Shanghai World Expo 2010 (1 of 3)

Unbelievable!! Truly unbelievable, unforgettable and crazy experience! Yeah …. We finally went to the Shanghai Expo 2010 and it’s nothing like any of the expo in Malaysia at all! The size of the expo is absolutely beyond words (5.28 KM/2 and it’s the ‘largest world fair’ ever!) and also, it makes a world record of a total of 66.4 Million visitors to date (Malaysia population = 28 million only) and the number is still growing. Just the day before our trip, it hit a new record of receiving 1.03 million of visitors on the day itself which is absolutely insane. We nearly cancelled our trip to avoid being squeezed like sardines but I am glad that we make it in the end!

^ ^ It’s just a small part of the crowd at one of the entrance at China Pavilion! The visitors are really insane ….. just like ANTS!

Last Sunday (17/10/10) 5 of us make it to the expo at around 10am and adding to the number of 744,900 visitors to the expo that day. Entrance ticket cost CNY160/ pax (RM80/pax) and visiting the China Pavilion need a special pass (FOC) by appointment but we did not plan to line up stay overnight at the entrance just to “rebut” (I am not kidding!!) for a China Pavilion Pass which a limited number was distributed at 9am everyday (absolutely crazy!). Hubby’s aunty who flew all the way from Malaysia is so keen to enter the China Pavilion hence with no choice but we finally have to ‘flock out’ RM800 just to get the FOC tickets from the illegal ‘source’ (bad bad!!!).


^ ^ The absolutely infamous China Pavilion, here Angel comes!! We are actually up high at the exhibition hall where the arrow was pointing ^_^

The experience inside China Pavilion is absolutely speechless. After a few hours queuing and being ‘pushed around’ by huge crowd , we were finally transported to the top of the pavilion and saw the 123 meter long of gigantic infamous painting ‘清明上河图’ (‘Along the River During the QingMing Festival’). The painting is absolutely breath taking because it’s just sooooo huge and all the characters inside the ancient Chinese drawings are actually moving!! It’s just like an ancient city brought into life in front of our eyes! The 3D theater, the expedition train, the future cars exhibition, the huge lotus pond and all the displays inside China Pavilion is just so high tech and innovative! Beyond words can describe our feelings, even Angel were dancing and exclaiming about everything she saw. However, not much pictures were taken as the place were extremely crowded! We were so lucky that we even have a chance to have a peek on whatever it was display there :) :) The display halls are as big as few footballs fields, division and distributed among a few levels. It’s just an eye opener for all of us.


^ ^ Some of the view inside China Paviion. The top picture is the infamous China ancient city painting, the 123 meter long imitated national treasure ‘清明上河图’ (‘Along the River During the QingMing Festival’) and the character in the drawings is actually brought to life!!!! Incredible!!!!!!!!!!! You can imagine the size and length of it by the look at the people down there.


^ ^ Angel enjoy herself in the Shanghai Expo. She actually told me that “Angel is so happy today!” which I am so glad ^_^

We have to line up for 2 – 3 hours normally just to enter the so-called not so famous pavilions in the expo. Even Malaysian Pavilion takes minimum 1 hour that day but luckily, we brought along our Malaysian passport which we get to enter through the ‘green lane’ :) We are quite lucky enough to cover a total of 10 pavilions in the Asia Zone (including China Pavilion) namely China, Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Cambodia, Philippines, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and Indonesia.


^ ^ Not much picture was taken coz there were so many ppl that day and our eyes were so busy! OK ok ..... Mommy and daddy took most pictures la coz Angel was so busy running around ^_^ She was so happy and 'high' for pictures most of the time ^_^

I would say that Thailand Pavilion is magnificent with so much surprises in it (love it so much). Philippines Pavilions is just so kind enough to provide a marvelous complimentary 10 minutes massage to the visitors (must go) with great entertainments – singing and dancing (truly cultural) and handcrafts for sell too. Australia Pavilion’s 3D 360 degree gigantic revolving stage and animation was absolutely thrilling + inspiring (must watch ). Singapore pavilions takes more then 3 hours to enter but we manage to enter it for less then an hour that night and the sky garden is a nice touch. Cambodia Pavilion is small but with a nice touch as if entering into an ancient city. As for Malaysia pavilion, I am absolutely proud that Malaysia Pavilion’s outlook looks absolutely breath taking during the nights (well done Malaysia!). However, the inner content of the pavilion itself, I would say needs a lot improvement as it’s a bit lack of identity and afford, not well maintained, too commercialized (as if doing an industrial trade) and it’s just a typical expo just like the one we have in Malaysia :(


^ ^ Zone B with some of the Asia Pavilions. Malaysia Pavilion’s building (Purple Roof, 2nd picture on the right) is absolutely different from the inner content (sorry to say that) but I must say that it does make a great impression to the visitors and well done to Malaysia architectural team!

We went home around 10.30pm that night coz my camera runs out of battery :( However, I am sure I will make another visit to the expo again hopefully next week (Europe Pavilion this round) before the expo officially ends on the 31 October 2010. It was absolutely a tiring day (must have good stamina to walk walk walk and squeeze squeeze squeeze) but I am glad that we make it to the expo with Angel which is absolutely incredible and that’s absolutely once in a life time experience. We enjoyed it so much and I am so happy Angel does too ^_^