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The Hong Kong Pavilion and Hong Kong's Urban Best Practices Area (UBPA) Exhibition have received over 500,000 visitors since the World Expo 2010 Shanghai China (Shanghai Expo) officially opened on May 1.
Themed "Hong Kong - Potential Unlimited", the Hong Kong Pavilion is a popular destination with Shanghai Expo visitors. An average of about 10,000 visitors toured the Pavilion on the Pudong side of the Expo Park everyday. The total number of visitors in May was more than 317,000.
The Pavilion has been operating smoothly and visitors are especially impressed by the 3D movie on the ground level.
About 90% of visitors surveyed were satisfied with the guidance and services provided by the pavilion staff, and were generally happy with the overall arrangements. Visitors liked the specially designed souvenirs including the environmentally friendly carrier bag and first-day cover.
A number of pre-appointment tickets were issued each day to reduce queuing time for visitors.
On the Puxi side, Hong Kong's Urban Best Practices Area exhibition themed "Smart Card ĄD Smart City ĄD Smart Life" was also a popular attraction. The number of visitors has been on the rise since the opening day. A record high of more than 11,000 visitors were received on May 29. The exhibition had over 184,000 visitors in May.
Visitors were impressed by the dynamic displays of Hong Kong, and were interested in the interactive floor tiles and 360-degree circular screen. Through the 14 virtual hosts, they were able to see how smart card and Radio Frequency Identification technology make everyday life easier and more efficient in Hong Kong.
The two exhibitions welcomed more than 100 delegations from the Mainland, Hong Kong and overseas in one month. Positive feedback has been received from these distinguished guests.
Commissioner, HKSAR Expo Affairs Office, Mr Patrick Chan said, "I am pleased to see that both exhibitions are very popular and the visitor figures far exceed our original expectation. Our team has worked hard to deal with the various challenges posed by such a high visitor volume, and we are pleased and encouraged by the positive feedback from our visitors.
"In the coming months, we will continue to endeavor to provide our visitors with a safe, orderly and comfortable visiting experience."
Apart from the exhibitions, other events and activities held as part of Hong Kong's participation in Shanghai Expo outside the Expo Park were also well received. The "Green Technologies, Challenges and Opportunities" seminar was successfully conducted on May 6, while the six-month "Hong Kong: Creative Ecologies - Business, Living, Creativity" exhibition organised by the Hong Kong Design Centre at The Bridge 8, Phase 3, 550 Jumen Road, continues to attract visitors.
On cultural programmes, the five performances staged at various venues in Shanghai in May helped to raise awareness of Hong Kong's diverse cultural scene. The Hong Kong Chinese Orchestra concert was in particular a great success with almost full house attendance.
In June, Hong Kong will continue to hold a number of exciting events and activities in Shanghai under the theme "Destination City". The "HKIA: Global Connectivity. World-class Service" exhibition has been launched at the atrium of the Hong Kong Pavilion to showcase the unparallelled connectivity and superb services of the Hong Kong International Airport.
The Hong Kong Tourism Board's large-scale promotion event at Xintiandi was just launched yesterday (May 31) to highlight Hong Kong's rich attractions and encourage Shanghai Expo visitors to visit Hong Kong.
The seminar on "Green Transport in Hong Kong, Asia's World City" will be held on June 18, at which officials and experts will share their experience in planning and management of green transport and infrastructure.
During the month, performing groups such as the Hong Kong Ballet, Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts School of Dance and City Contemporary Dance Company will present dance productions in Shanghai to celebrate the vibrancy of Hong Kong's culture.
For more details on Hong Kong's participation in Shanghai Expo, please visit www.hkexpo2010.gov.hk .
Ends/Tuesday, June 1, 2010
Issued at HKT 18:36
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