The Shanghai Expo declared by the international Expo body as an astounding success, as the lights of the Shanghai World Expo went out for the last time yesterday after serving some 72 million visitors to a panoply of cultures and technologies intended to illustrate ideas for urban sustainability. The scale of the Expo was awe-inspiring, attracting 246 participating countries and international organisations. The number of visitors to the Expo in China’s richest city is more than 10 times the number who travelled to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Both figures are records in the history of world fairs or expos, the first of which was held in London in 1851. China spent 28.6 billion Yuan or approx. €3 billion on the event and many billions more on improving surrounding subways, roads, tunnels, airports and other public facilities to smooth transportations for rural folks and foreign visitors alike.
United Nations secretary general Ban Ki-moon said the Expo had been a “remarkable, even historic event”. He looked forward to working closely with China on the sustainable development agenda.
Premier Wen Jiabao, who was made numerous calls for reform in recent months, told a forum on the sidelines of the event that the success of the Expo “has boosted China’s confidence and resolve to pursue reform and opening up”.
“The Expo has brought together the Chinese people wishing to learn more about the world and foreign friends wishing to know more about China,” said Mr Wen.
All but a handful of the more than 200 structures built for the Expo will now be dismantled. Some pavilions will be moved elsewhere to serve as museums or landmarks. Shanghai done, next up would be South Korea!
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