Expo Shaping Up

The first major structure of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai was completed in early January.

The seven-story Expo Center, located on the Huangpu River, will be the main venue for ceremonies, conventions and forums at the World Expo, which runs for six months starting May 1 under the theme “Better City, Better Life.”

The Expo Center will remain standing when the fair is finished for exhibitions, conferences, weddings and banquets. The 40-meter-long rectangular structure houses five major halls.

The Red Hall seats 2,600 and will be used as the main conference hall. It is already booked for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit, the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum and the Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony. It will also host a forum of world leaders at the end of October.

The Blue Hall has 600 seats and the Gold Hall contains the banquet rooms, which can accommodate 3,000 diners. The biggest venue is the Silver Hall, which seats 5,000 and will function as the main media center during the expo.