Don’t forget to check out our Pudong and Puxi food guides as well.

1. Fresh and crisp Belgian fries by Chez Leon

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Northwest of Belgium-European Union

RMB 20 per person

These fries are dipped in a thick concoction of cheese and mayonnaise.

2. Meals from Czech Restaurant

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Czech Pavilion

RMB 150 per person

German beer is said to be the best; but they said once you have tried beer from the Czech Republic, you would think otherwise. The beer consumption per person in Czech Republic is 215 liters per year. Germany is only second at 134 liters per year.

3. Seafood from the Norwegian Pavilion Restaurant: Love From The Norwegian Sea

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Norwegian Pavilion, 1st Floor

RMB 250 per person

Norway’s fishing industry is extremely well-know. The world’s best salmon comes from Norway. The Chinese have a saying–the way Norwegian salmon is prepared is “有两把刷子” or is really, really good.

Besides salmon, their cod fish is also said to be promising.

4. Turkish ice cream, also called “Dondurman”

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Turkish Pavilion, Exit

RMB 25 per person

People are attracted to how the ice cream is made (or performed) by the ice cream man.

5. Spanish Pavilion: Pedro Larumbe Restaurant

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Spanish Pavilion, 1st floor

RMB 200 per person

The Iberico ham has a unique wine aroma resulting from it being cured in wine for a long time (3 years).

6. Takoyaki (Octopus Balls)

Address: Puxi, Zone D, Southwest of Japanese Industrial Pavilions

RMB 35 per person

These small octopus balls come from Osaka. They are wrapped in soft, almost crunchy wrappers, and when bitten, the insides are super hot with sweet and chili flavors mixed together.

Unfortunately, queue time is especially long. Unless you are really craving for authentic takoyaki balls, you might lose your appetite in the end.

7. Porterhouse Irish Pub

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Near Belgium-European Union

RMB 80 per person

Compared to food, Ireland is actually better known for their beer (but you can also get set meals in Porterhouse). Though heard that it is almost always sold out (probably due to intentionally limiting the supply?).

8. Austrian Pavilion: Ewald’s Cafe

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Austrian Pavilion, 2nd floor

RMB 200 per person

Price is on the expensive side. And you could say the meal above is just breaded pork chop or tonkatsu (in Japan). But the Austrian Pavilion’s version uses slightly less oil with a bowl of salad to go with it and paired with Austrian wheat beer or ginger ale–a perfect match so to say.

9. Le Restaurant Ecole Institut Paul Bocuse

Address: Puxi, Urban Best Practices Area, Rhône-Alpes Pavillon, 4th Floor

Lunch: 11.30am to 2.30pm

Dinner: 6pm to 8.30pm (reservations required)

RMB 300 per person

Luxurious French cuisine that makes you want to return to the time of King Louie XIV. Enjoy foie gras, grilled cod, and others. This is said to be better than the Michelin-starred 6sens found at the French Pavilion.

10. Hakuna Matata African Restaurant

Address: Pudong, Zone C, Near Joint Africa Pavilion and Italian Pavilion

The unique African cuisine is not too bad actually. Ostrich meat is very lean and can conjure similar tastes coming from juicy beef. The restaurant looks simple on the outside, yet on the second floor there is an amazing buffet spread of grilled lamb chops, steak, salmon, etc., cooked by an Ethiopian chef.

Office of Dr. Abdulhamid Hasan

Here are excerpts of our interview–

CNReviews: What is the theme of the pavilion?

Dr. Abdulhamid Hasan: Ok, the general theme. I’ll let you know. We have our pavilion in the shape of a boat. We call it a moon boat. As you know, a thousand years ago we have this Silk Road, a merchant silk road. It traveled between China and Eastern China to Middle East. And we also have a sea route for the same purpose. So we are taking this moon boat from Saudi Arabia, taking the same old sea route of silk merchant, and embarking here on the banks of Huangpu River to take our Chinese friends and all other visitors to go on visit Saudi Arabia.

Dr. Abdulhamid Hasan

CNR: The Expo talks about having “Better City, Better Life”. How are you connecting your theme with the Expo?

Dr. Hasan: Of course, of course. Our theater—the main show. Well, let me start from the beginning. We have our entrance. We have the Chinese Great Wall and the Saudi Mud Wall at the same time. So that represents the friendship between the 2 countries. And also we have the flower garden. It has the Chinese flowers and also the Saudi Arabian flowers which represents the friendship of the 2 governments and the 2 people. And the main theater that we have, it shows the cities of our great country—how modern it is—all the modern cities, industries, commerce, agriculture; and also we show the people of Saudi Arabia. So we introduce the Chinese people and the rest of our guests to our cities and people.

CNR: I have been reading about the Saudi Arabia Pavilion. It supposedly is the most expensive pavilion at the Expo. Could you confirm this?

Dr. Hasan: I don’t think it is the most expensive one. But we spent good money to represent our country and make this participation one of the most successful in the history of World Expo because of the friendship between our government and China.

One of the prettiest pavilion uniforms--in my opinion

CNR: What is so special about the Saudi Arabia Pavilion? Like why do you think there are so many people lining up outside?

Dr. Hasan: It is because of our show. The high technology we are using in our show. People who go in our theater will have a feeling of riding a magic carpet. So you will actually feel that you are flying with us through the city, through the desert, the landscape, and also the mountains, and the sea of Saudi Arabia. Red Sea, for example.

We also have the corridor of art which when people come in they will see on the walls. We have invited Saudi artists to do some calligraphy because of the connection between the Arabian calligraphy and the Chinese calligraphy. Both of them are very artistic.

Corridor of art

CNR: How long did it take to construct the whole pavilion?

Dr. Hasan: The whole project started from scratch 3 or 4 years ago. But the actual construction took about 9 months. Regarding the design of the pavilion, we chose among 20 countries who submitted proposals. And we chose this one specifically, because it represents our idea more closely.

CNR: So after the Expo, what’s the plan?

Dr. Hasan: We hope this pavilion will stay for a longer time. Because we have a feeling that many of our Chinese friends didn’t have a chance to see it yet. So to close it after the 31^st of October, we feel very sad. We would like to invite more Chinese friends to visit. Our capacity is 5 million, 6 million, 7 million maximum. That’s not even half of Shanghai residents. So what about other Chinese friends in other counties, other cities? The proportion is very small.

CNR: About the oasis on top, are the palm trees directly brought from Saudi? I just read this somewhere. [Here is another source.] People say a lot of stuff about your pavilion.

Dr. Hasan: The palm trees are artificial. The reason for that is the concern of the safety of the people. In Shanghai during summer season, there are typhoons. If you plant a new tree and it is not deeply rooted, it can be blown away and hurt somebody. So we decided to have artificial date trees.

CNR: Have you also heard of the news that people lined up outside for 9 hours?

Dr. Hasan: I heard that. But as I told you, this is not real. The maximum we recorded is about 4, 5 hours maximum. We are trying to improve on that by adopting some new methods. We are talking to the Expo Bureau. And very soon we will apply some other adjustments to make the wait shorter and more enjoyable for people.

CNR: What kind of adjustments?

Dr. Hasan: We may consider advance reservation slots like the China Pavilion. So we will have time slots, so people will only queue for the time slots.

CNR: But the reservation tickets might also be a problem. People will race for them.

Dr. Hasan: No, I think this could be solved; because the China Pavilion has been doing it successfully. In the beginning they have problems, but now they are doing it with no problems at all. We also want to benefit from their experience and how they deal with it. (UPDATE: This has been implemented already.)

CNR: Ok, last question. This is my first time to visit the pavilion. What’s your advice?

Dr. Hasan: First of all you have to relax and be in a good mood. *laughs* Don’t rush and run. Take your time. Look around. Because some of the people I noticed do not pay attention to the artworks on the wall. We have the video screens, the LCDs. We have creative messages, cartoons. We also have a photo competition. We have a lot of activities.

Our goal is to deliver friendship between Saudi Arabia and China. And to show that Saudi Arabia is a diverse country but with unity. So please, enjoy!

The UK Pavilion is one of the most unique pavilions at the Expo or most weird (can I say it?). But in this case, weird is good. My first impression when I saw it was that it looked so soft!

UK Pavilion

But of course it is not really all spongy and squishy. [I have to agree with Glen on LostLaowai--the UK Pavilion looks like "some sort of alien spore coming to take over the planet".]

Curious on the design of the Seed Cathedral? Why is it called Seed Cathedral in the first place? Let’s hear it from the British themselves.

CNReviews: Hey Katherine. Thanks for agreeing to do this interview. Let’s get to the point. Could you explain the theme of the UK Pavilion? How is it related to the Shanghai World Expo’s theme of “Better City, Better Life”?

Katherine Dixon: So the theme of the UK Pavilion is “Building on the past, Shaping our future”. You may know that in 1851 , the UK held the world’s first Expo . Nothing like it has ever been done before.

Crystal Palace simply stunned six million visitors with its incredible, creative design. So over 150 years later at the world’s largest Expo, a major focus of the UK was to deliver a design just as startling and cutting-edge as its ancestor.

Crystal Palace

About the design…well, we wanted to recognize the important role innovation, creativity, and nature has played and continues to play in the UK’s development. Many people in China are aware of the UK’s role as the heart of the industrial revolution: The first World Expo at Crystal Palace was held at a time of rapid urbanization and industrialization in the UK – this was a time when the UK was facing similar challenges to those in China today.

The response in the UK was the innovation of many of the technologies and inventions we take for granted today: such as the underground train (1863), the telephone (1873), and the electric light (1878).

One simple yet powerful innovation was the first public park. This transformed the lives of the urban population and was the inspiration behind the UK Pavilion’s “Urban Park” and the walkways into the Seed Cathedral. UK cities are some of the greenest cities of their size in the world, and nature, light and space have played an important role in making UK cities pleasant places to live.

Derby Arboretum--first public park in England

But the UK has never stood still. Over the last century the UK has turned trains into hybrid engines, telephones into the internet, and electric lights into lunar power. We wanted to reflect this too. The Seed Cathedral is a dramatic demonstration of the UK’s continuing power to innovate and create. Trains, telephones, and even the internet may be world’s technologies of today, but they are the UK’s inventions of yesterday.

The UK Pavilion points to a different vision of the future; one which is in harmony with nature, yet enriched by technological innovation – this is the message of the future plants in the final installation.

CNR: How did you gather the seeds for the Seed Cathedral? Where did they come from?

Seeds encased inside the Seed Cathedral

Dixon: The Seed Cathedral is a representation of of the Millennium Seed Bank. 60.000 acrylic rods, gently swaying in the breeze, pierce the seed cathedral of the UK Pavilion.

Each contains seeds that have been sourced from the Kunming Institute of Botany, a partner in the UK’s Royal Botanic Garden, Kew’s Millennium Seed Bank Project. It is the largest international project of its kind that has now conserved seeds from 10% of the world’s plant species.

The purpose is to use a wide range of plant diversity to enable human adaptation, innovation and resilience in the face of climate change. We wanted to highlight that seeds, carefully harvested and protected, are the route to a sustainable future and through our planet’s biodiversity we can inspire the innovations of the future.

CNR: I saw this group of girls performing something called the “Human Animal”. Can you share something about them?

Dixon: They are just one of many groups that have and will be performing in the the Urban Park. Many different troupes of UK performers will bring the urban park to life throughout Expo.

The ideas was to demonstrate the UK’s strong heritage in the tradition of performing arts, from Shakespeare to more contemporary performances like the Human Animals and street theater. Through this we hoped visitors would experience a taste of the UK cultural scene right in the center of Expo.

CNR: What can you say about the UK and China relations?

Dixon: The Shanghai Expo is the biggest and most ambitious World Expo ever . We have responded accordingly against the backdrop of a strong bilateral relationship. Both governments are committed to a step change in our trade and investment relationship. Our unique and exciting UK presence at Shanghai Expo as a key platform to showcase what the UK has to offer.

CNR: Oh, and anything else we can expect from the UK Pavilion (now that we are halfway through)?

Dixon: Yes, of course, definitely. We’re excited about the program of events: the UK has so much to offer. The challenge was doing this justice in 6000 square metres – the size of the UK Pavilion site. From our cultural heritage and education, to global businesses and cutting edge technologies, we knew the UK couldn’t be housed in an area the size of a football pitch. That’s why our approach to Expo had to be as unique and different as the Pavilion design itself.

The program of events is ambitious, showcasing the very best the UK has to offer in partnership with China. We have over 150 business events going on throughout the six months, demonstrating the strength and breadth of the UK-China trade and investment relationship, including events with a low carbon and science and innovation focus. We also have a major arts, culture and education events program, with highlights including the English National Ballet and the London Symphony Orchestra.

CNR: That’s about it! Thanks, Katherine, once again for your time.

The Shanghai World Expo has already become infamous due to the long lines and crowds that await visitors. Thankfully, there are benefits and provisions provided for the elderly, handicapped, and people with disabilities.

On tickets

Special admission ticket prices can be enjoyed by people with disabilities and people born on or before December 31, 1950.

The special admission ticket prices are RMB 100 for standard days and RMB 120 for non-standard or peak days. As of now, there are 2 peak seasons:

• October 1 to 7, 2010 which is for the National Day of China and
• October 25 to 31, 2010 which is the last week of the World Expo.

Those who fall in the above categories must show twice proof of their eligibility:

• when purchasing the ticket and
• upon entrance to the Expo Garden.

The following can be presented as proofs of eligibility:

On wheelchairs

Wheelchairs are provided for free at the Expo Garden entrances starting 9am. However, in order to prevent those people pretending to be disabled so as to gain fast pass access to the pavilions, only eligible people can avail of the free wheelchair rentals.

The only eligible people are–

• people with disabilities
• and people born on or before December 31, 1950.

Again, they need to show proofs of their eligibility. No exceptions will be made. According to the rules, documentation must be presented. Even if the person is absent-minded and has forgotten his/or card.

Pregnant women are not considered disabled and handicapped. For safety reasons, it is better that they stay at home if they can not bear the long walking. [If they show medical certificates, it would be a different story--it will really depend on the staff if they will allow pregnant women to avail of the wheelchairs. However, again, for safety reasons, it is better that they stay at home.]

The wheelchair rentals are located at Expo Gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, and 8 (Gate 6 not included). Other areas for wheelchair rentals are four of the designated parking lots at the Expo–in Pudong, Parking Lots 12 and 16; in Puxi, Parking Lots 2 and 4.

The wheelchairs are free, but a deposit of RMB 500 must be made. They must be returned by 9pm. Visitors do not necessarily need to return the wheelchairs at the place where they made the deposit. Any of the Expo Gates 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8; and the four parking lots will do. The deposit will be refunded upon return as well.

Some wheelchairs have been placed around the site, including inside the China Pavilion and Theme Pavilions, for emergency help. These wheelchairs must be returned immediately after patrons leave pavilions.

The Shanghai More Love Foundation on June 24 donated 1,000 additional wheelchairs to the Expo site, taking its tally of donations to 2,500 chairs.

There are now more than 3,500 wheelchairs for rent at the site but the supply continues to be inadequate.

Hong Hao, director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, encouraged visitors living in Shanghai to bring their own wheelchairs to the Expo site.

On walking canes and first-aid kits

The Expo does not provide walking canes. Though there are volunteers at every corner who are ready to assist you–just in case. That is the ideal case. Though I have noticed that I am seeing fewer of them. Or maybe they are hiding? But ideally, as I have mentioned, the volunteers should be there with their first-aid kits. They are the ones in the green, cabbage uniforms.

Expo Volunteers

On baby strollers

Pregnant women may not be able to enjoy special prvileges but babies (or rather their mothers) can. Free baby stroller rentals are also provided at the same areas where wheelchair rentals are made. The deposit is RMB 200.

But there are also restrictions as to whom the baby strollers can be rented out. The babies should be 3 years old (or below) and/or less than 15kg. Now, I am not sure how strict they are with babies. I mean, come on, they are babies! But those are the rules.

On when to go

My personal recommendation is that the elderly go to the Expo on September instead. That way, the weather will be cooler thus making the Expo trip more enjoyable.

On the Expo fast pass–could the elderly, handicapped, and people with disabilities enter the China Pavilion?

A press conference last June 30 made official that only the physically-challenged and the elderly aged 75 years old and above are given priority access to the green lane or fast pass lane. And they can only be accompanied by one able-bodied person.

But this rule still does not apply to the China Pavilion. Check out our China Pavilion reservations guide on how to enter the China Pavilion. And I also listed my reasons on why you would want to get a China Pavilion reservation.

Some pavilions, including Sweden, Thailand, Norway and Ireland, closed their green channels or set stricter access rules for disadvantaged groups after they were abused.

Life and Sunshine Pavilion

The Shanghai Disabled Persons Federation has setup a special pavilion focusing on the disabled people.

Life and Sunshine Pavilion

The Life and Sunshine Pavilion has chosen four generally accepted concepts of ‘Dignity’, ‘Contribution’, ‘Care’ and ‘Future’ as its basic display factors. Its purpose is to develop the theme of “Equality, Participation, Share”, the ultimate goal of people with disabilities, to stress the objective of “lighting every soul of people with disabilities with the sunshine of care”, to help society know better about the competence of people with disabilities and contribution they have made, to demonstrate the concept of ‘harmonious city’ from the perspective of people with disabilities, and to fully embody the theme of “Better City, Better Life”, to increase the awareness of the contributions made by the people with disability.

This is located at Zone B.

Generally, the Shanghai Expo is elderly and handicap friendly. At least it makes an effort with the ramps and the privileges for the elderly and handicap.

Some pavilions provide wheelchair lifts.

Wheelchair lift inside the Russian Pavilion

And there are toilets for people with special needs.

Toilets for people with special needs

Easy access to toilets

The water fountains have different heights for easy reach as well.

When you visit the Expo itself, especially when sundown is nearing, the pavilion staff themselves are tired and grouchy (not all but some of them). So there will always be exceptions to the rules.

It gets really crazy when even the old people fight back at the staff for not letting them in. The basic rule is that different pavilions have their own policies. Even if the Expo organizers say that the fast lanes rules will be applied universally by all pavilions, putting an end to arguments about different VIP practices at various pavilions.

So let us cross our fingers at that. I have been to the Expo Garden a lot of times even after the new fast lanes rules have been published. It still depends on how happy or stressed the pavilion staffs are at that given moment. Again, because of that, there will always be exceptions to the rules given that the pavilion guides are also humans; and I would think they have soft hearts too. Heh.

Except for the China Pavilion. The China Pavilion reservations guide is totally a different story.

Anyway for your enjoyment, here’s a video on smart elders at the Expo. They could make a killing out of this! Heard that this refit costs RMB 3800.

1. No bureaucracies among the staff inside.

2. And the exhibits are very kid-friendly.

On number one, Evelyn Killick, who is the Assistant Commissioner-General and also Communications Manager of the pavilion, easily arranged a tete-a-tete with Commissioner-General Lyndall Sachs for CNReviews.

Lyndall Sachs

I liked Evelyn immediately not just because of her fast replies but also because she can maintain a relaxed attitude even amidst the pushing visitors.

Who would not like anyone who gamely poses for fun shots like this?

Evelyn Killick

They also have charming pavilion guides who can easily work up the crowd.

Oh, it comes with the training I'm sure. But they're still charming.

As it was my first time to enter the Australian Pavilion, everything was a bit overwhelming (definitely the loud sounds inside has something to do with it). Nevertheless, trivia buffs will love going through the pavilion. Let me explain.

The pavilion is divided into 3 sections: Journey, Discover, and Enjoy. In Journey, the designers really tried to piece Sino and Aussie relations together. Around 3.5% Australians are ethnic Chinese. And both have hosted the Olympic Games in the past–China in Beijing and Australia in Sydney.

Here, I also found out bits of Aussie history like how they used radio schools for kids in the outback who have no access to bricks-and-mortar schools.

School of the Air

The outback itself sounds pretty cool, but in reality, it means isolation from the city. So how does the School of the Air work? They do not use pedal radio anymore, but the teachers still use HF (high frequency) radio to provide lessons to their students. Much of the school curriculum is covered through correspondence lessons. As in snail mail. And of course, we have the Internet now to help facilitate faster communication.

There is also the Royal Flying Doctor Service this time providing medical services to those living in the outback.

Royal Flying Doctor Service

I think efforts such as these are amazing as you really have to cater to all citizens of a country even if they are the minority.

Another way they pieced Sino-Aussie relations is through their exhibit “Sisters”. The women in the video are extraordinary women in their fields who have involvements in China and/or Australia.

This last part of "Journey" emphasizes the multicultural society defining Australia.

Evelyn introduced “People” by asking what do Australians look anyway? “Well, this is what we are.” You can not really tell someone is Australian or not just by looking at their faces. The country is one of the few heterogeneous group of people in the world. But when they open their mouths to speak, then I can tell if they are Aussie or not. Evelyn has such a thick accent that at first I had difficulty understanding her, so I almost always had to request her to repeat herself!

The second section is called “Discover”. Kids will really love this cute animation! It is a 360-degree theater where you will be able to trace Australian’s road to modernity.

“Enjoy” is mainly the souvenir area of the pavilion. There is also a balcony where performers regularly entertain the guests.

The Australian Pavilion is special in that it “uses technology in a clever way,” according to Lyndall Sachs. For example, the lights inside are not operated by on-off switches rather by motion sensors in order to save energy. Another thing is that they make use of LED lighting and solar energy to power the pavilion. Not everything is solar-powered by the way as that is not possible at the moment.

I told Lyndall I honestly could not understand the design of the pavilion, and she was very kind and patient enough to explain its concept to me. Do you know Uluru? It is better known as Ayers Rock. It is a large sandstone formation in Central Australia.

Ayers Rock

Architectural firm Wood Marsh in conjunction with creative design firm Think!OTS designed the Australian Pavilion. The exterior of the Australian pavilion is made of special weathering Australian steel by BlueScope Steel. As time passes by and with changes in the temperature, the color of the pavilion will more and more resemble the rustic, deep-red color of the Ayers Rock.

And the curves and waves?

“You could really interpret it any way you want it. For me, it is all about Australia’s landscape and diversity.”

Ok, we need to get to the Expo really early so that we can get in the China Pavilion; because I think that’s the most important thing–if that’s the only thing we’ll be able to see what with the long lines.

The Expo Garden opens 9am. Let’s meet at xxx metro station 8am. [And I thought we were very early that time! Because now--lining up at 6am still might not get you a pass. Luck sometimes has to do with it.]

That's 8.20am and just look at the crowd!

You first read about the Expo Fast Pass techniques here. But why would you want to go through all that trouble?

First off, because it is the China Pavilion. The Pavilion commands awe and attention just by the bright Chinese red color and the intricate upside-down pyramid with interlocking blocks made to look like the traditional Dougong.

Second, well, aside from the mini train ride inside [Hehe, yes! There is a train ride inside which reminded me of Disneyland's "It's A Small World." But I am getting way ahead of myself.], the China Pavilion is definitely the pavilion with the most quality content. The buzz around it was telling the truth.

After checking out the pavilion for myself, here are my top 5 reasons why you would want to “fight” for your reservation pass as well. (More on the “fighting” part later.)–

The prize

1. Going up the China Pavilion feels majestic.

Feel the majestic air.

In China’s history, notable in Imperial Tombs, there is such a thing called the Sacred Way or the Divine Road leading to heaven. Only the emperor, who is the son of heaven, can walk on that road. The same with the China Pavilion, the center is not passable; so we climbed the escalators on the side.

2. The animated version of Zhang Zeduan’s famous thousand-year-old scroll painting Along the River During the Qingming Festival.

Painting of Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival by Zhang Zeduan

I will just quote the entire description from here.

As the representative work of Zhang Zeduan, a famous palace painter living in the late Northern Song Dynasty, Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival is a handscroll of painting reflecting the life and customs of the Northern Song Dynasty. The handscroll of painting, measuring 24.8cm wide and 528.7cm long, is painted on silk with a light color background. It is now kept in the National Palace Museum in Beijing.

In a form of long handscroll of painting, the work adopts a splashed clairvoyance painting composition method to take complex sceneries into a unified and varied frame and gives a detailed description of the prosperous vision and natural scenes of Bianliang, the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, and the Bian River. The entire painting is composed of three sections: the spring scenery of Bianliang suburban area, the busy dock of Bian River, and busy downtown streets. From representative aspects such as commerce, traffic, inland river transportation, and architecture, the painting gives an integrated showing of the blooming and busy visions of suburban area, downtown, and waterway of Bianliang as the political and economic center of the Northern Song Dynasty, presenting in front of us the detailed and vivid social life of Bianliang over 1,000 years ago.

In the 5-plus-meter-long painting, there are in total over 550 persons in different clothes and expressions engaged in different activities, showing a proper spacing through an artful painting composition method. In addition to the persons mentioned above, there are still 50 ~ 60 livestock including cattle, horses, mules, and donkeys, and more than 40 carriages and vessels in different sizes presented on the painting. The buildings, bridges, and city towers possess their respective characteristics and show the architectural properties of the Northern Song Dynasty.

As a representative of realism among Chinese paintings, Riverside Scene at Qingming Festival has exerted a great influence over the creation of genre paintings in later generations and provided the studies on the economy and folk customs of the Northern Song Dynasty with precious and direct materials. Therefore, it enjoys a very high historical and artistic value, and is an art treasure renowned both at home and abroad.

Since its birth, Riverside Scenes at Qingming Festival, for five times, has been taken into palaces and, for as many as four times, stolen away. In spite of the dramatic fate, it is still intact and kept in the National Palace Museum as an art treasure of China.

I could stare at the animation the whole day if I wanted to if not for the armies of  people shoving and harassing me. What I like about Chinese paintings is that the details are incredibly small yet vivid. The original version of this painting is so delicate that it is rarely shown in public.

Sheila Melvin of the New York Times describes the work of art as such–

It depicts a tranquil landscape of rolling mountains and leafless trees with thatched cottages scattered here and there along a riverbank. As the river meanders onward, the landscape becomes more populated. Farmers ride past on donkeys, fishermen moor their boats and men carry buckets of water in shoulder poles. The river widens and is spanned by a gravity-defying, rainbow-shaped bridge mobbed with peddlers, pedestrians, coolies and idlers. A boat prepares to pass beneath, its crew hustling to lower the masts as dozens of passersby stop to watch and offer unsolicited advice. Just past the bridge lies the town, a snug and prosperous enclave of homes, restaurants, hotels and temples. Everywhere there are people engaged in the business of life: shopping for a new bow; slurping noodles; commuting by camel caravan, ox cart, horse, sedan chair and foot; listening to a story-teller; having their fortune told; sipping tea, or showing off a grandson to friends encountered in the street. For a brief moment, I too am a part of all this activity — until the man beside me elbows my ribs and the guard shouts “Move on!

The last line–that’s what I felt too.

3. Visual eye-candy

I am a very visual person. And the China Pavilion offers a lot of that in its exhibits. The whole structure is divided into 3 sections–

Section1: The Footprints

Pre-show Hall

Blocks where you can see videos on them while waiting for the theater to open

Pre-show hall

Story of Spring

A romantic story on China's progress to modernization. Connect that.

Reminiscence- See 4 different versions of the Chinese living room.

Your home then

Your home now

River of Wisdom

• The Scroll
• National Treasures
• Crystals of Civilization

Land of Hope

Land of Hope

• Green Homeland
• Under the Same Roof
• Rural-Urban Duet

Children’s Aspiration- 300m, 3.3m wide ring-shaped pedestrian ramp that is filled with artworks depicting the children’s ideals and wishes for the city and the world.

Children's Aspiration

Section 2: The Dialogue

This is basically about China’s past and present and moving towards modernization.

And we finally got on the monorail.

Section 3: The Vision

Focus on low-carbon future

Warning from Nature
Proper Exploration
Measured Consumption
Return to Simplicity
Fountain of Illumination

My only problem with the last part is that it may come off as too technical and hardcore for the laymen. The exhibits talk about the environment and a lot of facts and figures on combating pollution and how to go about a greener future.

But like I said, it's all eye-candy. So I guess, it's easy to understand.

4. Awesome architecture and cool water fountain

The China Pavilion is designed by He Jingtang who is the director of the Architectural Academy of the South China University of Technology. According to him, the pavilion includes many energy saving technologies. The exterior of the structure offers a temperature buffer zone and natural ventilation for the interior. The inverted shape of the pavilion acts as shading for entire building, and the roof harvests rainwater as well.

View from the bottom

Water fountain that forms words

5. Nice view going down

This is not much of a reason, but the ride down the escalator and just watching all those little people at the bottom is relaxing (after lining up in the other pavilions). And not to mention, good photo-op!

Organized people at the Expo

There is a video produced by Janek Zdzarski on the China Pavilion, and it captures perfectly on what to expect once you get the precious reservation voucher.

I did mention about “fighting” for the fast pass. What happened before was that my friend and I got different time slots on entering the China Pavilion. So we looked for others who can switch with us. It was a messy situation. But according to my Expo volunteer spy (actually, my language buddy), the time slots are no longer followed. As long as you get a reservation voucher, you’re good as in (for that day only of course).

Remember, our 12 Must-See Pavilions? Well, I wrote that days before the Expo. Actually 3 days. Heh. But I did go to the preview, so give me a little credit.

However, after how many days of going to the Expo Park by myself or with friends (basically, a lot of times), I also discover other pavilions on my own which I think are must-sees in their own right too!

Must-see is a very relative description. For me, a must-see is if it adds value to whatever my perspectives are after viewing the pavilion. It can be because it’s geeky. Or it amazed me with its application of technology (still geeky). Or it just has a lot of meaning to it in relation to Shanghai World Expo’s theme of “Better City, Better Life”. One such example is the Danish Pavilion.

Danish Pavilion

Ok, the design is actually very basic or “primitive” if you dare say it out loud. It’s basically a steel structure that spirals all the way to the top. And that’s it.

Before anyone of you concludes that I’m this hyper-critical Expo-nian . I’m not. I like the Danish Pavilion. And since the Danes could better describe their pavilion, I’ll leave that to them–

The Danish Pavilion is wrapped around the Harbour Pool. The building itself is a monolithic steel structure designed as a double spiral with pedestrian and cycling lanes taking you from the ground and through two curves up to a level of 12 metres and down again.

So scratch that. The Danish Pavilion is more than primitive actually. Simple, yes; but that’s exactly one of the many reasons why it’s on my list.

Christopher Bo Bramsen

I had the wonderful opportunity to chat with the Commissioner General of Denmark Christopher Bo Bramsen. (Thank you Aidi!) He is also a Former Ambassador to China. Funny, light-hearted older uncle.

When I arrived at the Danish Pavilion, the lines were pretty long (surprise, surprise). It’s a shock really that the Chinese would still want to bike at the Expo given that they do this all the time. On the other hand, the Danish Pavilion offers a different kind of interactive experience; and I guess everyone loves an exhibit where you can tinker with something in it (This was an exception for me as I don’t bike. Boo.).

Here are snippets of our exchange–

CNReviews: Please tell me more about the theme of the Danish Pavilion.

Christopher: When we look at Denmark and the cities of Denmark, the concept of the pavilion controlled by the architect is a play on 2 words–welfare and fairy tales.  So you call it welfairytales. It doesn’t make sense but that’s what we are. We’ll interpret that here. A good city is a good city where it has all the technical, scientific developments. But we’re presenting something else. If you want happy life, better life, it should also have some cultural aspects like experiences or activities. That’s where The Little Mermaid comes in.

So what we have here–our building, it’s round because our theme is connected to bicycles. And if you want to bike around, you can’t do it in a square building. *laughs*

So the building is round. It goes up and down in a spiral. On the other hand, the building has a hole in the middle; and therefore we put The Little Mermaid in the middle as an example of what we call the fairy tale part of the cultural experiences.  So together this is our concept of how to get a happy city, a good city welfare by combining these elements.

We have the bike as I’ve mentioned. It’s very important to Danish cities that you don’t cover up the streets with cars and you know, you can’t park anywhere. So we tend to give our bicycles a good chance in the cities. That’s one aspect. Not only is it good for the traffic, it’s also good for the CO₂ emissions; and it’s also good for your health. So the bicycle is a good thing. All Danes like that. That’s one thing. Another thing is water.

Water because we believe that…Copenhagen has now a harbor where you can swim in. And we believe that it’s important if you go to a big city that you have water there where you can actually jump in to enjoy during the summer, because it could be too far to the beach. So I think you will see when I was a little boy I could not swim in our home, because it was too dirty. But today, I can.

CNR: In Copenhagen.

Christopher: And in other cities. So water is very important. The water in this pavilion, you will see that around The Little Mermaid, is so symbolic.

And then we have…we don’t have a fancy restaurant here. But we have picnics. And we have an open, very open pavilion. So all-in-all it gives you a feeling of informality and openness. And picnics and green areas and sustainability for a happy city.

CNR: China is also a bicycle country.

Christopher: Yes. But I’ve been in China for many years, because I started here as a consul-general in 1994. And I’ve seen the number of cars growing tremendously. Now that’s good in one way, because it shows the wealth of the people. But it’s also dangerous, because you will end up getting everything stuck in traffic. And that’s why I sometimes…I know it’s funny to bring a bicycle to China, but we have been through the experience where we’ve seen that if you have too many cars in the city, you can’t move; so all-in-all we believe that for close transport, the bicycle is a good thing.

CNR: What is the ratio of people and bicycles in Denmark?

Christopher: Well, I saw the number here in the pavilion. It is something like 86%. And it’s much higher than China.

CNR: Oh! Really?!

Christopher: Yes, I can show you the numbers. We can check. *laughs* [CNR: The actual figure is 0.83 number of bicycles per capita. China is 0.32. Christopher gave a close estimate.]

But the fact is everyday, people ride the bicycle. And I go to work in a bicycle. You should see the traffic in my country. Of course if you want to go long distance, people live outside, they can take the train, they can take the car too of course but we’re talking about in a city, inner traffic.

CNR: Another thing–I’m curious about The Little Mermaid. My friend was telling me–it’s sort of a negative comment. How come you had to bring The Little Mermaid over here, and like is there nothing you can show besides The Little Mermaid? Because The Little Mermaid is an attraction in Denmark, and you take that away from Denmark. And so, there’s none over there right now.

Christopher: Well, first of all, we wanted to show China our friendship by bringing over the real thing. It would be a wrong move to send a copy to China. That’s for sure. And yes some people are saying, why should she go to China? She belongs here. But an interesting concept was developed. If you look at The Little Mermaid from out here. Straight on you will see there’s a video camera. And if you went to Copenhagen and look at the place where she normally seats, there’s a big screen. You can see her.

CNR: So it’s like she’s still there!

Christopher: She’s still there in a way. You can actually see the show. We can go down and wave to our friends in Copenhagen–live. So you could say that’s a cultural concept of our exchange. So all-in-all, I think it’s a good solution. And I don’t think one should be too critical, because we’ve seen so many people who are so happy to see the real thing. But there will always be somebody who has an opinion

CNR: Yeah, I’m also thinking–some people don’t have the chance to go to Denmark.

Christopher: That’s right. And she’s going to be there for a while. This is a unique experience. She has been sitting there [in Denmark] for 97 years. And now she comes out. It’s really her first time to leave the place–ever.

CNR: I’m sure some Danes were against it.

Christopher: Yes. There was a vote in Copenhagen. 32 in favor. 12 against. 2 abstained. *laughs* So there you have it. And of course some people would say why send off the best that we have? But others of course say, she’s a good ambassador for Denmark, why not? And interestingly enough, she is more known in China than in many other countries. Because the Chinese somehow adopted the story in schools and so on. And that’s quite a unique situation that China knows so much about Hans Christian Anderson.

The design of the pavilion was decided in a a contest among 8 architectural companies. It was up to the architect to decide on the design, but it was important that the values of the people can be seen in the pavilion.

Denmark is into energy conservation. And the energy consumption in the pavilion is relatively low. They have air conditioning in the office, but that’s about it. Their walls even have holes in it for natural air conditioning!

What can we learn from the Danish Pavilion? Modern cities and modern life doesn’t have to be complicated.

CNR: What’s the experience like? First, you ride the bicycle to the top…

Christopher: Or you could also ride it down.

CNR: Then…I don’t know, could you swim in the water?

Christopher: The idea was that it should be open for swimming. You can, but we have not allowed it; because we don’t want any accidents. And with 30,000 people walking through, there’s always a risk if we start opening up. So we have been reluctant there.

And then he shared a “secret”. Actually, it’s not really a secret; but it’s not yet official. However, he gave CNReviews the permission to spread the word about it.

Christopher: I have a special idea to celebrate her [The Little Mermaid] birthday. Because normally her birthday is celebrated in Copenhagen. People jump into the water. And they form a 96 [figure-shape, in the water], because she was 96 last summer; and she’ll be 97 this summer.

CNR: When is this?

Christopher: On the 23rd of August. We want to make a picture of this. And I’m sure we’ll see people swimming that day. So if you want to come…*laughs*

A part of the pool is very deep. And that faces a big VIP room. From there, it’s like you’re looking at a big aquarium. We’ll make it a big day for the children.

CNR: One last question, let’s say it’s my first time to come to the Danish Pavilion. What’s your advice?

Christopher: Well, you should go around. Feel the atmosphere, happiness. And on the way, you can see some pictures. It’s very informal. You won’t be stuck looking at the wall for 30 minutes. Denmark is a small country. Only 5 million people. But we’ve been a country for 1000 years. Very homogenic. Happy country. Fun place to be in.

Received autographed copy of book written by Christopher Bo Bramsen. He can speak Chinese.

Some pictures of happiness at the Danish Pavilion–

Let's go biking!

Jump in the fountain and make the water go up. Ironically, this is not allowed by the management. Saw a poster mentioning that first time I was there.

Wee!!!

What can we do for you?

Loved the shirt!

Puxi is divided into 2 major areas–the Urban Best Practices Area and the combined Zones D and E.

Again, just a recap, for each restaurant, I included–

• Their real names (If it is in Chinese characters, I used the pinyin. If English name is given or at least is known in the dining circles using its Latin spelling, I used that.);
• The index mark in the official map (go to our super Expo transportation guide to download these);
• What kind of food they serve (Islamic-Halal, Vegetarian, etc.);
• What pavilions are near them;
• Dishes to try out (includes pricing);
• And for some–my general comments (offshoot, related otherwise) and stuff I found interesting in the place.

Zone D and E

Zone D and E has a total of 25 restaurants. The pavilions in Zone D and E are the following:

• Corporate Pavilion
• Theme Pavilion
• World Exposition Museum

91. Pizza Hut, KFC (g2)

Pizza Hut, KFC

Did you notice that Pizza Hut and KFC together are a lot at the Expo? Near Cisco Pavilion.

92. Hong Chang Xing (f2)

Hong Chang Xing

Second branch at the Expo. Islamic. Xinjiang. Near Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Other branch is at Pudong.

From Expo guide Pudong–Try their curry meals for RMB 15 per lunch box. They also have chicken snacks on sticks for RMB 8 three sticks.

In the Chinese Provinces Pavilion, large grapes are displayed in the Xinjiang exhibit. A similar motif can be seen in Hong Chang Xing’s dining area.

Check out the ceiling.

93. Baoshan Hotel Restaurant (f2)

Baoshan Hotel Restaurant

Chinese and Western. Near Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Try their Excellent Roast Chicken Meal (that’s really the name). You can change that to curry chicken, pork, beef, pasta, or pizza (RMB 28).

94. He Feng Cun (f2)

He Feng Cun

Japanese fast food. Near Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Try their curry udon, rice bowls, sushi packages, and steamed egg custard.  Recommended are the Spare Ribs Hand-Pulled Noodles. RMB 40 per person.

In the official Expo map, its name is written down as Wafumura.

95. Shen Da Cheng (f2)

Shen Da Cheng

Chinese fast food. Near Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Try their Beef Rice (RMB 35) and their Beef Noodles (RMB 25).

96. Wu Mi Zhou Hotpot (f2)

Wu Mi Zhou Hotpot

Chinese. Near Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Try their Sliced Beef Curry Rice, Fried Pork Curry Rice, Chicken Rice, Pork Noodles (RMB 35).

97. South Beauty (f2)

South Beauty

Sichuan, Cantonese steamed dishes, health drinks, herbal teas. Near Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Try their Fried Beef with Scallion and Black Pepper Sauce; Steamed Codfish with Tangy Pickled Turnip; Fried Spare Ribs with Pickled Turnip; Steamed Chicken with Lime, Taro, and Coconut. RMB 100 to 150 per person.

98. Zagara (f2)

Zagara

Italian. Near Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Try their assorted Italian-style appetizers; traditional meat sauce lasagna; bacon pasta; shrimp pasta; Mediterranean sea bass baked with olives, potatoes, and tomatoes; Italian-style salmon with mashed potatoes; fried vegetables; roast rack of lamb baked with broccoli, spinach; Zagara pizza; traditional Italian tiramisu. RMB 100 to 150 per person.

99. Jardin De Jade (f2)

Jardin De Jade

Shanghainese. Try their tea-smoked duck, wine-preserved green crab, and mizhi huofang (pork and taro in candied sauce). These are all house specialties. The noodles with scallions and small shrimp are recommended and also qicai dongsun (fresh winter shoots with local greens). RMB 120 to 200 each.

In the official Expo map, the name’s translated to English–Jade Garden.

100. Ding Lian Fang (f2)

Ding Lian Fang

Chinese. Near the Republic of Korea Business Pavilion. Try their wonton soup (RMB 15). Chicken set for RMB 39. Includes coke, veggies, and yogurt.

101. Yonho (f2)

Yonho

Chinese fast food. Chinese-style, taste of Taiwan. Near China National Petroleum Corporate Pavilion. Try their mushroom beef rice, garlic spare ribs, braised beef brisket with rice, braised pork on rice, seasonal vegetables, meat dumplings, steamed bun. RMB 50 per person.

102. Hanamaru (f2)

Hanamaru

Japanese. Near Theme Pavilion (Pavilion of Urban Footprint). Try their set menus for RMB 50–chicken bowl, light and sticky bowl (actually it’s natto, yam, soft-boiled egg, and okra for beating the summer heat), curry bowl. You could also choose your own dishes–cafeteria-line style.

103. Wu Fang Zhai (g2)

Wu Fang Zhai

Chinese fast food. Near Coca-Cola Pavilion. Try their wrapped sticky rice dumplings with accompanying beverages. RMB 10 to 15 per person.

104. Lao Feng Ge (g2)

Lao Feng Ge

Chinese. Near Coca-Cola Pavilion. Try their fried cod, shrimp balls, eggplants, sea cucumber, roast goose. RMB 120 to 260 per person.

105. Pu Fast Food (f2)

Pu Fast Food

Japanese. Near World Exposition Museum. Try their sushi, beef rolls, omelettes. RMB 10 to 50 per person. In the official Expo map, their name is Osaka Sakai’s Pu.

Neat-looking Japanese mini structures surrounding the dining area

106. Oriental Charm Tea & Food Restaurant (f2)

Oriental Charm Tea & Food Restaurant

From their brochure–”The Soul of China Pavilion is featuring great Chinese tea, wine and food, and presenting the culture of oriental health maintenance. Introducing our special Chinese Tea-cuisine, come and experience the magnificent culture of Chinese Tea in delectable dishes.”

So obviously, the emphasis here is the pairing of their tea with a selection of Chinese food. In the official map, its name is written as Ming Hong-Tangyang Congou Black Tea. Place looks really pricey.

107. Zhen Gong Fu (g2)

Zhen Gong Fu

Chinese fast food. Near PICC Pavilion. The characteristics of Kung Fu Dining – all products are steamed “to retain the essence of food.” Try their rice toppings and some Taiwanese cuisine. RMB 30 per person.

108. Yi Nuo Coffee (g2)

Yi Nuo Coffee

Coffee, tea, cakes, wine. Near Aurora Pavilion. Try their Italian mocha, latte, tiramisu, mousse cup, strawberry cake. Pay around RMB 15 to 50.

109. Li Hua Fast Food (g2)

Li Hua Fast Food

Chinese fast food. Near PICC Pavilion. Try their roast chicken, beef fillet with black peppers, braised pork rice, spicy beef rice, shrimp fried rice, spicy Sichuan-Hunan beef noodles. RMB 15 to 45 per person.

110. Ji Ji Town (g3)

Ji Ji Town

Chinese fast food. Near Aurora Pavilion. Try their black pepper and golden chicken rice set, golden curry pork chop rice set, fragrant cups of chicken rice set, honey grilled chicken wings, curry beef rice bowl set, braised pork rice set. RMB 35 per person.

111. He Sheng Tea Banquet (g3)

He Sheng Tea Banquet

More of teas and less of food. Near Aurora Pavilion. Original business of owner is selling of teas. They have light dimsum snacks. Expect to pay RMB 58 to 350 per person. However, they also have a special tea-dimsum package for RMB 30.

One of the most beautiful private dining rooms I've seen at the Expo

112. Asahi Beer Garden (g3)

Asahi Beer Garden

Japanese. Near Aurora Pavilion. Enjoy authentic Asahi beer from Japan. Some dishes to go with your beer–curry rice set, roast beef burger set, Okinawa pork burger, Japanese hot dog set.

It's not just the Germans who love their beer.

113. Papa John’s (j3)

Papa John's

Just one of the many Papa John’s around the Expo. Get rice or pizza combos ranging from RMB 35 to 100. You can also order whole pizzas for around RMB 100.

114. Hong (j3)

Hong

Chinese, Western. Near China Aviation Pavilion. Try their Hong Kong-style pork chop rice, grilled fillet steak, spaghetti bolognese. Spend around RMB 50 per person.

115. South Beauty (j3)

South Beauty

Near China Aviation Pavilion. Restaurant area is divided into the dessert area, dining area, and the VIP platforms. Anyway, I’ll just repeat my previous description (remember number 97?)–Sichuan, Cantonese steamed dishes, health drinks, herbal teas. Try their Fried Beef with Scallion and Black Pepper Sauce; Steamed Codfish with Tangy Pickled Turnip; Fried Spare Ribs with Pickled Turnip; Steamed Chicken with Lime, Taro, and Coconut. RMB 100 to 150 per person.

Urban Best Practices Area

The UBPA has a total of 4 restaurant groups. The pavilions in UBPA are the following:

• UBPA
• Cases Joint Pavilon I
• Cases Joint Pavilion II
• Cases Joint Pavilion III
• Cases Joint Pavilion IV
• Other UBPA Cases

116. Yun’s Fusion Cuisine (k3)

Yun's Fuion Cuisine

Mixed. Fusion. Seventh and eight floor of Theme Pavilion (Future Pavilion). Try their business set meals priced from RMB 50 to 130. Rice in shark’s fin soup, barbecued pork, fried shrimps, curry chicken.

Pathway leading to Yun's. Very, very classy.

117. Dong Fang Ji Bai, KFC, Pizza Hut (k2)

East Dawning- our favorite (because there are lots of these!)

KFC, Pizza Hut

118. Xiao Nan Guo (k2)

Xiao Nan Guo

Chinese. Near Cases Joint Pavilion 1 or 2. Try their vegetable salad, Shanghai sauce duck,  seasonal vegetable, and shallot noodles. Pay RMB 100 to 500 each.

119. World Food Court (k3)

World Food Court

Mixed cuisine. Near Cases Joint Pavilion 4. Divided into 3 areas–Beach Court, Shell Court, and Coral Court. Like the Chinese Food Street located at Zone B (number 38 here), the food court only accepts food card spending.

In the official Expo map, their name is Innovative Grand Kitchen.

Load your card here.

For visitors, the Shanghai World Expo is a veritable food fair: In the Expo, visitors will enjoy delicious food from around China, and the flavors of food from five continents. The Expo has about 128 food and beverage establishments which can provide seating for 32,000 guests or more. There are also 9 convenience stores and 6 cakes and bread stores.

Those are the facts coming from the Expo organizers themselves. Now my personal advice is–it is a good idea to bring snacks of your own as well (and a water bottle too!). And if you’re hungry, don’t scrimp on food. It’s bad for your health and worst, you might faint in the heat of the Shanghai summer. Not good at all. Looking back at my experience before, I think this is the best advice I can give.

Lastly, I found this really cool Expo food map; but it is in Chinese. I don’t really draw, so I’m not sure if I can remake this in English. Probably not. But if you are learning Chinese, it’s actually a neat tool you can use. Heh. Totally not related to food. (Yet it’s in high-resolution nevertheless.)

Really cool Expo food map

Download the really cool Expo food map here.

If you look at which pavilion is generating the most interest on the internet, there’s no easy answer. Break it up into segments and sites, and it gets more interesting.

Seed Cathedral, UK Pavilion, Shanghai World Expo

1. Flickr – Which pavilion’s photos are being uploaded and shared on sites like Flickr and Twitter the most number of times? The clear winner is the UK Pavilion. The Seed Cathedral is by far the most popular Expo pavilion picture on the internet, and the craze even extends to video (see YouTube below).

2. Foursquare – Of all the country pavilions at the Expo listed as venues on Foursquare, the USA Pavilion got the most number of checkins (167 as of June 12), followed by the China Pavilion (65), and UK/Japan tied for third place with 47 checkins each.

Also to be noted that the North Korea Pavilion has 32 checkins, which makes it one of the leading Expo country pavilions on Foursquare, just behind Canada (33).

3. Social Media - Only a handful of Country Pavilions have official Twitter accounts or Facebook pages. Out of those who did create an account, the USA Pavilion leads the game on Twitter (@MeiGuoGuan) with 2,466 followers as of June 12. The USA Pavilion also has created official accounts on Sina, QQ, Renren, Flickr and Youku.

4. YouTube – The most popular Expo country pavilion videos uploaded in the last 2 months are both of the UK Pavilion – one with over 53,000 views (as of June 12) and the other with 41, 108 views. The second most popular Expo pavilion on YouTube is the Japanese Pavilion, where the violin-playing robot from Toyota is attracting a lot of attention.

Upcoming YouTube expo videos of specific pavilions include the Australia Pavilion’s Rusty Shed and the wind tunnel Aerodium at the Latvia Pavilion.

In summary – On the internet, the UK Pavilion is the most visible pavilion, with the USA Pavilion most popular on social networks.

Photo – Gabyu

The Shanghai World Expo will last 6 months from May 1 to October 31, 2010. During this duration, there will be 2 week-long holidays in China (early May and early October). And take note–this is very important information–these 2 weeks will bring more people to the Expo.

The summer holiday starts in July, and the heat will go on until August. This is another important information. If you are dreading the snaking lines and infamous crowds, then avoid those dates.

But if you think like the other half of the world’s population and apply reverse psychology, then you might want to go in those dates (because everyone is thinking of the opposite). [Ok, I'm confusing you.]

Anyway, besides those 2 week-long holidays, many other memorial days and local and international festivals and folk activities will take place.

Here is a list of those holidays to serve as your guide when you should go to the Expo.

Expo Holidays

International Labor Day – May 1, 2010

Chinese Youth Day – May 4, 2010

World Red Cross Day – May 8, 2010

World Family Day – May 15, 2010

National Day of Disabled Persons – May 16, 2010

World Telecommunications Day – May 17, 2010

International Museum Day – May 18, 2010

World No Tobacco Day – May 31, 2010

International Children’s Day – June 1, 2010

World Environment Day – June 5, 2010

World Relics Day – June 10, 2010

Chinese Population Day  - June 11, 2010

Chinese Dragon Boat Festival  - June 16, 2010 (the 5th day of the 5th lunar month)

Chinese Children’s Day for Charitable Activities – June 22, 2010

International Olympic Day – June 23, 2010

International Charter Day – June 26, 2010 (UN Charter Day)

International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking – June 26, 2010

International Cooperative Day – July 3, 2010

World Population Day – July 11, 2010

International Youth Day – August 12, 2010

Chinese Valentine’s Day – August 16, 2010 (the 7th day of the 7th lunar month)

World Clean-Up Day – September 14, 2010

International Peace Day – September 21, 2010

Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival – September 22, 2010 (the 15th day of the 8th lunar month)

World Tourism Day – September 27, 2010

Confucius’ Birthday – September 28, 2010 (the 21st day of the 8th lunar month)

Chinese National Day – October 1, 2010

World Habitat Day – October 4, 2010

World Animal Day – October 4, 2010

World Post Day – October 9, 2010

World Mental Health Day – October 10, 2010

World Standards Day – October 14, 2010

UN Day – October 24, 2010

Shanghai Local Annual Or Bi-annual Festivals

June

Shanghai International Film Festival – June 12 to 20, 2010

August

Shanghai Fitness Festival – August 8, 2010

September to October

Shanghai Tourism Festival – September 1 to October 31, 2010

Shanghai Art Fair – September 8 to September 12, 2010

Shanghai Osmanthus Festival  - September 8 to September 17, 2010

China Day in Shanghai Yu Garden – September 29 to October 13, 2010

Shanghai International Music Fireworks Festival – September 30 to October 6, 2010

Pavilion Days

May

Beijing Pavilion – May 4 to 8

Albania Pavilion – May 5

Israel Pavilion – May 6

Sierra Leone Pavilion – May 7

Coca-Cola Pavilion – May 8

Brunei Darussalam Pavilion – May 8

International Red Cross & Red Crescent Pavilion – May 8

Bosnia and Herzegovina Pavilion – May 9

MeteoWorld Pavilion – May 9

Life & Sunshine Pavilion – May 10 to 16

Tianjin Pavilion – May 9 to May 13

Malta Pavilion – May 14

Hebei Pavilion – May 14 to 18

Croatia Pavilion – May 15

Netherlands Pavilion – May 18

Pavilion of International Council of Museums – May 18

Germany Pavilion – May 19

Shanxi Pavilion – May 19 to 23

Pavilion of International Network for Bamboo and Rattan – May 20

Austria Pavilion – May 21

Poland Pavilion – May 22

Sweden Pavilion – May 23

Montenegro Pavilion – May 24

Inner Mongolia Pavilion – May 24 to 28

Eritrea Pavilion – May 25

Republic of Korea Pavilion – May 26

Finland Pavilion – May 27

Norway Pavilion – May 28

Mauritius Pavilion – May 29

Madagascar Pavilion – May 30

Mali Pavilion – May 31

Liaoning Pavilion – May 29 to June 2

June

Myanmar Pavilion – June 1

Italy Pavilion – June 2

China State Shipbuilding Corporation Pavilion – June 3

African Union Pavilion – June 3

San Marino Pavilion – June 4

Broad Pavilion – June 5

Kazakhstan Pavilion – June 5

Pavilion of World Wide Fund for Nature – June 5

Portugal Pavilion – June 6

Jilin Pavilion – June 3 to June 7

Australia Pavilion – June 8

Heilongjiang Pavilion – June 8 to 12

The World Trade Center Association (WTCA) Pavilion – June 9

Philippines Pavilion – June 9

Argentina Pavilion – June 10

Iran Pavilion – June 11

Japan Pavilion – June 12

Belgium-EU Pavilion – June 13

Jiangsu Pavilion – June 13 to 17

Bulgaria Pavilion – June 14

Maldives Pavilion – June 15

Gambia Pavilion – June 15

Pavilion of Shanghai Cooperation Organization – June 15

Republic of the Congo Pavilion – June 16

Ireland Pavilion – June 17

Pavilion of Forum Francophone des Affaires – June 18

Seychelles Pavilion – June 18

Zhejiang Pavilion – June 18 to 22

Greece Pavilion – June 19

Turkey Pavilion – June 20

France Pavilion – June 21

Lebanon Pavilion – June 22

Democratic Republic of the Congo Pavilion – June 23

Anhui Pavilion – June 23 to 27

Slovenia Pavilion – June 24

Mozambique Pavilion – June 25

Pavilion of World Water Council – June 26

Somalia Pavilion – June 26

Serbia Pavilion – June 27

Cambodia Pavilion – June 28

Denmark Pavilion – June 29

Djibouti Pavilion – June 30

Fujian Pavilion – June 28 to July 2

July

Canada Pavilion – July 1

USA Pavilion – July 2

Jiangxi Pavilion – July 3 to 7

Burundi Pavilion – July 3

Rwanda Pavilion – July 4

Venezuela Pavilion – July 5

Comoros Pavilion – July 6

Tanzania Pavilion – July 7

Shandong Pavilion – July 8 to 12

Ghana Pavilion – July 8

New Zealand Pavilion – July 9

Cape Verde Pavilion – July 10

Sudan Pavilion – July 11

Timor-Leste Pavilion – July 13

Henan Pavilion – July 13 to 17

Malawi Pavilion – July 14

Lithuania Pavilion – July 15

Colombia Pavilion – July 16

Trinidad and Tobago Pavilion – July 17

Antigua and Barbuda Pavilion – July 17

Bahamas Pavilion – July 17

Barbados Pavilion – July 17

Belize Pavilion – July 17

Caribbean Community Pavilion – July 17

Caribbean Development Bank Pavilion – July 17

Dominica Pavilion – July 17

Grenada Pavilion – July 17

Guyana Pavilion – July 17

Haiti Pavilion – July 17

Jamaica Pavilion – July 17

Saint Kitts and Nevis Pavilion – July 17

Saint Lucia Pavilion – July 17

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Pavilion – July 17

Suriname Pavilion – July 17

Hubei Pavilion – July 18 to 22

Sri Lanka Pavilion – July 18

Mauritania Pavilion – July 19

El Salvador Pavilion – July 20

Pavilion of Global Environment Facility – July 20

Botswana Pavilion – July 21

Oman Pavilion – July 22

Hunan Pavilion – July 23 to 27

Egypt Pavilion – July 23

Senegal Pavilion – July 24

Jordan Pavilion – July 25

State Grid Pavilion – July 26

Cuba Pavilion – July 26

Peru Pavilion – July 28

Romania Pavilion – July 29

Oil Pavilion – July 30

Gabon Pavilion – July 30

Algeria Pavilion – July 31

Guangdong Pavilion – July 28 to August 1

August

Guangxi Pavilion – August 2 to 6

Niger Pavilion – August 3

Kyrgyzstan Pavilion – August 4

Hainan Pavilion – August 7 to 11

Singapore Pavilion – August 7

Cote d’lvoire Pavilion – August 8

South Africa Pavilion – August 9

Zimbabwe Pavilion – August 10

Chad Pavilion – August 11

Chongqing Pavilion – August 12 to 16

Switzerland Pavilion – August 12

Bolivia Pavilion – August 13

Pakistan Pavilion – August 14

Ecuador Pavilion – August 14

Equatorial Guinea Pavilion – August 15

Panama Pavilion – August 16

Sichuan Pavilion – August 17 to 21

Indonesia Pavilion – August 17

India Pavilion – August 18

Afghanistan Pavilion – August 19

Togo Pavilion – August 20

Nigeria Pavilion – August 21

Guizhou Pavilion – August 22 to 26

Hungary Pavilion – August 22

Liberia Pavilion – August 23

Ukraine Pavilion – August 24

Uruguay Pavilion – August 25

Namibia Pavilion – August 26

Yunnan Pavilion – August 27 to 31

Moldova Pavilion – August 27

Cyprus Pavilion – August 28

Spain Pavilion – August 30

Uzbekistan Pavilion – August 31

September

Angola Pavilion – September 26

Armenia Pavilion – September 21

Bangladesh Pavilion – September 20

Central African Republic – September 25

Chile Pavilion – September 18

Democratic People’s Republic of Korea Pavilion – September 6

Ethiopia Pavilion – Sepember10

Gansu Pavilion – September 11 to 15

Guatemala Pavilion – September 15

Guinea-Bissau Pavilion – September 24

International Development Information Network Association (DEVNET) Pavilion – September 8

Kenya Pavilion – September 9

Libya Pavilion – September 29

Liechtenstein Pavilion – September 1

Malaysia Pavilion – September 12

Mexico Pavilion – September 16

Mongolia Pavilion – September 13

Morocco Pavilion – September 30

Nepal Pavilion – September 3

Nicaragua Pavilion – September 14

Ningxia Pavilion – September 21 to 25

Pavilion of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia – September 7

Qinghai Pavilion – September 16 to 20

Russia Pavilion – September 28

Saudi Arabia Pavilion – September 23

Shaanxi Pavilion – September 6 to 10

Slovakia Pavilion – September 4

Tajikistan Pavilion – September 22

Thailand Pavilion – September 5

Tibet Pavilion – September 1 to 5

Tunisia Pavilion – September 19

UAE Pavilion – September 27

United Kingdom Pavilion – September 8

Vietnam Pavilion – September 2

Xinjiang Pavilion – September 26 to 30

October

China Pavilion – October 1

China Railway Pavilion – October 2

Guinea Pavilion – October 2

Cameroon Pavilion – October 3

Lesotho Pavilion – October 4

Dominican Republic Pavilion – October 5

Benin Pavilion – October 6

Monaco Pavilion – October 7

Shanghai Pavilion – October 8 to 12

Uganda Pavilion – October 9

Luxembourg Pavilion – October 10

Belarus Pavilion – October 11

Laos Pavilion – October 12

Yemen Pavilion – October 14

Azerbaijan Pavilion – October 15

Palestine Pavilion – October 16

Syria Pavilion – October 17

Estonia Pavilion – October 18

Qatar Pavilion – October 20

Latvia Pavilion – October 21

Bahrain Pavilion – October 22

Zambia Pavilion – October 24

United Nations Pavilion – October 24

Honduras Pavilion – October 27

Georgia Pavilion – October 28

Costa Rica Pavilion – October 29