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Recent Visitors
Land of sunshine and beaches reveals its urban lifestyles
2009. 31 August
by Yang Jian
(shanghaidaily.com)
Many people know Australia as a land of sunshine, beaches, coastline and desert. At the upcoming World Expo Shanghai, one of the world's most popular tourist destinations will showcase its comfortable urban lifestyle and its friendship with China.
Visitors to the World Expo will get the chance to explore the real Australia, not only its stereotypical natural features, but also its interesting urban lifestyles.
The country will also use the 2010 event as an opportunity to enhance its friendly relationship with China, says Tom Connor, Australian Consul General in Shanghai.
People will get to know how much importance the Australian government has attached on the Sino-Australian relationship from its Expo commitment, Connor says.
The Australian government is spending A$83 million (US$69.75 million) on its Expo showcase. And the government has kept to that budget despite the financial crisis, he says.
At the Expo Shanghai site, the 4,800-square-meter pavilion has taken shape, featuring sculptured curving walls and a red ochre exterior beside the Lupu Bridge. Its appearance is inspired by the world-famous Ayer's Rock.
Challenging many of its international stereotypes, the Australian Pavilion will reveal the reality of Australia: dynamic, modern cities enjoying clean air and water, and a strong sense of environmental amenity, inhabited by imaginative, clever, engaging and accomplished Australians. Its theme is "ImagiNation."
"The power of our individual and collective imagination holds the key to achieving a sustainable future for the world's cities," says Peter Tesch, commissioner-general for the pavilion.
The color of the pavilion's red facade is made from the use of a special kind of steel, which is commonly used in Australia cities. It will change colors responding to the temperature and humidity of Shanghai during the 184-day event.
Inside, the pavilion will be a fun and relaxed place for people of all ages. Divided into three distinct but inter-related sections labelled "Journey," "Discover" and "Enjoy," the pavilion will incorporate almost every aspect of Australian life.
These include spectacular landscape, a strong and vibrant economy, rich culture, technological expertise and innovation, outstanding research and education, and its commitment to sustainable development.
The first part will take visitors on a journey where they will gradually leave behind the bustle of the Expo site as they are drawn into a story depicting Australia's history with interactive and sophisticated exhibits and pictures.
They will be introduced to the multifaceted population of Australia, beginning with the earliest inhabitants, the Aborigines, who arrived more than 50,000 years ago.
Chinese visitors will discover that Chinese migrants have been playing a prominent role in the development of Australia since the early 1800s and today, after English, Chinese is the second most commonly spoken language in Australia. Visitors can expect to learn more about the relationship between the open spaces of the Australian outback and the cosmopolitan urban hubs in the second section of the pavilion.
It will feature a 1,000-seat theater screening a multimedia show which reveals a society which, although characterized by rapid and deep penetration of new technology, still maintains a sustainable harmony between urban construction and natural environment via smart urban planning.
The show will also display Australia's innovation and achievements in renewable energy, transport, modern infrastructure and housing.
The theater is expected to become the centerpiece of the whole exhibition, according to Connor.
With the theme of "Enjoy," the final section in the pavilion will provide visitors with a taste of some of Australia's landscape from red deserts to the lush rainforests of the tropical north.