion is based on the concept of the Oriental Crown to express the spirit and deposition of Chinese culture. All exhibition halls are sited on the upper floors. As a start, visitors have to ride a lift to the main exhibition hall where is located on the top floor. After they have finished all exhibitions, two extremely long escalators will take them down to the podium. People will see these escalators from the outside of the Pavilion. Some people said that these two escalators contradict Feng Shui, thus will be demolished after the Expo.

There is an unofficial saying that the Saudi Arabia Pavilion will be retained as there is a wish from its fans who are not patient enough to line up for hours for the entry. Others said that five most beautiful foreign pavilions will be allowed to retain permanently. However, China has officially denied the rumor.

There is a lotus pond inside the China Pavilion. It is connected by two extremely long escalators to the Chinese garden on the patio of the building.

Fast Track to the China Pavilion in Expo 2010

Signboard showing the way

Among the many exhibitions in Expo 2010, the China National Pavilion has been many visitors' top interest. To get access to the China Pavilion, one should firstly get a reservation ticket ready at hand. However, the demand for tickets is far greater than the supply. Therefore, many people feel disappointed in the failure getting a ticket from the reservation spot. There were some discussion messages left on the community networks saying that it was hard to get a reservation ticket. In the following paragraph, I am going to show you an optional route to achieve an access to the China Pavilion. 

Starting from May 19, 2010, there is a fast track option to obtain reserved tickets. After visitors have finished collecting 16 stamps from a visit to the Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) in the Expo's Puxi Section, they can trade it for a reserved ticket for either China Pavilion or Saudi Arabia Pavilion. The stamps should include 15 UBPA cases (7 Asian, 7 European, and one American/ African cases) and one from the entry point to the site. Stamps should be issued in a booklet entitled "City Name Card" which can be obtained in Zone E, Puxi. There are signs leading you to the site once you are in the area. And there are volunteers helping you for the direction. Please be aware that such fast track is for individual visitors only. Group visitors are not entitled for the fast track offer.

City Name Card for China Pavilion

When we reached the distribution point for the "City Name Card" booklets at around 09:30am, the booklets for the China Pavilion are still available. However, the booklets for the Saudi Arabia Pavilion had all gone. As we are aware, 900 to 1,000 booklets for the China Pavilion will be distributed every day, but only 500 per week to the Saudi Arabia Pavilion. If people can't finish collecting the stamps within the same day, they can continue the collection when coming to the site again. In the reality, people can finish visiting the 15 UBPA cases quickly because there are not much to see and visitors don't need to wait for a moment. Some city cases have only a counter in the UBPA pavilion. After the completion of the 16 stamps, visitors can go to the Puxi Information Center in Zone E for the trading. For updates, please check the official Expo website http://www.expo2010.cn/ in case of any policy changes.

City Name Card for Saudi Arabia Pavilion

 

World Exposition Museum in Expo 2010

Preface-Expo City of Mascots

The first world exposition was initiated in London, United Kingdom, in 1851. It was soon held in turns by various cities in the world. Such world fairs provide countries with good opportunities to learn from one another the progress and achievement in new concepts, new inventions, new technologies, new cultures, and new lifestyles. Universal expositions are the showcases where technological advancement could be shown, as well as the platforms where innovative ideas could be brought together.

It would be great if we could learn more about what people thought when firstly seeing the display of the Otis elevator in New York City's World Fair in 1853. Did people feel amazing at the very first time talking via a telephone line in Paris' World Fair in 1878? The juicy fruit gum came up in Chicago's World Fair in 1893. Ice-cream cones and aircraft showed up in St Louis' World Fair in 1904. Tape recorders and televisions appeared in New York's World Fair in 1939.

I expected the above would be found in the current World Exposition Museum in the Shanghai Expo, but I was wrong. Instead, we saw both eastern and western human history in the Museum. There was a display of the Preface-Expo City of Mascots. If you ask me whether it is worth to pay a visit to the World Exposition Museum, I would say yes. It is because there is a display of the most precious oil painting of the first World Expo at London. After all, we had only spent 10 minutes for the entire visit. There was not any queue at the entrance. The World Exposition Museum is opposite to the Pavilion of Footprint at Zone D in Puxi. If you are going to the Pavilion of Footprint, you may consider going to the World Exposition Museum too.

Did China participate in the first World Exposition?

World Exposition Museum

I am now at London. Regarding the 2010 Expo news, it is quiet here. Many British people answered me that they knew nothing about the world exposition being held in China at the moment. My London friend who is a Chinese said, "There are not any posters or advertisement telling us about the Shanghai Expo. We could hardly hear it from our TV!" I do not feel surprised because London is far away from Shanghai. It is logical that Asian news will only occasionally come up on their topics of interest.

The 2010 Expo is expecting 70,000,000 visitors. In other words, there will only be a handful of people in the world having the chance to visit the Expo site. That is the reason supporting my initiation of a blog in sharing my Expo experience. I am proud of being one of the visitors. I hope that more people will be sharing this important event. World expositions record human wisdoms. Let's imagine. If people visiting the first world exposition in 1851 had written down their personal experiences, we would have surely understood more about the event. In those days, people recorded things by painting pictures. The to-day technology has allowed us to record things lively in various ways. Why can't we squeeze a little bit of our time to write something? Although there is an official Expo website, it is good to hear from the voices of visitors. 

Did China participate in the first Expo in 1851? The answer is yes because from an oil painting we find a Chinese standing among the participants. According to his dresses, we understand that he is a government official. This invaluable painting, which is originally stored in the Victoria and Albert Museum of London, is now being displayed in Shanghai. After the exhibition, it will get back to London. Will you take this opportunity to see the picture? It is now being exhibited in the World Exposition Museum at Zone D of the Shanghai Expo. No photographing is allowed.

2101 Expo visit plans

The Czech Republic Pavilion

When I initially planned for visiting the 2010 Expo in Shanghai, I didn't expect to be able to get into the popular pavilions as I heard that there were always long queues at the entrances. I thought I would rather spend a few relaxing days just to see the outer parts of the pavilions. In the reality, I finished visiting all my favorite pavilions. I had achieved more than I expected.

Good timing is the key for achievement. We found that queues for admissions to the popular pavilions were particularly long in the morning and afternoon. Relatively less people were found at lunch hour and in the evening. Please note that the hit pavilions may stop the queues earlier than their closure time as there have already been too many people lining up for entries. At the time of our visits, Saudi Arabia Pavilion stopped the queue at 7:00pm and Japan Pavilion stopped at 8:00pm. Czech Republic Pavilion is one of the popular pavilions with long queues during daytime. However, we got into it without spending a minute for queuing. It was at 9:00pm. Nobody was waiting at the entrance.

Our plan was to visit the unpopular pavilions during daytime and visit the hit pavilions in the evening. If people don't like queuing, I will suggest that they purchase evening tickets which allow them to stay between 5:00pm and 12 midnight in the Expo site.

When planning for the Expo visit, try avoiding Saturdays. Relatively higher numbers of visitors have been found on Saturdays since the opening of the Expo 2010. According to the news release from the official website of the Expo 2010, the highest record of visitors has reached 500,500 last Saturday. One may also consider avoiding the visits in July and August as more visitors are expected during summer holiday.For the planning of Expo transports, please visit the Expo transport guide and make a printout of the Shanghai MTR map before your journey. I suggest that you read the Site Maps and Pavilions so that you could plan your visit route to your targeted pavilions.

World Expo 2010 Entertainment and Events

Expo roadshow parade

Various entertainment programs and art performances are held in the Expo Culture Center everyday. During the period of my visit to the Expo, there was a grand show running by the top-class local singers and dancers. Their routine shows in Beijing usually cost people a few hundred yuans for a ticket. The show is now free of charge. What people need to pay is just the admission fee for the Expo. If people would like to watch the free shows, it is better for them to check the performance program from the Expo official website http://en.expo2010.cn. There are various types of shows taken place in almost every square within the Expo site. When I was lining up for the entry of the Germany Pavilion, there was a roadshow parade passing by. After I had finished my dinner in the evening, I met the parade again. This was an unexpected entertainment.

Expo roadshow parade at nighttime

One of the Hong Kong newspapers reported that there was a mess in the Shanghai Expo. After I had been to the Expo 2010, I did not agree with this report. I found the Expo site a fantastic place for touring. The Shanghai Expo had given me a beautiful memory.  I heard that thousands of fans rushed to the Culture Center for the free tickets of the show conducted by a South Korea Singing Group. Same as everywhere over the world, fans could become crazy when they are eager to see their idols. My impression to the Shanghai Expo is very good.  I highly praise it. After all, it is not easy to manage a few hundred thousands of people every day. Unfortunately, some people create chaos by jumping into the queues. 

Night Parade show at Expo 2010