A world-class event will be staged in Shanghai from 1 May to 31 October 2010 – the Shanghai World Expo. Many people must have booked tickets and got ready to join the once-in-a-lifetime occasion – especially when Shanghai is just two hours of flight from Hong Kong, how can we miss it?

The scale of the Shanghai World Expo is the largest in history, filled by more than 242 participating countries and international organizations. It will take several days to complete a walk round the 5.28 square kilometer venue! Built along the sides of Huangpu River and nearby the city center, the venue is a convenient spot for visitors.

Themed 'Better City, Better Life', the Shanghai World Expo has the participations of countries and organizations galore, which are ready to explore the relationships between city life and civilization, providing urban citizens with interesting inspirations.

Built since 2006, the Shanghai World Expo is filled with various distinctive pavilions, each having a different theme. For instance, the USA Pavilion brings you a journey through the 'American Cities in 2030'; the France Pavilion highlights 'the Sensual City', and the Dutch Pavilion shows you the 'Happy Street'. The stunner amidst all is certainly the largest 'Expo Axis' at the center. The 'axis' of a Chinese architecture is the core that links to all parts. The 'Expo Axis' connects to the four permanent pavilions, namely the China Pavilion, the Expo Theme Pavilion, the Expo Center and the Expo Performance Center, which will remain after the World Expo as important hotspots for commercial activities, cultural exchange and conferences.

The World Expo's logo is based on a calligraphic Chinese character Shi (meaning world) that speaks for 'understanding, communication, happy gathering and cooperation'. As a subject of extensive coverage, the mascot 'Haibao' also has a meaningful story. 'Haibao' means a treasure of four seas, emphasizing the importance of 'mankind' while matching the theme of the World Expo. The lovely Haibao is too adorable to be missed!