Shanghai Expo 2010

The World Trade Organization Pavilion celebrated its Honor Day at the Expo Center this afternoon.

Pascal Lamy, director-general of the World Trade Organization, talked about how trade has throughout history given rise to many great cities at the symposium in the center. Trade has, for many cities, been a source of prosperity, cultural richness and, from time to time, conflict as cities sought to control trade routes and access to foreign markets, he said.

He said the open cities and trade centers generated great wealth, while the wealth of the great merchant cities extends far beyond money. “As cities open to trade and traders, these communities have served as centers for the exchange of ideas and culture as well as goods and services. These cities are home to great artists, intellectuals, scientists and athletes as well as business leaders and financiers. This rich tapestry of diversity and innovation makes these cities far more than merchant cities alone.”

China’s Vice Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said China is committed to the opening-up policy and advocates multilateral trade after becoming a member of WTO. It is also abiding by the WTO rules and regulations and is improving transparency in trade, he noted.

China made an all-out effort to the rejuvenation and recovery of world economy, which won worldwide recognition, he noted.

A photo exhibition about WTO was held at the UN Pavilion.

Surging temperatures failed to deter visitors as the Expo site welcomed some 426,800 visitors by 7pm yesterday, the 17th consecutive day daily attendance has averaged more than 400,000 since July 5.

As of 9:21am, Expo site attendance surpassed 30 million.

Domestic and overseas visitors’ spirits remained high thanks to the smooth and orderly operation of the site.

Visitor flow hit 10 million within 36 days since the opening of Expo 2010 on May 1, and the total number surged to 20 million just 23 days later.

Among yesterday’s visitors, 137,400 were group tourists, and 58,324 visitors used free tickets Shanghai government distributed to local residents. A total of 59,862 tickets were sold on site, with 24,075 night admissions.

As of 6pm, Houtan, Shangnan Road, Changqing Road, and Gaoke Road W. gates received 75,000, 66,000, 72,000, and 50,000 visitors respectively.

A total of 76 shows were staged by 5pm within the site, attracting 48,200 spectators.

More than 138,000 group visitors are expected to tour the Expo site today.

The Russia Pavilion, a children’s paradise, welcomed its 3 millionth visitor yesterday, a tourist from Lanzhou, Gansu Province.

The visitor surnamed Liu was presented with a gift package containing Russia’s traditional souvenirs. It was Liu’s first visit to Shanghai and she waited two hours before visiting the pavilion with her child.

She said she was impressed by the pavilion’s great design and exquisite exhibition, and would recommend it to her relatives.

An exquisite concert replaying Chopin’s works in novel styles was staged at the Europe Square in the Expo site yesterday, featuring an interactive combination of music, dance and panoramic visual projection.

The concert paid tribute to the great Polish musician Frederic Chopin as this year is the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Polish pianists Filip Wojciechowski, Justyna Galant-Wojciechowska and Kuba Lubowicz showed off their skills. Film clip and 3D computer animations were displayed onto a panoramic screen backdrop.

Due to its multimedia set animated with music, the audience was not only able to learn about Chopin’s music but also his life. The artistic form showed links between Chopin and Warsaw – the city of his youth and the source of artistic inspiration where he lived half his life, presenting the Polish capital city as a creative culture center and a tourist destination.

The design of the Poland Pavilion, resembling a folded paper box, is inspired by its folk art: paper cut-outs. During daytime, the exhibition hall is filled with light filtering through the patterns, and at night it shines with different colors from within.