China is unlike any other country in the world. It's size is enormous, it is filled with more than a billion people, and there is so much to see and do that just a few weeks is simply not enough to see a small fraction of what the country has to offer. This trip was much different than my weeks in the Middle East earlier in the summer. First of all, I was fortunate enough to travel with my family (or I was fortunate enough that they took me along with them!) Also, for the first time in a long time I did not speak a word of the local language, (Mandarin.) I had been in China for the first time 10 years ago when I was only 12 years old, it was actually my first trip outside of the United States! Yet returning again this time as an 'adult' with more experience, both in travel and in life in general, put a new perspective on the culture and country.
The China pavilion at the World Expo
We started our journey in Shanghai, partly to visit family of my father's wife and partly to visit the city as well as the World Expo of 2010. Shanghai is an incredibly modern city, center of trade, finance, and business for the country. There are a lot of neat things in the city to visit, but most of our time was spent visiting the World Expo. Our of six days in Shanghai, we went to the Expo four times, and it was completely worth it!
The USA Pavilion
A view of the Germany Pavilion from inside of the France Pavilion
The World Expo is known for being an international event to showcase countries and businesses from around the world, yet interestingly enough this Expo seemed to be overwhelmingly Chinese (which makes sense considering China makes up 1/6 of the world's population). They were everywhere! We only saw a small group of foreigners on most of the days. There were almost 200 countries presented, each with a pavilion to showcase their country. Though some were big and some smaller, the exterior of each was designed in a unique way which drew in the tourists to see what was inside. Some we waited longer for than others (Spain), and some we were fortunate enough to get a special VIP entry to (Saudi Arabia, France, China), yet all were aesthetically fascinating. Unfortunately the interior was less interesting than the outside, but it was still fun to visit each country and see what it showcased and offered.
Previously I always thought of the World Expo as a historic event, also called the World's Fair and most popular in the early 2oth century for being the first place to showcase new inventions that now we take for granted. However, this Expo was focused on sustainable development with the slogan, "Better City, Better Life." Visiting the 2010 Expo took away my archaic idea and introduced a new one that was visionary, looking to the future instead of the past.
The futuristic United Kingdom Pavilion, one of the most popular (and hardest to enter!)
My favorite pavilions (that we entered) ended up being Spain, Mexico, China, Chile, Morocco, and number one: Saudi Arabia.
The exterior of the Mexico Pavilion
I can give you sooooooo much background on the USA one. I heard the Saudi one was the indeed the best. I also loved the UK one and of course haibao
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