2010 Shanghai World Expo Plans 20,000 Cultural, Arts Shows

The organizer of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo is soliciting cultural and artistic performances from home and abroad for the upcoming international event. About 20,000 performances are expected to be staged in more than 30 venues during the events run between May and October of next year.

Shuang Feng has more.

Reporter:

The 2010 Expo will become an international melting pot of dancers, musicians, acrobats and other performers. To promote cultural exchanges between countries and cultural innovation, the organizer is planning various performances for the 70 million expected visitors.

Hu Jinjun is deputy director of the Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau.

He says half of the 20,000 performances will be introduced by the Expo organizer itself and the rest will be brought in by the participants.

"We have already received some performance applications. I should say the performances are colorful. For example, orchestras like Philadelphia Orchestra and London Symphony Orchestra will come to play classic music. There will be also some big stars such as Spanish tenor Placido Domingo."

The Expo zone spans both sides of Shanghai's mother river, the Huangpu. Hu says each section in the 5.28-square-kilometer area features a distinct performance style.

"Pavilions of the participating nations and international organizations are located at the Pudong Section. So performances to be staged in this area will be world classics. The Puxi Section is the location of enterprises' pavilions and the Urban Best Practices Area. Events to be held in this area are innovative."

The Expo also has specially-designed activities for young visitors. For example, a theme park gives teens an opportunity to explore their future careers. The Expo will also hold gatherings for students from more than 30 universities worldwide.

To bring cultural flair to the festivities, the official says folk art will be another highlight in the upcoming expo.

"Each country and nation will showcase their local cultural forms in the Expo, which usually can only be seen by the local people. For example, we are quite familiar with African music and dance but one African country wants to perform their acrobatics in the Expo. Chinese people have little opportunity to watch African acrobatics."

To help visitors get a taste of local culture, the organizer is also bringing in community programs produced and performed by residents in Shanghai.

So far, more than 200 countries and international organizations have promised to participate the 2010 Shanghai World Expo.

Shuang Feng, CRI News