Expo roller coaster leaves dizzying legacy
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The Shanghai 2010 Expo has been a roller coaster ride of culture, creativity, sharing and innovation - not only for those who visited the iconic Swiss Pavilion, and took its chairlift ride through a virtual Alps, but for all of the participants, visitors and media.
From Miguelin, the 6.5-meter animated baby inside the Spain Pavilion, to Latvia's body-flying wind tunnel and Thomas Heatherwick's inspired "Seed Cathedral" UK Pavilion, the Expo has created new icons, new iconic structures and new iconic moments that Shanghai will remember long after the lights go out.
The Expo has also created a legacy of hospitality among the city's residents. It has improved the local service industry and initiated dialogue on important issues - issues that the planned Expo 2010 Museum will ensure are not forgotten or discarded.
It has also brought Chinese people closer to the rest of the world, and vice versa. Things that were once eyed with suspicion are now likely to be seen in a more open and friendly light on both sides of the table. It has opened doors.
Most importantly, perhaps, the last six months have seen 242 participants operating in harmony, showing what is possible when they put a collective focus on common problems, such as building sustainable and environmentally friendly cities.
The same logic applies to cultural collaboration. The Expo Garden has stood as a living symbol and testament to this by having colorful performers from around the world working together within its gates from dawn till dusk, seven days a week, week in and week out.
The history books may remember Expo 2010 as the largest World Expo ever staged, welcoming over 70 million visitors and a World Expo-record 1.03 million people on Oct 16. Others may wince at the early disruptions, the tormenting long lines and the scorching summer heat.
But one thing is for sure: everyone took something positive from the Expo. It may have been a new memory, or it may have been a new friend. It may have been an Expo passport, a new working experience, or a clearer idea of what lies behind the stereotypes that define a country or place.
For most Chinese, the Expo didn't sate their appetite to learn more about the world. It whetted it. For them, the journey they embarked on has not come to an end. It has only just begun.
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