Hi All,
Seems there is no special threads on this.
I just back from the expo. Not much homework done before going, but just heard a bit from friends that have visited. Would like to share some of my OWN experiences and info collected from friends.
Going or not?
1. If you do not like crowded place, don't go
2. If you do not like to q, don't go.
3. If you cannot stand the rudeness / less politeness of other people / visitors, don't go.
4. If you want to take photos slowly inside the (famous) pavilions, and you only have one day, be prepared you can only visit less than 7 or 6 pavilions.
How?
1. If you know Chinese, speak Chinese, buy ticket after you go into China. A lot places selling. Only RMB160 for whole day ticket.
2. If you are a student, go Shanghai then only buy ticket. Only RMB100 for whole day. Prepare your student card and better with a letter from your school.
3. Evening ticket. Maybe a good idea. RMB90, selling at the entrance for that particular day. Start sells at 4pm. suppose only allows to go in at 5 pm, but i manage to get in at 4.30 pm.
Tips
1. Don't carry too much. End up makes you too tired.
2.Best to go in 2 or 3, so some friends can help you to take your photo (if you want a self portrait).
3. Drinking waters (like those water dispenser in airport) a lot, no need buy water inside; not allowed to bring water in.
4. If you really want to visit China pavilion, you can either join some sort of tour group (not sure how) OR, go to the expo entrance start q at 4.30 am. The entrance starts to clear security at about 8.30am, and let people in at 9am. Once go in, quickly approach any staff that distribute the appointment tickets. Or, keep your expo ticket, visit next time when you return to Shanghai. This pavilion will be remain after Nov. and you can visit there after expo ends.
5. Plan your route, and be flexible. The site is big.
6. If you wants quantity, visit the pavilion that no need q for long 1st. After 6pm, people will be less. And after 8-9pm, some pavilion no need to q can go in.
7. Can try something like this: 1st day go in full day, 2nd day only go in evening, 3rd day rest, 4th \day go in full day again, etc. The idea to go for evening ticket is, can be quite tired to stay inside there whole long day.
8. I would suggest to go around end of Sept, but not 3 -4 days before 1 Oct. At that moment, weather should be nicer, and should be slightly less crowded.
9. If you really want to have greater flexibility to visit the expo site, best to plan about 5 nights stay in Shanghai. So you can choose not to enter the site if suddenly that day rains / poor weather. If you only have 3 - 4 days, you might have to go no matter what.
What time, which entrance:
1. To get in early so that you can go to the desired pavilion early is a logical way, but you need to be patient. Q starts at around 4.30 am outside each gate. Around 8.30am starts security clearance, at 9am you may enter.
2. To avoid q-ing outside, go to any entrance around 10am. By that time, long q will be cleared / almost cleared, and you will able to get in within 10 min or 15 min. However, once you reach a desired pavilion (say Japan), the q is already long enough for you to wait at least 5 hours.
3. Some entrance are simply less popular (the entrance to Zone E and D), maybe around 3 - 4 k people entered in the early morning, some entrance can be as much as 10k.
4. So the choice is yours: go early to q outside (the expo site), or go late to q (outside specific pavilion). If go in via less popular entrance, you may skip some hassle, but to walk to the popular zone (A, B, C) will be time consuming.
In my own opinion, to be able to see things fast (say max 30 min inside a pavilion) and see most of the interesting pavilion, best to have a 7 days ticket.
Official Expo site: http://www.expo2010.cn/
Will input more when free.
_____________________________________________
Found some good tips and share it here. Original from here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest¬e_id=466820636272.
I've pick out important and useful points (that IMO) only. /some of the point I do not agree, as I found it could be different from time to time (say 2 weeks ago vs 2 weeks later)
I didn't experience these, but if I read this before hand, I will go try it.
~Make sure you get the China Pavilion reservation by booking a one day tour from a travel agency. Here is one http://www.jjtonline.com/expo/index.html?request_locale=en (slow site, try few times)
~Saudi Arabia is the most sought after pavilion, there are two ways to avoid the 5h long line. Arrive at 830am at gate near the South Tibet Road station on Line 8 and get a city card in the urban best practices area near the Munich pavilion with the Saudi Arabia stamp (you will have to run from the gate because they only give 60 of those per day). The other way is to queue right before 7pm, lines are shorter in the evening and if the queue is still open at 7[pm means you will be in by 930, so it is half of the evening wait time.
~Germany – Arrive 9am and go to Bremen or Dusseldorf city pavilion to collect the Germany VIP card. Otherwise get to line before 8pm if it is open, the wait will be less than 2h.
~Taiwan: This is in my opinion the best pavilion of the expo although I didn’t see Japan and Korea. Best shot: Queue at Gate 5-2 before 6am (original article stated 9am, which is too late from what i know), and just run straight to Taiwan pavilion queue, it is worth it. They hand out the tickets for the day 9:30. There is a second chance at 6pm but those are fewer tickets and people will line early so the wait is longer.
Seems there is no special threads on this.
I just back from the expo. Not much homework done before going, but just heard a bit from friends that have visited. Would like to share some of my OWN experiences and info collected from friends.
Going or not?
1. If you do not like crowded place, don't go
2. If you do not like to q, don't go.
3. If you cannot stand the rudeness / less politeness of other people / visitors, don't go.
4. If you want to take photos slowly inside the (famous) pavilions, and you only have one day, be prepared you can only visit less than 7 or 6 pavilions.
How?
1. If you know Chinese, speak Chinese, buy ticket after you go into China. A lot places selling. Only RMB160 for whole day ticket.
2. If you are a student, go Shanghai then only buy ticket. Only RMB100 for whole day. Prepare your student card and better with a letter from your school.
3. Evening ticket. Maybe a good idea. RMB90, selling at the entrance for that particular day. Start sells at 4pm. suppose only allows to go in at 5 pm, but i manage to get in at 4.30 pm.
Tips
1. Don't carry too much. End up makes you too tired.
2.Best to go in 2 or 3, so some friends can help you to take your photo (if you want a self portrait).
3. Drinking waters (like those water dispenser in airport) a lot, no need buy water inside; not allowed to bring water in.
4. If you really want to visit China pavilion, you can either join some sort of tour group (not sure how) OR, go to the expo entrance start q at 4.30 am. The entrance starts to clear security at about 8.30am, and let people in at 9am. Once go in, quickly approach any staff that distribute the appointment tickets. Or, keep your expo ticket, visit next time when you return to Shanghai. This pavilion will be remain after Nov. and you can visit there after expo ends.
5. Plan your route, and be flexible. The site is big.
6. If you wants quantity, visit the pavilion that no need q for long 1st. After 6pm, people will be less. And after 8-9pm, some pavilion no need to q can go in.
7. Can try something like this: 1st day go in full day, 2nd day only go in evening, 3rd day rest, 4th \day go in full day again, etc. The idea to go for evening ticket is, can be quite tired to stay inside there whole long day.
8. I would suggest to go around end of Sept, but not 3 -4 days before 1 Oct. At that moment, weather should be nicer, and should be slightly less crowded.
9. If you really want to have greater flexibility to visit the expo site, best to plan about 5 nights stay in Shanghai. So you can choose not to enter the site if suddenly that day rains / poor weather. If you only have 3 - 4 days, you might have to go no matter what.
What time, which entrance:
1. To get in early so that you can go to the desired pavilion early is a logical way, but you need to be patient. Q starts at around 4.30 am outside each gate. Around 8.30am starts security clearance, at 9am you may enter.
2. To avoid q-ing outside, go to any entrance around 10am. By that time, long q will be cleared / almost cleared, and you will able to get in within 10 min or 15 min. However, once you reach a desired pavilion (say Japan), the q is already long enough for you to wait at least 5 hours.
3. Some entrance are simply less popular (the entrance to Zone E and D), maybe around 3 - 4 k people entered in the early morning, some entrance can be as much as 10k.
4. So the choice is yours: go early to q outside (the expo site), or go late to q (outside specific pavilion). If go in via less popular entrance, you may skip some hassle, but to walk to the popular zone (A, B, C) will be time consuming.
In my own opinion, to be able to see things fast (say max 30 min inside a pavilion) and see most of the interesting pavilion, best to have a 7 days ticket.
Official Expo site: http://www.expo2010.cn/
Will input more when free.
_____________________________________________
Found some good tips and share it here. Original from here: http://www.facebook.com/note.php?created&&suggest¬e_id=466820636272.
I've pick out important and useful points (that IMO) only. /some of the point I do not agree, as I found it could be different from time to time (say 2 weeks ago vs 2 weeks later)
I didn't experience these, but if I read this before hand, I will go try it.
~Make sure you get the China Pavilion reservation by booking a one day tour from a travel agency. Here is one http://www.jjtonline.com/expo/index.html?request_locale=en (slow site, try few times)
~Saudi Arabia is the most sought after pavilion, there are two ways to avoid the 5h long line. Arrive at 830am at gate near the South Tibet Road station on Line 8 and get a city card in the urban best practices area near the Munich pavilion with the Saudi Arabia stamp (you will have to run from the gate because they only give 60 of those per day). The other way is to queue right before 7pm, lines are shorter in the evening and if the queue is still open at 7[pm means you will be in by 930, so it is half of the evening wait time.
~Germany – Arrive 9am and go to Bremen or Dusseldorf city pavilion to collect the Germany VIP card. Otherwise get to line before 8pm if it is open, the wait will be less than 2h.
~Taiwan: This is in my opinion the best pavilion of the expo although I didn’t see Japan and Korea. Best shot: Queue at Gate 5-2 before 6am (original article stated 9am, which is too late from what i know), and just run straight to Taiwan pavilion queue, it is worth it. They hand out the tickets for the day 9:30. There is a second chance at 6pm but those are fewer tickets and people will line early so the wait is longer.
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