2010 Shanghai World Expo

Lantern Festival lights up spring

Lantern Festival

Yuanxiao Jie, or the Lantern Festival, that falls on the 15th day of the first month of the Chinese New Year (Feb 17 this year), signals the end of the Spring Festival celebrations.

Calendar Scrolls, a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) silk scroll, 175 cm long and 95 cm wide, offers a glimpse of how the festival was celebrated at least 200 years ago, with its image replicated on countless paintings and calendars. Widely believed to be a collaborative work of Tang Dai (1673-1752) and his contemporaries such as Ding Guanpeng, the original is in the collection of the Palace Museum in Taipei and depicts daily life in 18th century China.

Tang Dai was a Manchu landscape painter who lived under Qing emperor Kangxi, while Ding is best known for his vivid depiction of Buddhist figures.

Tang’s ink painting techniques were so highly respected that he was crowned painting maestro by the emperor.

His depictions of people, residences, shops, temples, and gardens reflect his intimate knowledge and love of traditional Chinese festivals. The influence of Western art on the Qing imperial court is evident, says Jin Yunchang, a researcher of ink painting with the Palace Museum in Beijing.

Offering a panoramic view of the royal gardens, the scroll shows large groups of people in brightly-colored clothes, watching the moon, setting off fireworks, hanging lanterns, cracking riddles while drinking liquor and enjoying sweet-meats, surrounded by blossoming peach trees that herald the coming of spring.

Jubilant scenes of singing and dancing dot the scroll.

Like in the olden days, putting up colorful lanterns remains an integral part of the festivities to this day. During the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220), the emperors were followers of Buddhism, and ordered the worship of Buddha with grand lanterns on this occasion.

For the emperor’s pleasure, county magistrates in different parts of the empire would dispatch hand-made lanterns to the royal court.

Soon the tradition passed on to common folk, and lanterns could be found everywhere during the festival.

It is said the festive atmosphere created by these lanterns was so irresistible that the royal couple would often sneak out of the palace dressed as commoners to celebrate the festival.

Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang, founder of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), was reportedly such a big fan of the lantern festival that he extended the period of celebrations from three days as in the Tang (AD 618-907) and Song (AD 960-1279) dynasties, to 10 days.

Lantern riddles were perhaps the best-loved parts of the celebrations. Riddles were pasted onto the lanterns, so people could watch the lanterns while cracking them.

The festival is also dubbed China’s Valentine’s Day. Traditionally, for unmarried young girls who were not allowed to go out freely, the lantern festival was their opportunity to pick their spouses.

In Taiwan, a traditional belief still holds sway that unmarried girls can snare a good husband if they steal a green vegetable during the night of the festival.

The festival was also an occasion to showcase traditional beliefs, such as having women walk along a wall or across a bridge to keep diseases and disasters at bay.

Wendy,Shanghai World Expo, TV Frame, Microplus Membrane, SEO Services, SEO Tools

Ancient Babylon city present at Expo

Saddam’s Presidential Palace and ruins of ancient Babylon

The Shanghai World Expo with the theme “Better City, Better Life”, not only displays advanced ideas for urban life, but some old ideas as well, including some from mankind’s oldest city Babylon. The ancient urban center, which had its heyday about 4,000 years ago, is also exhibited at the Babylon’s city gate serves as the entrance of the City Origin hall of the Urban Footprints Pavilion. 

Visitors stand in awe of the ancient Babylon city in miniature. The city thrived during king Hammurabi’s rule in 18th century BC, and Nebuchadnezzar the second’s reign around 6th century BC. 

King Nebuchadnezzar’s Palace in ancient Babylon

Wei Shaonong, Chairman, Design Dept., East China Normal University, said, “Babylon is famous for its hanging garden, one of the seven wonders of the world, and the legendary Tower of Babel described in the Bible.” 

Ishtar Gate, the biggest of Babylon’s eight gates, is displayed here with models and real relics.

Original Walls of Babylon, 604 to 562 B.C.

These glazed ceramics are the genuine pieces decorating Ishtar Gate. The divine animals, molded some three thousand years ago, are still in good condition. This figure, with a snake’s head, goat’s horn and eagle’s claw represents such an early combination of such animals that it even surprised the experts.

Wei Shaonong said, “Combining features from different animals to create a godly creature, making it boast all the energy the animals have, this showcases the wild imagination of Babylon citizens.” 

Dozens of relics are exhibited to inform visitors of ancient Babylonian culture, from their ancient epigraphs, to an engraved stone indicating ownership of land.

Plan of the ancient city of Babylon

Plan of the ancient city of Babylon, 500 B.C.

Babylon, was a city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province Iraq, about 85 kilometers (55 mi) south of Baghdad. All that remains of the original ancient famed city of Babylon today is a mound, or tell, of broken mud-brick buildings and debris in the fertile Mesopotamian plain between the Tigrils and Euphrats rivers, in Iraq. Although it has been reconstructed, historical resources inform us that Babylon was at first a small town, that had sprung up by the beginning of the 3rd millennium BC. The town flourished and attained prominence and political repute with the rise of the First Babylonian Dynasty. It was the holy city of Babylonia by approximately 2300 BC, and the seat of the Neo-Babylonian Empire from 612 to 539 BC. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. 

Ten Leisure streets of Shanghai—You Should not Miss During the Shanghai Expo

No. 1 Shanghai New World

 The New World is a fashionable and leisure walking street made up by ShiKuMan architecture and modern architecture, there still keep in Bricks and tiles, and maintain the Shanghai’s customs and culture. While the inside space, it is a modern world, it is dull of the things of 21st century, the lifestyle of modern city, the rhythm, emotion and experience of the contemporary.SEO Company

  No.2 Nanjing Road Walkway
Nanjing Road Walkway is as a reputation “the first business street”.It becomes the symbol of Shanghaicity and consumption and activity center.She's past and future affects Shanghai and China, affects abouta fifth of the world human’s destiny. There collect hundreds of modern commercial malls and some special shops.Nanjing becomes China's largest retail commodities and business information reservoir distribution and it is the most prosperous business street.
No.3 the Riverside Avenue

The Riverside Avenue is 2500 meters, where mix with sightseeing, afforest, transportation and service facilities, focus on urban ecological environment and the function. It comes up with slope greening and semi-underground compartments and landscape road.Seach Engine Optimization

Near the water platform, there are some beautiful flowers, shrubs and trees. It makes a comfortable, quiet and easy artistic. There are some modern buildings, such as Shanghai international conference center, shanggri-la hotel, the likelihood of Oriental youth project. All of those makes travelers linger on without any thought of leaving.

No.4 Shanghai Traditional Street

     When you went to Shanghai Traditional street,you feeling you are in a Shanghai’s bustling market 100 years ago. It maintaining the appearance of ordinary buildings from the traditional pattern of residential areas closed offices, but much smaller size and scale, and even some cramped space becomes tight. As early residential each household has one simple stone door frames, with black, thick wooden doors, such as residential groups are ordinary street, but at a later stage, the continuous improvement of the new ordinary construction began on ordinary decoration itself, the general in a stone door frames above triangular form arcs woven, in a Western-style travelled or stone carving.

NO.5 Hengshan Road

                    Known today as one of Shanghai’s most popular nightlife locations, the Hengshan Road region has gone through many major changes, as the area has been constantly redeveloped over the years. Looking far back into Shanghai’s 19th century past, the area was once was farmland, and as Shanghai expanded the area eventually became a neighborhood of humble homes holding thousands of the city’s poor Chinese laborers. As the French Concession grew, the boundaries expanded to include the region, and most of the poor houses were gradually replaced by fancy European style homes and apartment houses.

Most of all, Hengshan Road is best known for hosting some of Shanghai’s most booming nightlife. A drive down the road on a weekend night sees the area packed with partygoers, with patrons scrambling for taxis, as bright colorful flashing lights shine down from the many area nightspots. There are the aforementioned Irish pubs, discos for dancing, as well as numerous smaller, quiet bars for those who prefer a more relaxed evening.

No.6 Mei Chuan Eurasian Leisure Street Road

  Mei Chuan Eurasian Leisure Street Road is located in the true north district; it is the cental of the Changzheng new town. The length is 600 meters and the business area is 50,000 square meters. The project management is the theme restaurants, entertainment, fitness hairdressing salon, dress, community service department.

Now, there are more than 100 famous brands ZhuanYeDian, stores. The green, square, with perfect catering, entertainment, leisure, services supporting functions, characteristics, formation of operating characteristics, characteristics of Shanghai new leisure recreational street.

No.7 DuoLun Road — Cultural Celebrity Street

 

  Duolun road of Shanghai is 550 meters, the north-south intersection is sichuan road north, near the pearl line 3, south by lu xun park, street dance, though short way, and quiet street, ZhiBiLinCi, make duolun road shows rich local culture deep historic background.

               In the 1930s it was a residential area for Japanese nationals in Shanghai and a place for cultural celebrities to gather as well. On either side of the street there are several scores of buildings with different architectural style and a score of historical buildings.

No.8 The Bund

                   During the 1920s and ‘30s the continuous influx of wealth tempted the city into a wild multitude of vices, elegant modes of corruption and a generalized decadence. Much of the associated activity took place around the Bund.

During the 20th century, the Bund had become the richest and most prosperous part of Shanghai and had some of Asia’s grandest buildings, often finished with the finest Italian marble. The area had been transformed into a major center for banking and was known as the “Wall Street of Asia”. Many of its buildings were also among the world’s tallest at some point in their history.

                 Nowadays, the Bund is seeing a revival of its past energy and has become a showcase for the uncompromising cosmopolitan lifestyle once again. While many of the old waterfront buildings are still occupied by offices and banks, some have been transformed into chic, super-stylish concept buildings and house some of Shanghai’s trendiest restaurants, bars, art galleries, fashion houses and spas.

No.9 Zhujiajiao

 

 

               Zhujiajiao is the most complete preservation of Shanghai suburb of Ming and qing dynasties buildings. There are some old houses rows, white wall, narrow streets, A small path opens up on an enchanting view, the stone road was constantly, the old and famous shops are line both sides, all of thoese show a quaint picture.

             First of all, there is the biggest fangsheng bridge, the suburb of of primitive simplicity, dignified. Then, a vaulted style archway blew on with brick, flowers; polishing brick is water, for GuJie added attraction. When you come to Chenghuangmiao, there is a chic modelling , beautiful and newly-built bridge

No.10 Qi Bao Old Street

 

                Qi bao Old Street is a town of a long history. Qi Bao is not far away from urban area of Shanghai. Actually it is close to Xu Jia Hui. Most of the original buildings in the town have been replaced with modern buildings. However, this whole street has been kept well and been a famous attraction of Qi Bao. The street is featured by the original looks of old towns around Shanghai several hundred years ago. If you are interested in a tour to the old towns like Zhu Jia Jiao, Xi Tang, Zhou Zhuang, but don’t have enough time since they are all quite far from urban Shanghai, this street will satisfy you.
            All AbThe problem of a tour to this street is there are always many prople here. It also says hwo this street is popular. People are not here just to enjoy the views of an old town. Lots of them are here for the food. There are numerous small restaurants/food stores on the street. You can find local Qi bao Food and all kinds of traditional Shanghai food and even some food from other areas of China. Your stomach will surely be full, then you can enjoy the Chinese food and you can enjoy the Shanghai Expo.

Wendy, 2010 Shanghai Expo,Shanghai World Expo, SEO Tips, SEO Tools

A Blessing to the Shanghai Expo a Century Ago

In 1910, a Qing Dynasty Novelist named Shi’e Lu, he was finished a fantasy novel named The New China. This fiction is divided into 12 chapters and it imagined the Shanghai after one hundred years. In the novel, in China, Shanghai Pudong will hold a Expo, tourists are going to our Shanghai. From the novel be published in 1910 to the Shanghai Expo hold in 2010, during one hundred’s prophecy has mysteriously fulfilled.

In The New China, the hero Yunxiang Lu and his wife Youqin Li is travel in Shanghai in dreams, he find with surprise “The foreign settlement has call in; the arrogant foreigner is respect for us. There are lots of new things; the electric car is on the underground road, what’s more, a big railway across the Huangpu River straight to the other side.” His wife told to him “During the Shanghai Expo, in order to convenient the passer-by, the government built this bridge.” Through the bridge, there are lots of tall buildings and the smooth flow of traffic.

In the ending, the hero was tripped over and he was awaked. There is a dialogue between the hero and his wife. His wife said that “you are dream for a long time, so you have this odd dream”. The hero answered that “It maybe comes true until that time”

Now, the Huangpu Bridge, the cross-river tunnel, the Subway, the Expo Park has all come true. The details of the prophecy novel are coincided after 100 years, after a century, Shanghai has held the world Expo.

Today we see the book, from the several aspects of consideration; it is a blessing to our country a century ago, a blessing to the Shanghai Expo a century ago.

Wendy, Shanghai World Expo, Shanghai Expo

Shanghai World Expo glee for overseas families

Each overseas family that has held Shanghai residence certificates for at least six months will soon start to receive their free ticket to the Shanghai World Expo, plus a transport card of 200 yuan. 

The Shanghai government decided on a fair playing field and the overseas families will receive exactly the same treats as locals, starting from May 15.

In addition to the overseas residents, three other types of families are also eligible – those with local permanent household registrations, those with local permanent residence permits and those holding local temporary residence permits for at least six months. 

Also in the gift pack are a thank-you letter, a World  Expo site map and a souvenir badge in the shape of mascot Haibao. 

The gifts have been eagerly anticipated after the plan was announced by Shanghai Party Secretary Yu Zhengsheng. 

Officials said the government had considered the distribution program carefully before announcing it yesterday. 

Neighborhood committees will visit families one by one from May 15 to distribute the gift packs after checking required certificates. 

Families who are away and don’t receive the gift packs can go to their district social affairs center to apply for them. 

Tickets can be used on any single day within a month from June to September. 

Tickets distributed to families in the Pudong New Area and Huangpu, Luwan and Jinshan districts as well as Chongming County will be valid for Expo visits in June. 

Those in Jing’an, Yangpu, Minhang, Qingpu and Fengxian districts can visit the event in July. 

Tickets in Xuhui, Changning, Hongkou and Baoshan districts will be valid in August and those in Zhabei, Putuo, Jiading and Songjiang in September. 

There are five patterns on the transport cards, featuring one of the Central Axis and the four pavilions along the axis. 

The city has launched a hotline – 962200 – for queries on the free tickets and cards and another – 12388 – to specifically to receive complaints.

Wendy, 2010 Shanghai World Expo, 2010 Shanghai Expo

Splash of color from Expo pavilions

The lights were tested on the Luxemburg Pavilion on April 5, adding a splash of color to the 2010 World Expo site.

The lights were tested on the African Pavilion on April 5, adding a splash of color to the 2010 World Expo site.

The lights were tested on the Singapore Pavilion on April 5, adding a splash of color to the 2010 World Expo site.

The lights were tested on the Russia Pavilion on April 5, adding a splash of color to the 2010 World Expo site.

The lights were tested on the Esthonia Pavilion on April 5, adding a splash of color to the 2010 World Expo site. A large amount of pavilions started lights testing recently.

Wendy, Shanghai Expo, 2010 Shanghai Expo

 

Shanghai World Expo News in Brief

The following are highlights of latest developments in preparations for the upcoming World Expo 2010 in Shanghai:

Expo media center to open on April 27

Media center for the Shanghai World Expo 2010 from May 1 to October 31 would begin official operation on April 27, after it completes a trial run between April 20 to 26, Song Chao, head of the press office of the municipal government of Shanghai, told a press conference Wednesday.

An online media center will also be established for the six-month cultural event, to allow remote interviews by registered journalists.

By now, approximately 13,000 media workers in China and from abroad have applied to cover the Expo. Of them, 3,500 are from 589 overseas institutions, and more than 9,000 from 713 Chinese institutions.

Sufficient funds raised for US pavilion

Fund-raising work for the 61 million US dollars needed for the US Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo, had been completed, Jose H. Villarreal, commission-general of the Pavilion, announced Wednesday.

New sponsors included Citigroup and the east-China-based transnational Haire.

The 6,000-sq-m Pavilion, with the theme of “Rising to the Challenge”, will join the Expo park’s trial operation starting on April 20.

Maritime rescue drill launched ahead of Expo

A maritime rescue drill was launched by the maritime rescue system under the Ministry of Transport Wednesday at Waigaoqiao of Shanghai, in a bid to ensure security of waterway transport during the 184-day World Expo to be held in the city.

The 40-minute drill involved people rescue, imitated medical care for and transfer of injured people and equipment display. Two rescue ships, two naval vessels and two helicopters joined the exercise.

A maritime anti-terror exercise was held on March 20 jointly by maritime police authorities in Shanghai and the eastern provinces of Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

Exhibition arrangement completed for joint Africa Pavilion

Exhibition arrangements have been completed for all of the 43 exhibition modules of the joint Africa Pavilion, which will join the Expo park’s trial operation starting April 20, organizers said Wednesday.

The joint pavilion, which will be shared by 42 African countries and the African Union, covers an area of 26,000 square meters, and each module has an exhibition space of 250 sq m.

Wendy, Shanghai World Expo, 2010 Shanghai World Expo

30-day countdown to Shanghai World Expo

A sea lion pounds on a drum to mark the 30-day countdown to the opening ceremony of Shanghai World Expo at Shanghai Changfeng Ocean World, on March 30, 2010. Ocean World will put on stage live animal performances in April. April 1 marks the 30-day countdown to the opening ceremony of Shanghai World Expo.

Visitors take pictures at the celebration square in Expo Park in Shanghai, March 30, 2010.

A music gala is held to mark the 30-day countdown to 2010 World Expo at the Bund in Shanghai, March 30, 2010.

Wendy, 2010 Shanghai Expo,2010 Shanghai World Expo

2010 Shanghai World Expo maps released for public consultation

The Bureau of 2010 Shanghai World Expo Coordination is seeking opinions and advice on a tour map and two traffic guide maps to the event.

Information on traffic from Yangtze Delta Region and traffic in the city, pavilions, entrances, parking lots, service facilities, aid facilities, commercial facilities and activities are available on the maps.

The three maps can be downloaded at official Expo Website, www.expo2010.cn. Only a Chinese version is available.

Wendy, Shanghai Expo, Shanghai World Expo

Shanghai International Mei Flower Show

Shanghai International Mei Flower Show in Century Park

Shanghai International Mei Flower Show

Shanghai International Mei Flower Show

 

 Wendy, 2010 Shanghai Expo, 2010 Shanghai World Expo

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