Shanghai Expo 2010 上海世博 (Aug 2010)

[chin]

In the evening, we visited the Russian and the American. Entry method ii.

I really failed to appreciate what's the meaning or significance of the Russian pavilion. What impression I should have?!

The American one is very simple. Before the Expo started, there were lots of news that the American Pavilion was delayed for months due to lack of funding. How come the richest country in the world cannot fund it's own pavilion? I think the only reason was that they don't give a damn about the Expo. Supposedly eventually some American corporate sponsors chipped in to build the pavilion. I suspected that the local Shanghaiese government also sponsored quick a bit, otherwise missing US in the Expo would be loss of faces.

The US pavilion really was just a Hollywood feel-good movie, with lots of product placement type of soft ad. I don't think the Chinese really need to see the US Pavilion. All they need is just to look around their cities, cinemas, malls, consumption at home, or their own changing living habit. American culture had long made the invasion.

The second picture was taken right outside the US Pavilion. The sign says the US Pavilion does not have chop. In the Expo shops, there were many styles of "Expo Passport" for sale. You can buy one, then chop the "passport" at each pavilion visited.

[chin]

I believe these two pavilions were not purpose built for the Expo. They were part of an old shipyard.

The first picture was the Japanese Corporates Pavilion. I did not go into the pavilion, but we went to the restaurant there. It was the most exclusive restaurant we went for this trip. The restaurant only had 2 or 3 private rooms, and we were the only party that evening. The private room we had was maybe 800 sq ft in dining area, facing a very large (maybe 5000 sq ft) Japanese garden on one side. The Japanese garden was occasionally covered in man-made mist.

The food was very very good. Michelin 3-star, in my opinion. Cost was almost RMB3,000 per person.

The second picture was the Pavilion of Footprint. The English name may be a bit mysterious. It's a exhibit hall about cities.

[chin]

Some pictures inside the Pavilion of Footprint. It was a very good exhibit. Lots of interesting stuff to see. Since it was not a country themed pavilion, the line was very short, and I went there twice.

One of the most impressive exhibits (first picture) was the real wood house relocated from some place in Jiangsu to the Expo.

[chin]

Saudi Arabia Pavilion, entry method iv.

We all heard stories that Saudi citizens get paid to be born Saudi, that it's citizens don't need to work, etc... Now one of the new perks we found out is that Saudi citizens just show their passport then they can enter via the VIP entrance. Non-Saudi visitor line up for about 6 hours on the particular date we visited.

Our travel agency somehow managed for some in our group to enter via the VIP entrance, when a Saudi family entered.

[chin]

Another picture of the Korean pavilion, and the hip hop dance show at this pavilion.

We did not go into the pavilion, but had lunch there. The manager and the receptionist were very rude and unprofessional. They insisted that we read the menu first before getting sit, because the "food was expensive." Well, as it turned out, given the low quality of the food & service, it was expensive for the price of maybe RMB100 per person.

Speak of food, one of the dinner we had was in the Norway Pavilion. Again, even with prior booking, the receptionist asked if we had looked at the menu. Our guess is that at average few hundred RMB per person, it was way out of the price expectation for many mainland visitors. They apparently did not want the guest sit down first before finding out about the price.

Anyway, the food in the Norway Pavilion was very good. Fresh seafood plus different style smoked salmons directly from Norway. The 4 different styles of smoked salmons was probably the best I ever had.

[chin]

Speaking of food, we also had dinner in the Alsace or the Rhone Pavilion, in a restaurant run by the Restaurant-Ecole Institut Paul Bocuse.

I just look up the name on the Internet, and it's a school started/inspired/managed by a Michelin 3-star chef. At the time of our visit, the food was very good, the service was attentive but a bit green.

[chin]

Back to the Expo pavilions. More random pictures outside the pavilions.

[chin]

... and inside & under.

[chin]

Inside the Shanghai GM show of future cars.  The show was first a ride in a movable seat (like in Disney) then dramatic performance as in this picture.

Then the 2nd picture is the dancing balls in the Chinese Enterprise Pavilion.

[chin]

China Pavilion, entry method iii. Even with the jump, we still had to line up 1 hour before getting in.