2010-10-31  Premier Wen declares Shanghai World Expo closed

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao declared the closure of the World Expo 2010 at the Expo Culture Center in Shanghai last night.

A ceremony was held in Shanghai to celebrate the end of the Expo, which International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) President Jean-Pierre Lafon called an "astounding success."

The first of its kind staged in a developing country, the event attracted 246 participating countries and international organizations and 73 million visitors. Both figures are records in the history of expos, the first of which was held in London in 1851.

On an area of 5.28 square kilometers, the Expo Site has become a global village where people can not only see rare cultural treasures from around the world -- the bronze chariot and horse sculpture from China's Warring States period, the statue of Athena from Greece and French impressionist masterpieces, for example -- but also get a taste of the diversity of the world's cultures through more than 20,000 cultural events.

The gala is eyed in China as another event of national splendor after the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games showcased China's status as an economic and political power to the world.

2011-07-04  Expo Museum received books from East Publishing Center

A Shanghai East Publishing Center representative donates Expo-related books to the Expo Museum

The Expo Museum received 66 titles of Expo-related books, valued at 12,000 yuan (US$1,856), from Shanghai East Publishing Center.

The Expo Museum is the Bureau of International Exposition's sole official museum and archives. It has been listed as a key cultural project in the city's 12th Five-Year Plan. The museum will display the bidding, preparation and operation of Expo 2010 as well as selected exhibits and documents from previous Expos.

Shanghai East Publishing Center has published a picture book, Expo 2010 Shanghai China Official Album, in Chinese, English, French, Japanese and Korean, and also a collection of speeches of Expo 2010 forums.