Guide to 2010 Shanghai, China World Expo

by Keith and Amy Sutter at GreenAroundTheGlobe.com. Keith and Amy quit their jobs 8 months ago to flashpack around the world while documenting efforts towards environmental sustainability.

With 70 million expected visitors in the next 6 months, Expo 2010 in Shanghai is going to be a big deal. So if you will be in China, and are not planning a day or two for a visit, you will be missing out. The Expo, or World’s Fair as it is also known, is a chance every 5 years for the countries of the world to come together and put their best foot forward, highlighting their cultures, natural treasures and in the case of Expo 2010 different aspects of environmental sustainability and green technologies. The spectacle in China does not stray from these past traditions and most exhibitors at least play lip service to environmental sustainability.

Cutting edge architecture has been a hallmark of past Expos, with the 1889 Paris Expo

providing the Eifel Tower and the New York Expo in 1964 leaving behind the Unisphere, more recently of Men in Black fame. Shanghai maintains this tradition with the massive China pavilion. There are also many unique and downright strange architecture examples to behold such as the Spanish Pavilion, which is covered with mats of woven wicker, a common tradition in both China and Spain.

One of the biggest challenges of visiting the Expo for a backpacker on a limited budget can be taking in the entire thing in only a day or two. With the daily admission price of 160RMB (~$25) and the expensive on-site food, a multi-day visit could quickly exceed the typical backpacker budget in otherwise inexpensive China. To that end, below are some tips to ensure your visit goes smoothly and you see everything you want to.

Where to Stay

Hostel rates have jumped in Shanghai with the Expo being in town. While there are many good options, the most important consideration when choosing a hostel is to ensure it is a quick walk to a Metro stop. Most hostels probably are fairly close because Shanghai just opened a bunch of new metro lines within the last 2 months in preparation for the Expo, but be sure to check a map. We stayed at the Shanghai City Central Youth Hostel (Utels), which while outside the city center, is close to the Caoyang Lu Metro stop. One great benefit of this hostel is that the private double room rate of 210RMB (~$28) includes a good breakfast with delicious steamed pork and vegetable buns.

Getting Around

The Metro is by far the easiest, cheapest and fastest way to get around sprawling and congestion-filled Shanghai. And during the Expo you can get an unlimited 24-hour pass for just 18RMB (~$2.60). Ask for it at any Metro station. If the cashier doesn’t speak English, look for the sign that most of them have up advertising the Special Expo pass and point. The Metro also is the easiest way to arrive at the Expo. There are stops on both sides of the Huangpu River, which splits the Expo site.

Planning Your Visit

Since the Expo site is huge, covering 3.28 square kilometers, it is best to have a plan before you arrive. I recommend picking up the official Expo Guide when you arrive in Shanghai for 25RMB (~$3.50). You can find the English version at any Chinese bookstore. It lists every pavilion with a short description to help you decide which countries are on your must see list. When we were there the countries with the longest waits were:

• South Korea – 2.5 hours
• Japan – 2.5 hours
• UAE – 2 hours
• Great Britain -1.5 hours
• France – 1 hour

So be sure to hit these early in the day before exhaustion sets in.

China at World Expo by Keith and Amy Sutter

And be aware that if you want to visit the China pavilion you will need to arrive at 8:30am and be one of the first people inside when the Expo opens at 9:00am as you need to get one of the ~40,000 reservations that are allotted everyday. Both days we were there the reservations were gone by 9:05. The reservation kiosks are located by most of the entrances.

During our two days at the Expo we were able to go into 12 country pavilions as well as spend a half-day taking in the city case studies area and checking out the sustainability innovations and environmental thought leadership that was on display. Overall the theme of “Better City. Better Life” was embraced more fully by countries like Germany and France, and less so by cities such as Liverpool, England, whose city pavilion was nothing more than a tourism advertisement geared towards the Chinese. Below is a run down of some of the highlights and disappointments we had in our two days.

USA – best use of multi-media and most corporate

USA at World Expo by Keith and Amy Sutter

It was no surprise that the country home to Hollywood and major advertising agencies produced great 5-minute short films as its major attraction. And since we had been on the road for over 7 months by then, it even left us a little homesick. The downside to this pavilion is that since it was 100% financed by US corporations such as Wal-Mart, it is very corporate. The interactive displays at the end are solely corporate, the kind you expect to see at a trade show. This is a bit of a let down after the very inspiring and well-produced videos at the beginning.

And despite the long lines, the wait is short. We waited in a full line that extended past the end of the official turnstiles and had only a 25-minute wait. One last tip is to make sure you put your camera or anything else you are not ok with getting wet away during the 3rd video, trust me on this one.

Australia – Worst Pandering to the Chinese

Australia at World Expo by Keith and Amy Sutter

After 45 minutes in line we were looking forward to seeing what was inside. Turns out it was nothing but some basic signage before being led into a theater for a 15 minute film and animated robot production that is all in Mandarin. I understand that the Expo is in China so having things in Mandarin makes sense, but not even having English subtitles when your country speaks English was a little odd. My recommendation is to check out the pavilion from the outside and skip waiting in the line.

Vanke 2049 – Best execution of sustainability theme

While this is not a country pavilion, it is a series of theaters presenting compelling videos on key issues of sustainability in China including: dealing with waste in Taipei, desertification in Western China and the reforestation project underway to combat it, and the power of the individual to create positive environmental change within China.

Morocco – Most beautiful and serene

Morocco at World Expo by Keith and Amy Sutter

With no wait to enter and few people inside, the Moroccan pavilion was a cool, dark and beautifully decorated oasis. It had detailed stone and woodcarvings along with a peaceful fountain at its center. It is a great place to sit and relax your tired feet for a couple of minutes.

Russia – Most odd

The inside of Russia’s pavilion was almost entirely done in a rainforest/jungle theme, with lush green plant and flower decorations. I may not be an expert on Russian geography but I am pretty sure that nowhere in their vast boarders is there a rainforest or tropical jungle.

While the Expo can be an expensive activity on a backpacker budget, seeing how the rest of the world presents themselves to the largely Chinese attendees is worth a couple of days during your time in Shanghai. Seeing the fantastic architecture first hand is alone worth the price of admission.

Expo 2010 Website for more information