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
So what’s the answer for when’s best to go?
I was thinking of October, when the kids are all back in school and the weather is cooler. But maybe everyone is thinking the same thing?
Hi D.Kwan,
Well, that totally depends on what you think the situation will be like. Personally, for me, avoid the Chinese holidays and weekends. Though looking at it from another POV, going to the Expo on those days could be fun! Like the Dragonboat Festival this week.
October’s good too. Yeah, you’re right–when the kid’s are all gone. But right now, the numbers are getting higher.
What’s pavillion day?
It’s like the celebration day of the country.