Shanghai aims for a world-class fair

The fairgrounds sprawl over 1,300 acres, twice the size of the historic world fairs held in Chicago in 1893 and New York in 1964. Up to 450,000 visitors can be admitted a day, five times as many as at Disneyland in Anaheim. Not to be outdone by rival Beijing, Shanghai has spent US$45 billion on an Olympic-size makeover.

Shanghai is trying to revive the grand tradition of world fairs, which in their heyday occasioned all sorts of wondrous inventions, such as the Ferris wheel (which debuted in 1893 in Chicago) and the Eiffel Tower, built as an archway for entrance to the Paris fair of 1889.

Since the mid-20th century, world fairs have lost much of their luster as air travel, television and the Internet became more efficient means of introducing people to new ideas.

But most Chinese don't have the wherewithal to travel abroad, so for them, the World Expo might be their most personal encounter with other cultures. Chinese are expected to make up 95% of the 70 million visitors anticipated during the six-month run, from May 1 to Oct. 31.

“The Olympics was China's chance to showcase itself to the world. This is the world's chance to show itself to the Chinese people,” said Nick Winslow, the Pasadena-based theme park expert who is president of the U.S. pavilion.

Participating countries are building lavish pavilions. Japan announced that it spent US$133 million on a large, purple cocoon-like structure, a whopping sum considering that the pavilion will be demolished at the end of the expo. Saudi Arabia is rumored to be spending even more to re-create the Arabian Desert, complete with date palms.

Denmark is sending its famous “Little Mermaid” from Copenhagen's harbor. It is the first time that the statue, inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, has been allowed to travel abroad.

“China likes its coming-out parties. This is one more opportunity for the countries of the world to come and kowtow to a rising China,” said Adam Minter, a Shanghai blogger who has written extensively on the World Expo.

The pavilion designs are whimsical. The most highly anticipated, that of Britain, looks like an oversized dandelion puff: 60,000 acrylic rods swaying in the breeze.

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