Wednesday, June 09, 2010

Visit to Shanghai Expo 2010

The Expo ground is huge and requires a lot of foot work. Motor vehicles have to stop quite a distance from the entry point.


Multiple long queues with massive crowd formed at the entry point. We were lucky, my mother-in-law being on a wheelchair got us all preferential treatment; we were directed to "Barrier-Free Passage (Express Lane).


We visited the Brasil Pavilion, USA Pavilion and the Joint Pavilion for Central and South American Countries. Because of the big crowd and long queue, visitors are allowed into the respective Pavilions in batches. We didn't make it to our planned exhibits - the Swiss and China Pavilion. The number of people was just overwhelming and the queuing time a crazy 3 - 5 hours.

Inside the American Pavilion a replica of the NYSE (New York Stock Exchange)

Central American

Spain

The majestic China Pavilion


Tired visitors taking breaks

Latest information is that the average count of visitors has now reached 370,000 a day!!! from 220,000!!! On weekends it goes up to 550,000 visitors!!! The common gripe is the exasperatingly long queuing time and it is just not worth the trip. That said, the rural folks from the provinces aren't too unhappy cos the Expo visit would just be a small part of their itinerary. Senior citizens gets subsidized tickets and it is an opportunity for them to travel; for many of them a rare treat.




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