Shanghai Expo

Ideas for life blossom at venue

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-06-01 08:31

BYLINE | HU QIHUA

More than 73 million visits were recorded for the six-month Shanghai World Expo 2010. It might seem a staggering number; indeed, it was a historic high, but in my opinion, more people should have come to see it. This is not a complaint. It's a wish for many more Chinese who could not make it to the Expo for whatever reason. Being a media officer during the Expo, I'm lucky to have had the chance to experience many aspects that illustrate ideas for life.

The Expo was very much about inspiring people. And there were so many inspirations out there - architectural, art and design, and a low-carbon lifestyle, among others. It's the first time that the Expo was held in a developing country. And being in a transitional period economically and socially, China couldn't have hosted the Expo at a better time, not least in terms of the balance of economy, life and nature.

The Chinese are justly proud of their country and what it has accomplished. A majority of people have yet to set foot on foreign soil, and hence are more curious about the world. The Shanghai Expo addressed all three of these points.

For most Chinese people, it was their only chance to taste what life is like abroad. The Expo encapsulated the better part of the world that was a feast for the eyes and for the mind. It's hard to tell exactly how individuals have been inspired. But there's no doubt the Expo has changed the mindset of many. The change might have taken place in some seemingly trivial areas, like home decoration, commuting, or impressions of a foreign country. But such small changes can make a big difference.

The serpentine queues drew some criticism, but let's face it: queues in a Chinese supermarket are mostly likely to be long. The organizers of Shanghai Expo did a good job of sorting out the flux and managing orderly visits. The queues reflected the strong desire of the people to see the Expo - the sultry heat just couldn't stop the enthusiasm. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many. And there's nothing wrong about positive aspirations.

I still remember my friend's parents calling me from the Expo site on Oct 16 when the daily attendance figures hit a peak of 1.03 million. "Anyway, we came over to have a look. After all, it is happening in our own country and we do not want to miss it," said the 60-plus-year-old couple from nearby Jiashan county in Zhejiang province.

China Daily reported that one farmer from southern China opted to visit the Expo, in lieu of a compensation of 500 yuan he could have had for not coming. Considering that his monthly income was less than 1,000 yuan, he must have made a difficult choice, but the right one - now he has good stories to tell his grandchildren that he saw the world in a capsule. Will the good stories lead his grandchildren to embark on a world tour of their own? You never know.

The more the Chinese people want to know and get to know about other countries, the more they have access to the solutions and information about the many challenges China is facing, the more the world will benefit.

The inspiration from the Expo is still being relished in many parts of China. In late April, students in some mountainous areas of Northwest China's Gansu province just had their "first tour" of the Expo in the form of books and leaflets. They can get to see that the world might be very different from where they grew up.

I expect such exploration in the spirit of the Expo to continue long into the future.

Hu Qihua is deputy international editor of China Daily.

(China Daily 06/01/2011 page66)