Updated: Shanghai Expo BTS Video

Behind the Scenes - 30 minutes TV Show with Lang Lang and Jackie about the Expo.

Part 1 of this clip has been uploaded to Youtube. I am hoping the rest will follow shortly. Updated with Part 2.





And a photo album of some stunning photos of the Expo Opening - too many to post here so please go take a look LINK

Amazing series of Photos of the World Expo

There is an amazing series of photos of some of the pavilions for the Shanghai World Expo 2010 HERE

Hong Kong Pavilion at Shanghai Expo

Artist's impression of the Hong Kong Pavilion
Source: CNNGO.COM

Jackie, Yao MIng and Lang Lang join hands in Expo Charity

Jackie, Yao Ming and Lang Lang have joined together to fund a charity to fund poor children to visit the world expo. More news below:

December 21, Yao Ming in Shanghai to attend the "star to take you to see the World Expo" large-scale charity kick-off ceremony, Yao Ming, the spot was also read out a "help to promote Green Expo to share a bright future," written proposal. The event was organized by the World Expo Ambassador Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, co-sponsored by Lang Lang. China news agency issued Pansofi Photo

China news agency, Shanghai, December 21 (Reporter Cui Yufang) - Image by EXPO Ambassador Yao Ming, Jackie Chan, Lang Lang, co-sponsored a "star to take you to see the World Expo" large public service activities, on the 21st at the launching ceremony held in Shanghai .

"Little giant" Yao Ming regardless of leg, leaning on crutches came to the scene, he was ambassador on behalf of three World Expo announced the "Green Expo help share a better future," written proposal calling for more of the stars and celebrities, as well as community partners and the public interest love to join the Expo to promote the public welfare, to create a green and healthy future life of the ranks.

One of the activities of the organizers of the Shanghai World Expo Bureau officials said the Chinese quality in the world, select Yao Ming, Jackie Chan and Lang Lang 3 next year, the Shanghai World Expo will be exciting as the contents of tours, designed to participate in the star image of their own health and the unique influence the whole society especially young people, promote the Shanghai World Expo, relying on the activities to achieve the green to create a low-carbon future lives and demonstration platform for the exchange, dissemination "green, healthy, caring," public concept of the Expo.

Another highlight of the event is to support disaster and poverty-stricken areas, children go to Shanghai World Expo will be watching, so that more children will be able to share the outcome of the Expo. World Expo period, the star will lead the children to visit the Expo, and in the park to carry out public interaction activities.

It is reported that the event will appear in the parts of the country and the World Expo zone to carry out the "Red Tour, Love China" charity show, "Green Travel, love Chuan China" series of activities such as public lectures, and have been to the Expo will be held throughout the period.

ENT.163.COM or TRANSLATED

World Expo Online

VIRTUAL THRILLS IN ONLINE ADVENTURE

ALTHOUGH next year's World Expo is sure to be a feast for visitors with the world's leading technology and many innovative pavilions, walking across the mammoth 5.28-square-kilometer Expo site will still be a tiring experience.

But then imagine this: Click the mouse on your computer at home and then tour around the Expo site and watch almost all the pavilions and exhibits online.

Expo Shanghai Online was officially launched last Thursday, allowing users to enjoy the 2010 event through the Internet.

Users can savor a cup of coffee while "running" between and among pavilions. They can see pictures and descriptions of more than 200 pavilions at the Expo and many of the exhibits inside. They can also enter all the pavilions and chat with other users.

If they need to go out for a while, they can halt the tour and restart at any other time they like.

Moreover, all of this is free.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan launched the Chinese-language version of the site - www.expo.cn. The English version will be launched at the beginning of next year.

The theme of the Expo Shanghai is "Better City, Better Life."

Expo Online is a "very good initiative" that can promote the Shanghai event worldwide, says Jean-Pierre Lafon, president of the International Expositions Bureau.

Users will firstly have a bird's eye view over the Expo site when they log onto the Website, with all the pavilions laid out as they are in the real site.

Users can click on pavilions to have a close look. They can watch the pavilion from different angles. They can also "stand" in front of the pavilion and have a 360-degree view around.

All the pavilions and the whole Expo site have daytime and nighttime views. Pavilions at night will be covered by colorful lights.

Users can virtually tour about 50 pavilions at the moment, including the five theme pavilions, where the organizer will elaborate on the "Better City, Better Life" Expo theme.

Other pavilions will be opened gradually on the Website according to construction progress at the Expo site, says Zhu Yonglei, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination. The organizer will update the Website every two weeks.

A highlight of the Expo Online will be the "Future City" section, which will be similar to online role-playing games. Visitors can at first create a cartoon character and control the character to tour around the Expo site and visit pavilions.

Apart from the Pudong and Puxi sections of the Expo site, the character can also move onto a virtual island with future urban scenery beside the Expo site. Users can play online games, and some need interaction with other users.

Hong Kong film star Jackie Chan, NBA star Yao Ming and Chinese pianist Lang Lang, the three ambassadors for the World Expo Shanghai, as well as Vicente Loscertales, secretary general of the International Expositions Bureau, will appear on the island to help users finish their game tasks.

Participants will also be able to design some interactive events inside their pavilions. Lucky draws will also be held on the Website.

During the 184-day Expo, visitors can also watch videos of performances at the site.

They can also ask Haibao, the mascot for the 2010 event, to be a tour guide on the virtual trip.

Expo Online will have many three-dimensional "experiencing pavilions." They are being designed by participants to be interactive.

Expo Online aims to help those who cannot physically visit Expo Shanghai to have a virtual tour from their homes. But those who visit the event can also have some fun on the Website, with quizzes, games and gifts.

Visitors can also communicate with others in an online community to share their experiences and provide tips for other Expo Online users as well as publicize their photos and videos. The Website will be available after the 2010 event, making it an "Expo that never dies."

The 2010 event expects 70 million visitors from both home and abroad. The online showcase will attract more, says Zhu Yonglei, deputy director of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

China Telecom has allocated more than 20 gigabyte of bandwidth for the online showcase, says Yang Xiaowei, deputy director of the China Telecom, one of the operators of Expo Online. Main sections of Expo Online Expo Carnival

This section will feature many little online games, including "Expo RichMan." This game is similar to other RichMan games, but players will compete with Haibao, the mascot of the 2010 event. They'll test their knowledge of many Expo-related questions, such as "When was the first World Expo in America held?"

Expo Ferris Wheel

Many basic Expo facts and figures will be available at the "wheel." Visitors can enter the section to make full preparations for a carnival competition with Haibao.

Interactive Community

Each user will have a cartoon character standing in front of the China Pavilion. Each figure can carry tips for visitors, useful information and greetings for a successful Expo. Online community members can also publicize their photos and videos taken at the Expo Site. The organizer will retain the photos and videos on the Website.

Future City

This will be one of the highlights of Expo Online. Many characters from Chinese history and legends will be featured as users learn about the fascinating stories and achievements, as well as future plans and new technology. For example, in one level users will be asked to find Hu Yude in the China Pavilion, an Anhui Province businessman of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) who created the famous "Anhui Ink." Players win points when they complete each level. Users have to download software of about 1.5 gigabytes.

SHANGHAI DAILY

October 1st Rehearsals

Jackie arrives at the rehearsal center
QLWB.COM

On the afternoon of the 26th of September at the 60th anniversary of National Day Celebration Evening Star Lake Park training base, one of the highlights of the thousands of people show choir's final dress rehearsal. Song Zuying, Jackie Chan, Geng Feng, Tan Jing and other star of the show were all present to participate in drills.

1000 choir on stage

By the Beijing public, pupils and students together make up the choir of 1,000 people put on the performance clothing. Great people wore red Chinese outfit, the children were dressed in bright yellow clothes. It is understood that the choir of the Hsin-Yi Ho youngest child was 6 years old, while the oldest over 80-year-old actor. Throughout the evening, they will be singing or performing on stage with the star accompaniment. One performance down, they have to sing a total of more than 20 songs.

2 command Tanlihua and Akiko Ki are responsible for the second half, to make 1000 look at the command of gesture actor, commanding the stage deliberately installed a camera at the same time, facing the performers put a four sub-NTU's LCD TVs.

Li Gu Yi, Song Zuying, Jackie Chan singing

In addition, this celebration can be said to show Celebrities gather. By design, the party has just begun, by Lang Lang on piano accompaniment (on the 26th was not present), Liao Changyong, and Tan Jing chorus "Today is your birthday my country," Subsequently, Li Gu Yi, Song Zuying, Jackie Chan and so on will be on stage perform. Among them were like "revival" of the class song composed specially for this evening.

"I'm not a singer, performing in the oldest, the oldest 70 years old. Hope that the next decade, I can sing the National Day evening." Older generation of singers, 65-year-old Geng Feng with emotion, time really flies, participating in the 1999 National Day party, the flash ten years have passed. Decade, Beijing had become the beautiful, and everyone's life better. Highway to the field to see more and more to Shandong, Shaanxi and other places to go fast soon arrive. "We want to sing country, singing for the motherland."

Song Zuying: will be the best state to attend the National Day Evening Performance

"This show is very relaxed and in good shape." Evening at the National Day to show "good days" and Song Zuying, said the state would be best to attend the National Day evening performances.

"To participate in the show, there is indescribable excitement." In the evening, and Yuan-Yuan Liu will be singing along with "state" the song Jackie Chan, the last link in the rehearsal appearance. Jackie Chan's hope that this song is not only able to let the Chinese people can understand it and let the whole world could understand, so that everybody knows how powerful our motherland.

NETEASE.COM

"This is the great motherland is where I grew up, in this vast land, full of bright sunshine." Tiananmen Square along with the National Day Festival's opening song "My Motherland", yesterday, 14 o'clock, a mass Choir and a host of guest performers, a training base in Beijing Tongzhou a final dress rehearsal. Newspaper reporter at the scene watched the full dress rehearsal.

Event is organized by Jackie Chan finale of the sign language interpretation of "national"

Because it is officially the last dress rehearsal before the performance yesterday, apart from thousands of actors outside the choir, there are more than 20 stars have arrived at the scene sing, 100 square meters greenroom was packed with visitors. 14:00 rehearsal started Song Zuying, Zuhai, Tan Jing, Liao Changyong and others on stage one after another, and by the pupils, students, elderly choir choir composed of thousands of people with the commissioning, rehearsal hall sounded from time to time, "good days", "Let's Dangqi sculls," "Today is your birthday" and other people familiar songs.

17:30 left, hand-held paper fan of Jackie Chan in a dozen appearances on the stage, surrounded by security guards. Jackie Chan while singing "country" side of the sign language presentation. It is learned that Jackie Chan would be coming to an end in the evening when the roof in the Great Hall of the finale of the singing.

Nearly 50 singers on stage with patriotic songs pierce

According to reporters from the rehearsals for the scene to get single-song show, the night appeared a total of almost 50 singers, singing over 30 songs. Singers, in addition to Peng Liyuan, Song Zuying, jade and strong power to sing will, Xie Xiaodong, Sun Yue, Yin Xiangjie, Qian Baihui and other pop singers will be encouraged to come forward.

Evening begins with the flag pole in Tiananmen Square as the center, a children's blowing trumpet at the scene sounded melodic "My Motherland", the net curtain fireworks show, "This land so Jiao" message. Next, Lv Wei, Li Danyang such as singing, "I love China," first chapter "This is the great motherland," the beginning, the audience nearly 11 squares 60000 people jump dance at the same time. The second chapter, the "take-off in China" has become the theme of Tan Jing, Liao Changyong chorus a "Today is your birthday," Song Zuying, Chen Sisi, jade and strong singing "good days", "Zhu Jiuge", "we walk in the big on the road "and so on.

The third part of the show "Fashion Youth" of China. Dress rehearsal in the evening of the 12th, Sun Yue, Xie Xiaodong, these young singers of the "youth of China," "Let us Dangqi sculls" and other songs, accompanied by "Lantern Dance", "Lala-speaking" and other steps. It is reported that Nicholas Tse and Xiongtian Ping will also appear in this session. Finally, from a small songs, Peng Liyuan singing "Sunshine on the road" to show to a climax, "Dancing with the song" big get-together started. In the Jackie Chan and Liu Yuanyuan chorus of "national" and "Youth Friendship Waltz" and the music plays, audience nearly 60000 people enjoy dancing, singing, the whole square will be boiling.

NEWS.163.COM

MORE PICTURES: SOHU.COM

Interesting background on Lang Lang

I must confess to knowing very little about Lang Lang other than through his involvement with Jackie in various things. What I have heard of his playing has been incredible but beyond that I know very little.

So this article which outlines a little of his history is of interest:

FORMER CHILD PRODIGY LANG LANG IS ONLY GETTING BETTER

Haibao Cartoon

I have been waiting for the news of this to be published in English somewhere because the online translations where just too bad/hard to understand. So here it is - Jackie, Lang Lang, Yao Ming and Haibao star in a cartoon adventure.

MORE people, especially children, have started to recognize Haibao, the mascot of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. With the event coming closer, the sea-blue, elf-like figure waving two hands and with a shock of hair sticking up at the top of his "head," like an unruly curl, has become popular among more people around the world.

But do you know whether Haibao is a boy or girl? The mascot is lively or shy? What is the mascot's favorite food? Where does Haibao come from and does Haibao have any superpowers?

A 52-episode cartoon about the mascot from the Expo organizer will give all these answers next spring. The organizer invested more than 10 million yuan (US$1.46 million) in the cartoon's production to expand the figure's personality and "legendary" experiences.

As a result, it is hoped the mascot will become more than a statue at tourism spots for people to pose with. It will be an enlivened creature able to smile, to cry, to be excited and to be angry.

Haibao is a seven-year-old boy creature from the sea. He has all the characters of a human child at the same age - he is friendly, clever, lively and curious about everything, as well as capricious sometimes, revealed cartoon director Hong Bing, associate professor of Shanghai Theater Academy China.

The cartoon series "Coming Haibao" will be telecast on about 200 channels around world next spring.

In the series, Haibao will use his wisdom and superpower - to become a robot or other different shapes - to battle a bad character, named Chou Chou (literally means ugly in Chinese) who intends to invade the Rainbow City, Haibao's hometown.

The Rainbow City is originated from Shanghai. Many iconic venues of the city, such as the Oriental Pearl TV Tower and the Jing Mao Tower, as well as the Expo Shanghai site, will appear in the series.

In the story, Haibao will live in a Shanghai longtang (lane) house with another friend, Pi Pi, and his parents. The mascot will gradually find his superpowers and lead his friends to fight against the invaders.

Haibao's favorite food is xiaolongbao, or steamed buns, a traditional Shanghai snack.

And the biggest enjoyment for the mascot is to have a bath.

His best pal is a five-year-old girl, named Bei Bei, a charismatic and clever girl. As the series develops, the little mascot even falls in love with the girl.

His curl will tell his mood - it will turn up when Haibao is angry and will whirl when the mascot is thinking.

"I've tried to give more human personality to the mascot to make people feel that he is not an elf but a boy," said Hong. He said the directors' team originally cast Haibao as an "all mighty god" who could save the world.

Haibao has to keep drinking water because he comes from the sea. When he becomes tired, his blue skin will fade to a lighter color while his body will shrink, but he will soon be rejuvenated after plunging into water. In the winter, Haibao will need to wear a thick coat, otherwise he will freeze.

His biggest weakness is that he is extremely ticklish. Sometimes, Haibao will become sad because he does not have a mother.

The cartoon figures of kung fu movie star Jackie Chan, pianist Lang Lang and NBA star Yao Ming - all official Expo Shanghai Promotion Ambassadors - will appear in the cartoon to help Haibao.

Chan will use his kung fu to fight the robot invaders. Yao will lead a basketball team to compete with a team made up of aliens from other planets.

When the enemies become too strong, Lang will use his beautiful music to move and overcome them.

The three super stars will appear in many episodes and they will dub their own voices for their characters.

The story features a "Puppet Planet" which will be the biggest enemy of Haibao's Rainbow City. The planet is on the edge of collapsing because it relies too much on modern technology but neglects to love and communicate with its inhabitants.
The story will be a good lesson to children to encourage them to take more care of others, Hong said.

At the end of the cartoon, the bad characters will be "reclaimed" by Haibao, rather than being defeated.

The cartoon's target audience is children between six to 10 years old, but adults will also be entertained by the funny dialogue and interesting plots.

Introductions of major Expo pavilions at the 2010 world fair will be featured in the cartoon. For example, a storyline will be based in the China Pavilion of the Expo. The interiors featured in the cartoon will reflect the real pavilion, Hong said.

The cartoon will be telecast ahead of Expo, so it will offer a good chance to preview the Expo site, he said.

Hong said the organizer would make a movie about Haibao which will be telecast around the world for the duration of the 184-day event.

Who's Haibao

Name: Haibao

Gender: a boyish character

Birthday: December 18, 2007 (when the Expo organizer announced him to be mascot of the 2010 event)

Height: can be as high as he wants.

Hobby: taking baths and dancing.

Favorite place: Shanghai

The world in his eye: simple, splendid, fresh, full of creativity.

Favorite beverage: coffee-tea which helps keep him reinvigorated anytime so that he can welcome guests from all over the world to Expo Shanghai.

Favorite food: xiaolongbao, or steamed buns, a traditional Shanghai snack.

SHANGHAI DAILY

City - the song for the world Expo:

Beautiful song for the 2010 Expo in Shanghai featuring Jackie Chan, Yao Ming and Lang Lang.

If you haven't seen the MV it can be seen here.