I went back to the Expo again last weekend on an organized tour. In the rain. Despite the rotten weather, this second visit turned out to be rather more satisfying in terms of big pavilions than my previous expedition in which I avoided long lines like the plague and visited the smaller, less popular spots instead. Being a tour, it meant guaranteed entry to the China and USA pavilions, and an early start.
We met the group at Shiliupu Wharf at 7.50 a.m. and after a short wait, were on the boat where we chilled out in a little cafe on the upper deck where they took us by surprise by serving real coffee. By the time the boat got moving about 40 minutes later, the misty gray outside had become an almost impenetrable sheet and we could barely see anything beyond the windows. It was shame as arriving to the Expo site by boat would be a pleasure with the sun blazing down on the water, the scenery of Shanghai's waterfronts sliding by; the redevelopment of the south Bund area, yachts at anchor, the Nanpu Bridge and then bam, the Expo site rears up into sight, the China Pavilion lording it up in the distance.
Sadly it was not to be, too wet on deck there was nothing to see but vague shapes through the rain.
Arriving at the site at 9.04 a.m. it was every man for himself as people swarmed off the boats and set off at a run to the closest pavilions; Saudi Arabia and Japan. Though painful, the early start paid off. We got reservations for the Urbanian Theme Pavilion from a nearby machine and were in Japan within an hour.
The Japanese Pavilion is dubbed "the purple silkworm" and it's easy to see why. Its giant pink, cocoon-like shape is home to three sections, the first of which featured some cultural touches with a tea house and a moon gazing room, before turning to all things technological—machines that convert sewage water into drinking water, energy generating floors and a robot that looked like a cross between Olive Oyl and a flump that rolled out periodically to wave at passers-by.
Next up was a demonstration of some of this new technology (cameras, video walls, electronic one person vehicles, violin playing robots etc) by a pair of presenters. Unfortunately, it started to go downhill fast from there, descending into a propaganda fest that attempted to redress some of the ill feeling that's been felt toward the Japanese ever since WWII (notice Japan is the only pavilion without its flag flying outside). The next 40 minutes were spent watching a corny video of the story of the crested ibis, a bird extinct in Japan that was later found in China and returned to Japan. The tale celebrates the "great friendship" between the two countries, and was repeated again in operatic form in the next room, (Chinese Kun Qun operatic form at that) and frankly it was a bit tedious, Japan should do better.
Next stop was the DPRK. Probably the closest most will ever get to this self-proclaimed "Paradise for People," there wasn't too much on show and paradise it was not. A fountain made of dancing cherubs, some blown-up photos of Pyongyang a small library of books on the "Dear Leader" in the gift shop. It was a pretty quick in and out job.
We stopped for lunch in the Sri Lanka Pavilion where we were surprised by a live drumming performance on the stage by the restaurant that left more of an impression than just wandering round the pavilion and went perfectly with our samosas, spicy chicken wings and coconut pancakes.
The Urbanian Theme Pavilion was next. This surprised me the most, probably because I was expecting the least. Using well-thought-out design, lighting and multimedia exhibits, it followed six families from around the world, drawing us in to their everyday lives in a way that allowed us to compare, contrast and appreciate each different lifestyle and culture.
Our group reservation for the USA Pavilion wasn't until 4:30 p.m. and with an hour or so to kill we wandered through Europe again and made a great discovery—a French passport will get you and two friends priority entry to the French Pavilion! Just go to the special access line and in you go.
Inside the "Sensual City" is a lush, green courtyard with a fountain and a musical trampoline, both of which would have been more impressive if it hadn't been raining. Same goes for the roof garden upstairs. There were lots of projections and videos of France, but the only thing that made either of my two Gallic companions pine for the motherland was the shots of cafes lining the streets of Paris.
After such success with France, I thought I'd give the UK a shot and, though a little more clandestine, my UK driver's license was enough to get us in the entertainer's access.
The "Seed Cathedral" is one heck of a cool building. I'm not sure it says an awful lot about Britain, but it's amazing to see with its thousands of acrylic spines waving in the breeze, creating an optical illusion of hazy edges. Inside is equally spectacular. It's tiny and you don't need long but the effect of the individual rods, each lit and containing a single, different shaped seed is quite beautiful. I'm not sure about the surrounding area though. It's supposed to look like wrapping paper but looked to me more like an inner city skate park. It did make nice spot to sit and chill out, which plenty of people were doing. Probably to get their three-hour wait's worth after such minimal offerings once inside.
The US was predictably upbeat. Three films, each focusing on messages of hope and working together to overcome diversity with plenty of not-so-subliminal advertising. The final one was a 4D tale of a young girl who brings her neighbors together to create a garden from an old, rundown city lot (accompanied by occasional seat-shaking thunder and a fine spray of mist when it rained). All were well produced and even inspirational... and then you walk out to the final room, so filled with sponsors' logos and branding that whatever little magic you might have felt prior was lost.
The final visit of the day was the China Pavilion. Our 6:30 p.m. reservation meant we were already pooped by the time we got in the queue (yes, that's right, even with the reservation, expect to wait at least one hour as you and your party are processed through the cattle gates and into the elevators that will whisk you up one of the giant red legs and into the that mysterious beacon that has holds court over the site, taunting those denied access below). The China Pavilion, just in case you didn't know, is the holy grail of the Expo. The architectural centerpiece, there's no way in without a reservation and unless you're in line by 7 a.m. or booked on a tour, you're not getting one. Understandably, the Chinese are incredibly proud of their national pavilion and undoubtedly, it's impressive from the outside, but does the interior live up to the hype? Let's take a look and see.
Once inside the top floor, you and large numbers of others, are ushered into a cinema to watch a short film that follows one single family across three generations, illustrating the great changes China has seen over the last 30 years. Next, you are funneled with the tide of people along a long, wide corridor of a room where on one side an enormous video projection shows the tale of migration from rural to urban living and on the other, a few national treasures are on display but if you're stuck in the middle, you won't see much of anything. All the commentary is in Chinese so don't expect to understand anything either.
Turn a corner and the corridor continues. Gradually sloping downwards, this part is brightly lit and features the artwork of hundreds of young children, many of which have surely had an adult hand in the making as many pieces by the 6 and 7 year olds were a little too good to be true. At the end of this corridor, you are bottle-necked into another waiting area, ready to go into something called "Dialogue" where a small train takes you on a journey through the history of Chinese architecture.
Again, only a Chinese voiceover and for me the whole thing smacked of the Bund sightseeing tunnel, though with perhaps a little more substance. The final section explored technology and city living though nothing jumped out as particularly astounding or noteworthy, but it was almost 8.30 p.m. and, having been at Expo for a solid 12 hours, my brain was starting to shut down. To exit the pavilion, it's down the long steep, open air escalators where you can see the people waiting below in anticipation.
For a Chinese-speaker and for Chinese citizens who have, quite rightly, got much to be proud of in their nation's ancient and very recent history (there are of course, no allusions to the periods of revolution and unrest), perhaps the experience is different. As a foreigner, I was far more impressed with outside than in, though honestly this the same for most of the other countries on show.
But then again, Expo isn't targeted at foreigners. It's targeted at the Chinese, many of whom have not had and will not have the opportunity to travel. And while no one enjoys the long queues, what is on display inside and out has to be seen in that context. However, it is infinitely more satisfying to see the exhibits without the long waits that inevitably render them unworthy, and for this I am grateful to have taken the tour option, my French friends and my UK driver's license.
Aimee participated in a tour organized by Ctrip, ChinaTravel.com's parent company. We highly recommend that you book your own Shanghai Expo Tour with Ctrip--it's a great way to cut out the hassle of doing it all yourself. (If you insist on going it on your own, we suggest you hit Expo in the evening when crowds thin out and temperatures cool down.)