Do you have friends or family coming over to Shanghai? But your house can not accommodate guests anymore. Where could they stay? We scoured the city and found out some cheap yet cozy hotels you could check out.

Chain Hotels

Jin Jiang Inns

Jin Jiang Inns have a total of 63 branches in Shanghai alone. We chose to inspect Shanghai Century Park. Each room has walk-in cabinets and cable TV. The wooden floor and carpet are replaced by imported plastic for easy cleaning. Bathroom design is Japanese-inspired. It is also worth-mentioning that the beddings used are all the Somekele brand which is very comfortable. There is free broadband internet access. The Jin Jiang Chef Restaurant in the first floor has buffet breakfast for RMB 15 per person.

Comfort: ★★★★★ When sleeping outside, the biggest concern is the bed. And the quality of their bedding guarantees a good night’s sleep.

Price: ★★★★ Rooms are RMB 178 to RMB 238 per night. If you have the Jin Jiang Inn Rewards card, you could get 10% discount on the room rates and 12% off the food and drinks. The card is RMB 158 each and is valid for 2 years.

Transportation: ★★★★ Jin Jiang Inns mostly can be found in the city center. Though with some you have to take the metro and walk a bit.

Reservation: 40082099999

Motel 168

Motel 168’s decoration is undoubtedly the most gorgeous. In the Siping branch, the lobby and corridors appear in aged dark brown. Rooms are painted red, orange, and other bright colors. The bedding has a light green pattern. And the dressing mirror really makes it look like a home. Buffet breakfast is RMB 25 per person.

Comfort : ★ ★ ★ ★ New facilities and new store.

Price: ★ ★ ★ There are rooms priced at RMB 168, but they are in short supply and therefore hard to get.  The rest of the rooms ranges from RMB 208 to RMB 298. Get discounts with the Merril Lynch’s VIP card.

Transportation: ★ ★ ★ ★ Motel stores are mostly on the roadside.

Reservation: 8008207168

Home Inns

The interior decoration is very bright. Lobby is small. Room colors used are lemon yellow, red, and apple green. However, there are relatively few single rooms. The bathroom has only shower facilities. Room is not furnished as compared to Jin Jiang Inns. But the breakfast is cheap—only RMB 10. And the Internet is free-of-charge.

Comfort: ★ ★ ★ Bedding is not very elegant.

Price: ★ ★ ★ ★ Jin Jiang Inns price—basically the same.

Transportation: ★ ★ ★ ★ Mostly near the Shanghai Metro.

Reservation Tel: 8008203333

Feng Ye Super 8 Hotel

The Feng Ye chain has just settled in Shanghai a few years back. We took a look at the “Super 8″ Dalian Road branch. The decoration is very common—pale, yellow walls; wooden furniture; no wardrobe, only racks and hooks; desk with a lamp on it. “Super 8″ has double rooms. It’s like a two-tier structure with the living room in the ground floor complete with a sofa and television set. The second floor houses the bedroom with TV too which makes the hotel an ideal place for a family to live. “Super 8″ also has non-smoking rooms. There’s a restaurant on the ground floor. And broadband Internet can be accessed in the rooms at no additional charge.

Comfort: ★ ★ ★ Furnishings too simple.

Price: ★ ★ ★ ★ The cheapest is the common business room with no windows at RMB 168. The remaining rooms are in the RMB 208 to RMB 308 range.

Transportation: ★ ★ ★ ★ The location of the hotels obviously have been thought about.

Reservation: 8008207822

Family Hotels

Shanghai Garden

If you do not want a lot of people checking in and checking out together, then this hotel can provide a different kind of personalized experience. Hotel is located in Nanchang Lu near Sinan Lu. The hotel is an old-fashioned French house with a 200-square meter garden facing it. Kitchen (two are sharing), toilet, and bathroom can be found on the first floor. The owner lives in the second floor.

Comfort: ★ ★ ★ Single female guests may find it inconvenient, because customers are mainly male or couples.

Price: ★ ★ ★ ★ RMB 150 yuan per day. Meals not included.

Transportation: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Near Middle Huaihai Road. 10 minutes from Shaanxi Road metro station.

Reservation: 53067650

Homestay

B & B (Bed and Breakfast)-type hotel. Homestay is a student and backpacker’s favorite. Hotel is located at 189 Zhongshan Road near Changning Road. Large suite rooms are 25 square meters with balconies of 10 square meters and 6-square meter bathrooms. Stay 2 days, and you get a promo rate. The daily room rate s is RMB 150. That’s for a small room with size of 15 square meters. If you stay for 2 nights, the daily room rate becomes RMB 100.

Comfort: ★ ★ ★ Lot of things are still DIY.

Price: ★ ★ ★ ★ Absolutely cheap.

Transportation: ★ ★ ★ Near Zhongshan Park.

Reservation: 13817306369

Youth Hostel

Captain Hotel

Dormitory-style hotels attract foreign youth travel. Few people, even more than 10 people sometimes share a room. Each person can only independently use one bed, cabinet, shower, and toilet. There is buffet breakfast on the ground floor. RMB 25 for Western fare. RMB 15 for Chinese. The terrace in the 5^th floor faces the Pudong Lujiazui. Here you have the best views of the Oriental Pearl Tower, Jinmao Tower, and Riverside Boulevard panoramic view.

On the ground floor there is Internet access which costs RMB 20 per hour.

Comfort: ★ ★ ★ Though it is a lively hotel, there is definitely a lack of privacy.

Price: ★ ★ ★★ RMB 60. Those with youth cards can get as much as 10% discount on the rooms and 12% in the bar.

Transportation: ★ ★ ★★This is just at Fuzhou Road, near the Bund.

Reservation: 63235053

The Swatch philosophy is that a watch is not just for telling time, but to be worn and enjoyed as one would jewelry. They’re applying the same principle to the Swatch Art Peace Hotel on the Bund, which is not just a place to stay but also an artistic masterpiece – a fine piece of art and architecture to be appreciated.

After spending $100m and 6 long years of conception and construction, the Swatch Art Peace Hotel has started opening in stages, just in time for the Shanghai World Expo. On May 26, Swatch opened the ground floor which houses the lobby and four brand boutiques.

The Swatch Art Peace Hotel now occupies a restored version of what was originally the Palace Hotel since 1908, on the corner the Bund and Nanjing Road. The rest of the hotel is scheduled to open in August 2010, just before the other half (Fairmont Peace Hotel) of the original Peace Hotel opens on the North side of the Bund.

What’s interesting is that it’s not just a hotel, but also an artist residency with 18 studios and an exhibition room for the 36 artists who will be invited to live and work in the hotel every year. They also intend to hold Expo-related events at the hotel.

The four ground floor boutiques, as mentioned before, are already open. The flagship Swatch boutique looks more like a futurstic art gallery than just a watch store.

The first floor has an art gallery and exhibition space for the art created by the resident artists, whose studios are on the second and third floors.

The fourth floor has three distinct art-themed luxury suites for guests. One has a traditional Chinese art motif. Another features contemporary and modern art. The third - the Swatch Art Peace Hotel Suite, is inspired by the art and architecture of the building.

The fifth floor has an upscale restaurant in one of the domed towers with high ceilings and expensive chandeliers, suitable for dinner dates and romantic candelight dinners. This floor also offers space for events, private parties and concerts, which will be very popular once the hotel is fully open.

The roof terrace has been given a makeover and a rooftop bar without taking anything away from Walter Scott’s original vision and design for creating a rooftop attraction with a view of Shanghai.

More info:- www.swatch-art-peace-hotel.com/

The World Expo is well underway and Expotia is offering a choice of 600+ Shanghai hotels for expo visitors, but the number of new luxury hotels raining down on Shanghai hasn’t stopped. There are 20 new hotels scheduled to open this year alone. These hotels are trying to use the Expo Effect to get off to a good start and establish themselves.

The 5-star 26-storey, 400-room Intercontinental Shanghai Expo opened on April 19 in the Expo Village, with views of the pavilions, and six restaurants and bars. Intercontinental already has another hotel in Pudong, and one more in Puxi. The new Expo hotel makes it three.

Keith Barr, managing director of IHG (Intercontinental is an IHG brand) Greater China explains that ”We see Shanghai as a key market in our global positioning strategy and I believe the 2010 World Expo will definitely have a positive impact, and benefit our business here in Shanghai.”

Ritz-Carlton had only one hotel in China four years ago, but they’ll have eight by year-end, including The Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, Pudong which opens on June 21.

The new Ritz will offer 286 guestrooms and suites high-up in a 60-story skyscraper, with an indoor pool, four restaurants, a lobby lounge and a bar.

Ritz-Carlton already has The Portman Ritz-Carlton, Shanghai, but Simon F. Cooper, president and chief operating officer, Ritz-Carlton, says he’s confident that Shanghai can sustain two highend Ritz-Carlton hotels. Mr. Cooper says “There are few cities in the world which can rival Shanghai for the robustness of the economy and the amount of foreign investment.”

On the Bund, the Peninsula Shanghai - which opened in March 2010, is currently the newest kid on the block, but only until September. After that, the newest luxury hotel on the Bund will be the very old Fairmont Peace Hotel which re-opens Sept 1 after a long renovation, just in time to catch the closing rush for the Expo in October.   

Other notable luxury hotel openings in Shanghai coinciding with the Expo include the 442-room Guoman Shanghai and the Eaton Luxe, Nanqiao. There are a few like the Gran Melia which opened last year but still qualify as expecting a strong start from the Expo Effect, and even more which will continue to open in 2011 after the Expo is over.

Shanghai and San Francisco are coming together for a week of cultural and business exchange at the Shanghai World Expo, to celebrate 30 years of a Sister City relationship which predates formal relations between China and the US.

‘San Francisco Week’ will be held at the Expo from June 17-25, 2010 with a delegation led by SF Mayor Gavin Newsom and Sister City Chairman James Fang. 

San Francisco is the only US city at the Expo which has “Official Participant Status.”

US Senator Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi – the Speaker of the US House of Representatives, will also be coming to Shanghai as part of the San Francisco delegation.

It was Senator Feinstein (as Mayor of San Francisco in 1980) who established the Sister City pact with then Shanghai Mayor Wan Dao Han.

Mayor Newsom expressed his enthusiasm for the upcoming trip to Shanghai and said that “I’m looking forward to being in Shanghai for ‘San Francisco Week’ this June when we will showcase the very best of green and sustainable business practices, cooperative partnerships and San Francisco’s rich cultural landscape with our friends on the other side of the Pacific Rim.”

From June 17-25, San Francisco Bay Area companies will be showcased in the Urban Best Practice Area (UBPA). As part of this event, China Business Network TV will host a ‘Green Energy Seminar’ which will be broadcast throughout China and internationally.

There will be a cocktail reception at the Shanghai Center on June 18 and a gala dinner at the ShangriLa on June 19.

More info: www.sfshanghai.com/

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton arrived in China Friday (May 20) and will be visiting the US Pavilion Saturday (May 22).

According to Assistant Secretary (Bureau of Public Affairs) Philip J. Crowley–

In Shanghai, Secretary Clinton will visit the 2010 Shanghai Expo. While at the Expo, she will attend a dinner in honor of the USA Pavilion sponsors and others who helped develop the USA Pavilion. On May 23, she will participate in a commercial diplomacy event to highlight the importance of U.S. market access and job creation.

Special Representative (Global Partnership Initiative) Elizabeth Frawley Bagley on Clinton’s China visit–

She will have meetings with Shanghai officials, of course, and she’ll be visiting the China Pavilion as well, so there’ll be an opportunity for her to meet with local Shanghai officials and then maybe some officials from Beijing as well.

On going to other pavilions–

We’re looking at that right now. We’re hoping she’d like to do a little tour. We don’t know yet. We’re working – certainly, the China Pavilion. Beyond that, the U.S. — We have the…Latin American Pavilions.

U.S. Commissioner General Jose Villarreal, on Clinton going to the other pavilions–

…I’ll tell you who our three neighbors are. They are Brazil, Colombia, and Peru. But I’m not going to point the finger at any particular country…

The following article first appeared in Global Times (May 21):

US-China achievements go beyond Expo

The relationship between the US and China is critical to both our countries and to the future of our world. The coming days offer two powerful examples of how diplomatic and cultural dialogues can broaden our understanding and deepen our cooperation.

Next week in Beijing, I will join Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner for the Strategic and Economic Dialogue with Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan, State Councilor Dai Bingguo and many other cabinet- level offcials from our two governments.

We will discuss how to continue building a positive, cooperative, and comprehensive relationship that advances our shared interests and is capable of addressing common challenges, from ensuring balanced and sustainable economic recovery and development to cooperating on clean energy and climate change to addressing international and regional security issues such as Iran and North Korea.

Few global problems can be solved by the US or China alone and few can be solved without the US and China together.

I am also looking forward to visiting the Shanghai Expo.

With over 70 million visitors expected in the coming six months, the Expo will be the largest World’s Fair in history and an opportunity for people from around the world to learn more about each other and to exchange ideas and strategies for meeting the global challenges we all share.

Its success is a testament to China’s hospitality and to the hunger for mutual understanding and cooperation that draws people together across cultures and continents.

Each pavilion showcases the culture and accomplishments of the nation it represents, but the Expo as a whole tells the broader story of our common aspirations and challenges.

The China Pavilion, a soaring inverted pyramid, has much to show the world.

As does our own pavilion. The US Pavilion showcases the qualities that make the US dynamic and prosperous, including innovation, sustainability and diversity, and is an example of successful public-private partnership.

Creative problem-solving is a key theme of the US Pavilion. Many leading US companies helped build the Pavilion and their cutting-edge technologies that hold the promise of unlocking a more sustainable and prosperous future are not just displayed, they are woven into the building itself.

From the photovoltaic cells that convert sunlight into electricity and help power the Pavilion to the rooftop garden and the recycled bamboo fl ooring, the US Pavilion is a model of both innovation and environmental responsibility that will be carbon neutral for the duration of the Expo.

The US and China are the world’s two largest energy consumers and greenhouse gas emitters. So we have a unique responsibility to lead the effort against climate change and to chart a clean energy future.

At the Strategic and Economic Dialogue meetings in Beijing, we will discuss ways that our two countries can expand our cooperation on energy and climate issues.

And some of the new tools and technologies that will help us meet this global challenge are on display at the Expo.

Innovation has always been a hallmark of world’s fairs and expositions. Many people got their fi rst look at the telephone, typewriter, x-ray and even the ice cream cone at an expo or fair. We are pleased to carry forward that tradition in Shanghai.

And because innovation is fostered by the free fl ow of commerce, the open exchange of ideas and the unfettered expression of creativity, we are working to turn the US Pavilion into a launching pad for new partnerships and ventures, a hub of commercial diplomacy and a laboratory for new ideas.

More than half a million people have already visited the Pavilion and more are coming every day. One of the most moving exhibits they will fi nd there is dedicated to the millions of Chinese-Americans who have contributed so much to the cultural and economic development of the US. From Yo-Yo Ma to I.M. Pei to my Cabinet colleagues Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Chinese- Americans have achieved great success in business, government, the arts and sciences.

But at the US Pavilion, we also celebrate the lives and contributions of all the Chinese- Americans whose names are unlikely to ever end up in the newspapers. Thousands of them have sent photographs and testimonials documenting the Chinese experience in the US, parents and children, teachers and students, small business owners and hardworking professionals – a true pageant of American life.

We are proud of our diversity, and our sometimes noisy democracy. We believe it makes us a stronger and more vibrant nation.

At theUSA Pavilion, this spirit is embodied by the student ambassadors who greet our visitors. Every day, with outstretched hands and wide smiles, and in fl uent Chinese, they are building bridges of understanding and respect. I can’t wait to meet them.

When he opened the fi rst World Expo hosted by the US, in Philadelphia in 1876, President Ulysses S. Grant pledged “our earnest desire to cultivate the friendship of our fellowmembers of this great family of nations.” Today in Shanghai we share the same goal. The doors of the US Pavilion are open.

We welcome the people of China and the world to join us.

After clocking in 21 days of service (including the 5 preview days), 2,300 World Expo volunteers left a 578-page (377,077-word) guide book that serves as proof and witness to their long yet happy days at the Expo Garden.

“During the recent weeks that I’ve been a volunteer, there were a lot of problems and concerns that we faced everyday. After going through different ranges of issues, we’ve come up with ways on how to be more comforable and fun during our days at the Expo.”

Before Entering The Park, What Do We Need To Prepare?

Know the weather conditions for that day

At the beginning, you could check if it’s going to rain or not. The temperature will also influence the things that you will bring to the Expo. If the skies are clear, you can make do with just bringing a light rain coat (just in case!) so that you will have a bother-free Expo experience.

Second, many performances are affected by the weather. In the event of rain, these shows will be canceled.

Research & obtain information from the Official Expo Website (& other Expo blogs as well!)

While waiting in line to enter the Garden, volunteers will be walking around distributing the maps. Maps running out will always be a possibility. Therefore, it would be nice to have a copy before you enter the Expo (and so you could study it beforehand too).

Next, there are a lot of pavilions inside the Garden. Among the most popular ones, more or less you need to line up for a really long time. Another thing is that different performances are scattered in different locations throughout. If you have advance knowledge of the schedule, better plan out your Expo visit strategy. Go to the less popular pavilions and stick to your program. But of course be flexible as well.

Have a good attitude and keep your rationality in check

The Expo venue is really massive. And your time there is extremely limited. In your hot pursuit to go in every pavilion, it might raise your anxiety levels. Expect queueing everywhere. Just maintan a good attitude all the time. And be psychologically prepared.

If We Encounter Problems Inside The Expo, How Do We Solve Them?

China Pavilion reservations

The China Pavilion currently has staff issueing the reservation vouchers manually. If you do not see any staff handing out tickets, it just means that the tickets for the day have been distributed already.

Note that aside from getting hold of the reservation vouchers, there is no other way you could enter the China Pavilion. The number of visitors entering the China Pavilion is also limited. Another thing is, the reservation vouchers will run out within 5 to 10 minutes of Park opening time. [The Expo opens 9am. By 9.10am, they're all gone!] Because of that, many visitors line up very early outside to get hold of the prized voucher. What’s a strategy could you form here? Choose the entrance where it’s less crowded, and you’ll have higher chances of getting in the China Pavilion.

Reservation machine

You can see a shopping area around the Expo Center. Southeast of that near Pucheng Road and Zhoujiadu Road, there is a Bank of Communications. From there, a string of reservation machines appears.

Other places where the reservation machines are located are the following:

Area A: There are some beside the India Pavilion and the Saudi Arabia Pavilion. In the Asia Square, check out the ones beside the UAE Pavilion and the Turkmenistan Pavilion.

Area B: Outside the Indonesia Pavilion.

Area C: At the entrance of the Portugal Pavilion, Central and South America Pavilion, Africa Pavilion, and the United States Pavilion.

Take note that the China Pavilion does not make use of the reservation machines anymore. The 5 theme pavilions can be entered using the reservation machines or by physically lining up. For the General Motors Pavilion, you could make an online reservation. The Taiwan Pavilion releases the reservation vouchers at their entrance door. They issue out only twice a day. During 9.30am and 6pm.

Drinking

Generally, there is free drinking water available at all the venues.

Area B: Oceania Plaza, International Development Information Network Association (DEVNET) Pavilion.

Area C: Near the Ukraine Pavilion, Portugal Museum, Europe Square; one in Poland Pavilion; 200 meters around the Spain Pavilion; Africa Pavilion entrance; Algeria Pavilion entrance, Latvia Pavilion entrance.

Note though that the water might not be enough so it’s best for visitors to prepare themselves beforehand. [Liquids are not allowed inside the Expo Garden.]

There is also no hot water supply.

Rental of wheelchairs and strollers

Wheelchairs and baby strollers can be rented out at Luban Road (Gate 1), South Xizang Road (Gate 2), Bansong Park Road (Gate 3), Bailianjing Road (Gate 4), West Gaoke Road (Gate 5), Changqing Road (Gate 7), Houtan  (Gate 8). Visitors need to pay a certain deposit and are requested to return them by 9pm.

There is no leasing point in Gate 6.

The prices may vary in each of the centers. So visitors can ask the volunteers on duty that time for advice.

Medical facilities

The Pudong side of the Expo has medical centers in each of the areas.

Area A: Israel Pavilion, near the elevated trail.

Area B: Zhoujiadu Road, Bocheng Road, food and shopping center at the southeast corner.

Area C: Tangzijing Road, south of the Austria Pavilion.

Area D:  South of the Expo Center.

Area E: Southeast of the Aviation Pavilion.

There are doctors’ fees involved for serious conditions. The service is free for basic check-ups. Cars may be called if needed.

Smoking areas

Indoor smoking is banned inside the Expo Garden. But they have designated smoking areas, and these are are as follows:

Area A: Morocco Pavilion, Qatar Pavilion.

Area C: Europe Pavilion restaurant; opposite the Austria Pavilion; at the entrance of every Area near the bathrooms, there’s a black cylindical spot for smoking (there’s none at the Expo Boulevard bathroom entrance).

Post Office

There are a total of 4 post offices in the Expo Park. These can be found in the China Pavilion, the Theme Pavilion, the Expo Culture Center, and south of Central and South America Joint Pavilion.

Expo passport

The Expo passports can be bought for RMB 30 each. There is the cartoon version (yellow), the standard versions (red, purple, green), and the collector’s edition (gray) which is not for sale.

Dining

The Expo Garden has lots of eating venues. The main areas are–

Expo Boulevard: There’s Western food and pastries in the ground floor and basement. Fewer people can be found at the basement 2 level.

More importantly, the Expo Boulevard connects the Expo Center and Cultural Center with the ferry port just nearby connecting the Pudong and Puxi areas.

Food court: Expo Center and Theme Pavilions, close to the Expo Boulevard. It features Shanghai cuisine restaurants and other major Chinese restaurants. This area also has reservation machines, banks, licensed-merchandise flagship store (the largest and most comprehensive), medical facilities, public telephones, inquiry desks.

Other restaurants– Area A: right side of Saudi Arabia Pavilion; Area B: left side of Brunei Pavilion; Area C: in front of the Caribbean Community Joint Pavilion; Area D: Cisco Pavilion; Area E: Pavilion of Future.

Cultural performances

Expo visitors can log on the official website for tour dates and performance arrangements. Leaflets are also given away at the information centers which list down the day’s schedule of shows.

Expo licensed products

Expo souvenirs can be divided into licensed merchandise and pavilion souvenirs.

There are several areas in the Expo where licensed merchandised is sold. Shanghai also has flagship stores not just in the Expo Garden itself but across the city too.

All pavilions have distinctive characteristics and souvenirs. The Belgium Museum conducts a lucky draw to win diamonds. They also give out free chocolate; United Arab Emirates Pavilion: live 1 week in a yacht; Italian Pavilion: watch the footwear-making process and win the branded shoes; Turkey Pavilion: they give out small magic stones supposedly to ward off evil. The various arts and crafts of Africa combined are very beautiful. Another thing to notice is the Russian Doll Museum. And with France, who can forget the attractive fragrance?

Best time and place for picture taking

The China Pavilion, Expo Boulevard (on the 4^th and 5^th Sun Valley pillars). Avoid the crowded pavilions. What’s important here are the building façades.

Essentially, good weather is needed to take good photos. During the day, various venues and river views can be taken. At night, the Expo Boulevard and its sun valleys strike in a lovely way because of the lighting effects. The elevated park trails are also good locations.

Day or night tickets

During the Shanghai World Expo, the Park typically has a run time of 9:00 to 24:00. The Expo Hall is usually open from 9:30 to 22:30. Day admission ticket entrance is 9:00, while night time ticket entrance is 17:00.

Advantages and disadvantages of day tickets

Advantage of day tickets is that the China Pavilion tickets are issued after the park opens at 9:00. So they’re only available to day ticket holders. Secondly, the day ticket can still be used until nighttime as long as one doesn’t leave the Park.

The disadvantage is that longer queues can be found during the day.

Advantages and disadvantages of the night tickets

Advantage is that there will be less people traffic. And the views are amazing! Drawback is certainly not getting an appointment ticket to the China Pavilion.

Top recommended venues

Theme Pavilion

The volunteers recommend the Theme Pavilion, because it illustrates the city’s past, present, and future through various technical means. It also uses metaphors to express the people, cities, and the relationship among nature, city, and life.

Urban Best Practices Area

55 participating cities. 37 acres north of the Huangpu River. 4 sections, namely: Habitable cities, Sustainable urbanization, Use and protection of heritage, and Technological innovation.

From Ignacio Nino, coordinator of the Madrid urban practice pavilion–

I consider the urban practice area to be the best idea of the whole Expo. It is a new idea, it is a brilliant idea. It gives cities, for the first time in history, the possibility of appearing at an Expo. The chosen cities have certainly presented themselves with a lot of charm.

It is a global representation of the city to improve the quality of urban life. A variety of innovative and exemplary values can be seen in the Urban Practices Area too.

Area D & E Corporate Pavilions

Theme: My City, Our Dreams

These are recommended because it shows the latest cutting-edge technology and combines imagination too. This is good for children so that they could broaden their horizon and learn more about science.

A list of the corporate pavilions are as follows:

Aurora Pavilion

Theme: New City Styles Interpreted by Chinese Jade Culture

Space Pavilion

Theme: “Harmonious City, Human and Outer Space”

Oil Pavilion

Theme: Petroleum stretches urban dreams
Pavilion Day: July 30

Republic of Korea Business Pavilion

Theme: Green City, Green Life

Further Use of the Pavilion after Expo: Exterior walls of the pavilion will be made into plastic bags and delivered to Shanghai people after Expo.

China Railway Pavilion

Theme: Harmonious railways expand spaces for better life

Pavilion Day: October 2

Japanese Industry Pavilion

Theme: Wonderful Life from Japan

Coca-Cola Pavilion

Theme: Coca-Cola and EXPO 2010, A World Refreshed with Happiness
Pavilion Day: May 8

State Grid Pavilion

Theme: Innovation Ignites Dreams
Pavilion Day: July 26
People’s Insurance Company of China’s Law

Theme: Love and sharing makes a better life

Cisco Pavilion

Theme: Smart+Connected Life

Vanke Pavilion

Theme: Possibility by Respect

Private Enterprises Joint Pavilion

Theme: Infinite Vitality

SAIC-GM Pavilion

Theme: Take a drive to 2030

Highlights: Science and Future Innovation

Broad Pavilion

Theme: Direction
Pavilion Day: June 5

China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation Pavilion

Theme: Shipbuilding creates a better city life

Pavilion Day: June 3

Information and Communication Pavilion

Theme: Information and Communication – Extending City Dreams

For the millions of Chinese who want a taste of Hollywood entertainment and a Disney style theme park experience, all they need to do is visit the USA Pavilion at the World Expo, which features plenty of good, bad and ugly.

The Good - They’re putting together a show called “The Garden” – the story of a 10-year-old girl who envisages turning a vacant city lot into an urban oasis, working with her neighbors to make that happen.

It includes plenty of computer-generated imagery and 4-D effects like vibrating seats, mist and lightning.

The one-hour program begins with the “Spirit of America,” a video of classic American landscapes.

The second section will display videos showing US people – ordinary Americans and celebrities – greeting visitors in Mandarin. There will also be messages from President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

“The Garden” will be the centerpiece of the third part, while the last section will showcase how the US has made communities healthier, more sustainable and culturally diversified.

Celebrities scheduled to visit include jazz pianist Herbie Hancock and singer Dee Dee Bridgewater. NBA stars have been invited and the Philadelphia Orchestra will perform during opening week.

Stay tuned for more updates here. We’ll add more details, pictures and videos as the Pavilion nears completion and after it officially opens (hopefully) on May 1.

The Bad - While interest about the USA pavilion runs high in China, the level of enthusiasm regarding the Expo in the US is lukewarm at best, and this reflects in the way they’re managing the Pavilion.

With the Expo all set to begin on May 1, the US is still $8 million short of the full $61 million required for their pavilion, inspite of having begun the effort in 2006.

The first contractor hired to put together and manage the Pavilion was fired even before work began. The second one ran out of cash and stopped work. They were able to start only after being bailed out with a loan from the Expo organizers in Shanghai.

Jose Villarreal, commissioner general for the USA Pavilion, appointed to clean up the mess, is now scrambling to make sure they can open on May 1.

This apathetic financial mess pretty much reflects the American economy which has got itself into a big mess in the last ten years, and has received massive bailouts from American taxpayers.

The Ugly – The grey steel structure of the 5,574-sq. meter Pavilion itself is designed to resemble a giant steel and glass shopping mall.

Again, the mega-mall complex is an increasingly out of fashion American product in a world where malls are being replaced by small shops offering locally produced goods and products.

The design by Canadian architect Clive Grout was been roundly dissed by architecture critics who claim it doesn’t rise up to the challenge and vision of a pavilion which is going to be the center of all the attention at the Expo.

By the way, the official motto of the USA Pavilion is “Rising up To the Challenge.”

If you have a question about buying tickets for the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, then most of it is explained below in detail.

For starters, you should know that 62 million tickets have been made available for sale, so you will have absolutely no problem in obtaining tickets.

But it does matter at what price you buy, when you buy, and from whom you buy the tickets.

Let’s start with the whom. If you’re buying World Expo tickets outside of Mainland China, then purchase only through agencies appointed by the World Expo Bureau. These are listed below.

Hong Kong –  China Travel Service (H.K) Ltd; www.ctshk.com, 00852-2998-7010

Japan –  JTB Corp; 0081-03-3984-8567

Taiwan –  China Travel Service Ltd; www.chinatravel.com.tw , 00886-1-408-369-6868

Macau –  China Travel Service Ltd; www.cts.com.mo , 00853-87998110
New Sintra Tours Ltd; www.newsintra.com.mo

Australia - China Travel Service (Australia); www.chinatravel.com.au, 0061-1300764224
Helen Wong’s Tours;  www.helenwongstours.com, 0061 (02）9267 7833

U.S.A. -  Peregrine Travel, INC; www.worldexpochina.net, 001-925-984-4984

Canada - Tian Bao Travel Ltd.; www.expoticket.ca, 1866-840-9990

Singapore - Singa china Travel Service Pte Ltd;  www.singachinatrvl.com.sg , 65 6534 0052

Germany -  CHIMA Fernost Service Jun Zuo E. K; www.chima.de,
Becker Travel World Wide GMBH;  www.expo-reisebuero.de, 49 – 6147 – 91 69 29

Switzerland - Tian-Tan Horizon S.A; www.tiantan.ch

France - Agence Chine Tourisme; www.agencechinetourisme.fr, 0033 1 42 78 08 88

Thailand - G.M. Tour & Travel Co. Ltd; www.gmtour.com, 0066-2-6761501
IMPACT Exhibition Management Co., Ltd; 0066 2 833 5555

You can, of course, also buy tickets on site at the Expo or at kiosks after you arrive. But in that case you would be giving up a hefty discount.

The pricing structures for various types of tickets - with discounts – are explained below. There are 9 types of tickets:-

- Peak Day Single Day Admission
- Peak Day Special Admission
- Standard Day Single Day Admission
- Standard Day Special Admission
- 3 Day Admission
- 7 Day Admission
- Evening Admission
- Group Admission
- Student Group Admission

The basic benchmark price for a World Expo ticket is RMB 160 ($23.43).

During the pre-sale season (before the Expo begins on May 1, 2010), a Peak Day ticket varies from RMB 110 to RMB 190 and a Standard Day ticket varies from RMB 90 to RMB 150.

There are 17 Peak Days and 168 Standard Days. Standard Day ticket holders cannot enter on Peak Days.

The 3 and 7 day tickets are priced from RMB 400 to RMB 900. Group tickets (at least 15 people) can only be purchased through authorized agents or academic institutions.

Special admission is limited to those who are disabled, seniors, children, students with valid IDs, and active duty Chinese military personnel.

Still got a question? Post below in the comments and we’ll try to help in any way we can.