News
Shanghai EXPO closed with a bang
09.11.2010
After 6 months or to be precise 184 days, the Shanghai EXPO was completed on October 31st. According to the officials, 73 million people visited this event; this is a new record and surpassing the 64 million visitors that saw the EXPO in Osaka back in 1970. The Estonia Pavilion in Shanghai hosted 2.230.000 visitors.
In front of a crowd of 8,000 exited spectators at the Culture Center, the Expo closed with a bang as Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao, Vice Premier Wang Qishan, Jean-Pierre Lafon, president of the International Exhibitions Bureau BIE (the World Expo supervising body), and other celebrities added their light to the night.
China’s Vice Premier Wang Qishan said the Expo brought China and the rest of the world closer together, opening an even brighter future for all. "I am convinced that the vision of 'Better City, Better Life' will become reality," said Wang.
Jean-Pierre Lafon, president of the World Expo supervising body the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE), said the Shanghai World Expo was an "astounding success."
In additional to Chinese political heavyweights, Shanghai-born hurdler Liu Xiang, actor Jackie Chan and singer Andy Lau, all joined the closing ceremony celebrations.
The Estonia pavilion as well held an EXPO closing party joined by the pavilion staff, representatives from Estonia Enterprise, BIE, Chinese cooperation partners, local Estonians and pavilion friends. During the evening, Commissioner General Toomas Tiivel expressed his gratitude to the pavilion’s staff, which dealt with a big load of work and a large number of people during the past 6 month.
Starting November 1st, the dismantling of more than 200 foreign and corporate pavilions began. Five buildings will remain: the China Pavilion, the Culture Center, the Expo Center, the Theme Pavilion, as well as the Expo Boulevard. In the near future, the 5.28 km2 large EXPO site will embrace exhibition and conference centers, hotels, residential complexes and recreation areas.