http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/ Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:43:49 +0200 It's impossible to stand still while Sirqus Alfon perform. Welcome to the Swedish pavilion and enjoy their last shows in Shanghai. Playfulness, energy and interaction between the three original gentlemen in fake moustaches is up for admiring at the Swedish pavilion. Come and enjoy this bombastic drama before it's too late! Last days: September 10 and September 11 Showtimes: 13.30, 14.30, 15.30 ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/last-chance-to-see-sirqus-alfon/ news_1148_1284021829 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 10:43:49 +0200 By Carol Shang Destiny is a Chinese-Swedish guide at the Swedish pavilion. She comes from a big family with two sisters, one brother, two parents and a four year old dog. That makes it seven people, Destiny says. This is probably why she is so caring and loving to everyone. She is always happy and talking in a cheerful tone. Destiny is also well acknowledged as an environmental enthusiast at the Swedish pavilion, as she has a great passion for animals and nature. This girl recycles her garbage, even when she is in China. She divides paper, cartons, cans and food waste into different boxes. When she came to me with a motivation letter, and said ‘I want to be a Pambassador’ like a little girl talking about her favorite bracelet, I was not surprised. That is what she is meant to be. The Chengdu Panda Base, in partnership with the WWF, is seeking six panda enthusiasts to be the ‘world spokespersons’ for the protection of giant pandas. Destiny is applying to be such a pambassador. We'd like to know more details of this competion and her work experience here in the Swedish pavilion. swedenexpo.cn: What is the biggest challenge during your experience at the Swedish pavilion?Destiny: It is amazing to see so many countries participating at the Expo and interpreting the theme ‘Better City, Better Life’ in their own ways. Sweden is a country with a long tradition of environmental protection, and environmental issues are one of our main focuses at the Swedish pavilion. I think the development costs too much in china in the sense of environmental reservation. I wish the visitors’ environmental consciousness can be awakened after visiting the Swedish pavilion, but it is not easy. Most people just walk by and ignore what we are trying to tell. I hope eventually people will get some insights into this issue. Swedenexpo.cn: Why did you choose to come to China?Destiny: I have roots in China. I am lucky to have had the privilege to grow up in Sweden, but I am connected with China and I want to share what I have with China. Swedenexpo.cn: Where did you get the information about the Pambassador program?Destiny: One day I was searching for volunteering work and somehow I ended up on WWF’s website and saw the info that Project Panda is looking for a Chengdu Pambassador. That triggered my interest immediately. However as I went further and learned more about the Panda conservation, I realized this meant a lot more. Swedenexpo.cn: Why do you want to become a Pambassador?Destiny: I have always loved to be close to the nature. I grew up with pets, and I really enjoy the connection between human and animals. I’ve had cats, a rabbit, a dog, fish, and parrots. I learned to take care of them and treat them as part of the family. I feel I can achieve a peaceful state when I am close to animals. I was raised with a strong environmental consciousness and I think I will be able to awaken more people to take action in the Panda conservation as a Pambassador. Swedenexpo.cn: What are your plans after the Expo?Destiny: Carry on being in China, trying to learn more about myself and my roots in China, and trying to be the link between China and Sweden. I will definitely continue with the volunteering work. Let's send our best wishes to this lovely girl. Wish her enjoy the Pambassador competition and good luck. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/close-to-guide-environmental-enthusiast-or-pambassador-to-be/ news_1147_1284016311 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 09:11:51 +0200 By: Linda Andersson During the past few weeks there has been a rumor going around that Chile is many guides’ favorite pavilion. We have been wondering what the pavilion has to offer that is so special, and now it was time to find out.Swedish pavilion guide Ping Duong and I headed to the Chile pavilion, which didn’t look much from the outside, but when we finally entered the pavilion the atmosphere hit us straight away. The beautiful wooden interior, the originality of the exhibition design combined with the music streaming in every room made us understand why people have this pavilion as their favorite. We know from experience though that to really get the whole concept of a pavilion the best thing you can do is to find a guide who can introduce it to you. We didn’t have to look long before we found not only one but two friendly Chilean pavilion staff members, Sebastian Aedo, 28 and Tomas Suazo, 26. We asked them what makes their pavilion stand out among others. They explained that their theme “city of relationships” is well connected with the Expo’s overall theme and has a strong message to send out, somewhat like the Swedish pavilion. Throughout the exhibition you get to follow a young girl, Manuela, who is representing the innocent youth who will later become one of the decision makers in deciding what cities will become like in the future. Sebastian describes that a relationship city is defined by eight different principles on how to improve the cities. He says that the relationship between different cities and different people is very important to make any changes. That relationships are in focus in the Chilean pavilion is something you can definitely tell when you enter the last room of the exhibition. The last room is called the square and is a place where people can sit down on wooden stairs and enjoy good live music, good food and famous Chilean wine.Another attraction in the last room that we fully enjoyed was “the well of the Antipodes”. We looked down the well and to our surprise we could see Chilean guys looking up from the well waiving to us and blowing kisses. Sebastian explained to us that they have installed a live Webb-camera at different places in Chile so that people here in China can interact with the people on the other side of the earth. If you find someone interesting in the well you can write a message on a board and show to the other side. A Chinese girl and a Chilean boy exchanged e-mail addresses in the well a few days ago and who knows; maybe this is the future way to find your love. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-chile/ news_1145_1284014122 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 08:35:22 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-all-roads-lead-to-sweden-pavilion/ news_1141_1284002866 Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:27:46 +0200 By Helena Ma Stepping into the Expo Park, one of the many things that capture our attention apart from the various pavilion architectures is the good-looking blond women scattering here and there, Swedish women being one of the outstanding representatives. One myth derived from 1950s has been passed on for generations ,that it Sweden is the birthplace of all blondes who are generally regarded as personifications for sexuality, good health, passion and even more interestingly, goddess taking naked tip in the summer water. The hand manipulating all these stereotypes is said to be Swedish movie makers. But anyway, working on close terms with those figures in myths makes me have the opportunity to discover the real soul behind the glorified persona that is a soul made up of independence, diligence, positiveness and proactiveness. Casting a glance at my working place, an interesting phenomenon would be easily detected. Almost all leading figures are females. Female Swedish guides working in the stuffy scorching weather, with their beautifully shining wavy blond hair swinging in the air can also be spotted on all harsh positions. They are good communicators, knowing how to welcome the distinguished guests in most hospitable smile and soothe agitated mood with utmost patience and tenderness. They are ready to share, attentive to create an open egalitarian working atmosphere. Hard work are never complained about, smile is always wore on face. In a society where’’ gender equality ’’ has been utmost extolled, the figures of Swedish women have actively appeared in all fields and stand out with pride among all. For instance, their presence has penetrated into political, financial world where males were once the absolute dominant. Their distinguishable organizing ability and prudential tactics are conducive to their successful development in political arena. I once heard a Swedish colleague illustrating the social phenomenon in this way:” The Swedish woman really got liberated from the burdensome domestic chores thanks to the milestone launch of the ‘parental allowance system’. The transform of the traditional familial roles, the social welfare, the feminist movement and other wise strategies all contribute to establishing this world-renowned equality between two genders. Taking an attentive look at a special picture on one of the spinning cylinders in the first hall, we can see an elegant crowned female that has been adored and admired by a great majority of Swedish citizens ---the H.M. princess Viktoria, who has long been regarded as one marvelous representative for the modern independent Swedish women. Let’s look forward to her grand debut at the Swedish pavilion on 13th Oct, at which time the beauty of Swedish women radiating love, courage and independence will once again shine on this expansive land. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-swedish-women-in-my-eye/ news_1139_1283929475 Wed, 08 Sep 2010 09:04:35 +0200 Monday August 23, the big day that every girl at the Expo had been waiting for had finally arrived. It was time to decide who the best male guide at the Expo is. ICS has launched a new live show during the World Expo called EXPO 360°, where reporters provide the viewers with live updates from the Expo Park every weeknight at 20.00. This time ICS sent out a reporter to find contestants for the competition “the best male guide in the Expo Park”. After showing off their talents to the reporter, three guides were brought back to compete in the Shanghai live TV-station to compete for the prestigious title. All three contestants were of Scandinavian origin: David Diec from the Denmark pavilion, Atte Lotjonen from the Finland pavilion and Fredrik Andersson from the Sweden pavilion. The judging panel consisted of the two EXPO 360° hosts and what came as a happy but a bit intimidating surprise for the contestants, two-time Olympic gold medalist, Yelena Isinbayeva. The competition was divided into three parts, every part being scored individually by the judges.Round one: In the first part the guides should introduce themselves and show off a special talent. David dribbled with a basket ball and Fredrik skated on inlines while juggling but despite these artistic talents, the one who scored highest during this round was Atte. He charmed his way into the judges’ hearts by singing a song in Chinese about Chairman Mao. Score after first round: Denmark 21 points, Finland 25 points, Sweden 23 pointsRound two: The second part was a role-play interaction with Yelena Isinbayeva that was going to show how the guides handle different everyday situations in their roles at the Expo Park. Yelena Isinbayeva played the role of a tourist who wanted to get easy access into the pavilions, using different tricks to get her way in. In the end both the Danish and Finnish guides David and Atte gave into her charm and let her skip the queue. The Swede Fredrik, however, was not as easily charmed and not even a kiss on the cheek from the Olympic gold medalist could make him bend the rules. This probably would have given him high scores from the Sweden Pavilion directors but unfortunately not from the judges in this competition, putting him in the last place. Score after second round: Denmark 43 points, Finland 49 points, Sweden 39 pointsFinal round: In the final round the contestants played a Chinese game where they would throw a sandbag into the air while picking up as many mah-jonggs as possible, and catching the sandbag on its way down. When Atte, the leader before the final round, caught all mah-jonggs and also the sandbag the hope of winning was out for the other contestants. Fredrik did come back for a strong finish in the end, though, polishing up his final scores.Score after final round: Denmark 47 points, Finland 55 points, Sweden 45 pointsTo watch the EXPO 360° live show, tune in every weeknight at 20:00 on ICS or visit their website here.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/expo-360-charming-men-working-at-the-expo/ news_1135_1283765123 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 11:25:23 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/munching-matilda-norway/ news_1132_1283763583 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:59:43 +0200 Swedish pavilion guide Erik Zhang has played basket ever since childhood: “I love playing ball, it’s one of my big interests!” When he heard about the Expo basketball tournament he wasn’t slow to put together a team consisting of himself, Erik Bergenholtz, Chen Xi and Fei Fan. They call themselves Sweden Streets. “We haven’t been practising together,” says Erik Bergenholtz, “but we have fun playing together, that’s the most important.” All team members agree to this and it’s obvious that the spirits are high in our Swedish-Chinese team. In spite of three lost games in a row, the players are far from disheartened. “We simply met teams who were better than we are,” Chen Xi states. “For being the first time we played together I think we did a real good job,” says Erik Zhang. The Swedish team received great support from the audience. “I enjoyed the fact that people were cheering for us. Of course, the question still remains whether they were cheering for us or laughing at us,” says Erik Bergenholtz wryly. “We clearly had the best supporter fan base.” ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/slam-dunk/ news_1128_1283747020 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 06:23:40 +0200 How come pavilion guide Erik Zhang owns a pair of Superlucky Sneakers? Pavilion guide Erik Zhang bought a pair of red-and-white sneakers two months ago, but never had the opportunity to use them. When the World Expo basketball tournament was announced, Erik thought it was about time of dust off the shoes – they would be perfect for the competition. Erik brought the shoes to the pavilion and asked all colleagues to sign them. It wasn’t long before both shoes were completely filled with wishes of luck and signatures. “It’s only been four days and I’ve already collected everybody’s name. Everyone’s there! It’s over 70 people,” Erik tells us. Taking a closer look, it becomes obvious that the pavilion co-workers haven’t only been writing signatures. Here and there are personal messages, little hearts and countless wishes of luck. “This is very precious to me,” he elaborates. “It brings luck.” Erik liked the result so much he felt unwilling to use them in the competition. “But the power is still there! When I compete I will have the full support of the whole pavilion! That feels enormous!” And as expected, Erik Zhang was in his best shape on the court. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/superlucky-sneakers/ news_1127_1283743613 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 05:26:53 +0200 By Charlotte Johnsson 2010 is an important and exciting year for the Swedes for many different reasons. It is not only the year when Sweden can show off its innovative spirit at Expo 2010 in Shanghai, it is also the year of the much talked about Crown Princess wedding, and last but not least, the general elections are coming up in September. This year Swedes in Shanghai were offered to vote in a new innovative way. On September 2 Catharina Cappelin from the Consulate General came to the pavilion, and with much curiosity and anticipation some of the pavilion staff was watching her as an election booth was installed in the Swedish pavilion, and for the first time ever general elections were held at a World Expo.This initivative was much appreciated by many of the guides, who thought it was very convenient and innovative to vote at work. Outside the booth there was much exitement and not only guides came to vote but also representatives from partner companies in Shanghai enjoyed taking part in Expo election day. Even some of the office staff got spirited away by this innovation and took part in the elections. Maria Warren works as the communications manager in the pavilion and thinks that it is exciting to be able to affect the result even though she is so far away from Sweden. She stays updated by reading newspapers and blogs on the internet were she also watches political debates. She stresses that it is still as important to vote when you are abroad as in Sweden and use that right to vote that you have as a Swedish citizen. One of the other guides agrees and points out that it is also a resposibility to vote and hopes that the participation in the elections will be high this year.Catharina Cappelin confirms that the Swedes in Shanghai has shown a very big interest in this years election. And she is pleased to see that the interest for Sweden is so big amongst Swedes living abroad. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/election-day-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1126_1283740301 Mon, 06 Sep 2010 04:31:41 +0200 The last week of August ended with high level visits and we welcome the new month with a big big smile. Quelle fantastique! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-august-30-september-5/ news_1124_1283680919 Sun, 05 Sep 2010 12:01:59 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/in-commemoration-of-hungry-henrik/ news_1118_1283500585 Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:56:25 +0200 August 31, Jam Hsiao, who is a pop singer from the Taiwan TV talent show "Super Star Boulevard", visited the Swedish pavilion. During his tour around our pavilion, he was curious and interested in the exhibitions and its interactive parts. Xu Yun, who guided Jam said afterwards “he was very easy-going and nice and I was a little bit nervous to be honest” After the visit, Jam was very impressed by the Environmental Challenges Hall and said ”this is great, very much to with the city and the Expo theme!” ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photo-taiwanese-pop-singer-jam-hsiao-visited-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1114_1283410813 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 09:00:13 +0200 As two northern countries across the oceans, Canada and Sweden have much in common when it comes to geography, demography, social system and culture. For instance, both people have learned to endure long-lasting, freezing winters, have a democracy and a well-developed social welfare system, share a passion for ice hockey and also worth mentioning, they both have their representatives that are well-known to Chinese, with Canada’s being “Dashan” and Sweden’s being “Lao Wa”. The theme of the Canadian pavilion for Expo 2010 is “The Living City: inclusive, sustainable, creative”. It is a theme that is reflective of the overall theme” Better City, Better Life” and it aims towards demonstrate the tolerance and inclusiveness that Canada as a democratic country has towards it cultural diversity and multi ethnic groups. The cities in Canada offer high quality living and showcase urban practice on sustainable development. I was toured around the pavilion by the guide Eamon. Entering the pavilion, I was surprised by its gigantic size. This large public space encourages interaction and a community feeling. The exterior skin of the pavilion is composed of 4000 m2 of Canadian red cedar, certified by the Canada Wood Association and Canada Wood China. The wooden structure can easily be dismantled and thus be reused after the Expo which caters to the need of sustainability. The green wall of ever green seedlings serves both as a symbol of urban greenizing and as a natural bio air filter. For the purpose of intensifying the interaction with the visitors, modern, contemplative, original music composed by “Cirque Du Soleil” surrounds the space and helps the visitors ponder the general theme.Close to the end of the tour, I asked Eamon a few questions about him. He told me that before coming to China, he worked for a construction company and had learned Chinese for a while in Taiwan.I asked him how he finds this Expo experience, and he said that he thinks it is quite an amazing experience, to be able to communicate and interact with as many as 70 million Chinese people. Through getting into contact with them, he feels that he can not only improve his Chinese skills, but also practice communication skills in interacting with various kinds of people. Besides, to have the chance of working in such a spectacular pavilion is in itself something worthy of feeling excited about, he says.I was curious to know what he expects from the job in return, and he replied that people vary from one another, and he hopes that he can reach different groups, cater to their needs and make them satisfied. At the same time, Eamon hopes that he can improve his cultural understanding and tolerance. In the end he wishes that all the guests visiting the Canadian pavilion will have a satisfactory experience.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-canada/ news_1112_1283404122 Thu, 02 Sep 2010 07:08:42 +0200 There are a bunch of extra hands working outside of the pavilion; they are not the well-known “Cabbage” but rather the lovely “blue elves”. In this week’s Guide’s Talk, we will cast the spotlight onto those supportive friends. “Opps, we are so gonna endure another several hours’ sunbathing…”I have nothing more in mind besides the fact that I have to head nine-o’clock scorching sun. The grilling weather seems once again elongate the distance between the expo exit of line 13 and Swedish pavilion. Yet a glance at the large chunk of ice at the pavilion entrance soothes my worry –yeah, there they are, the “blue elves” have like usual stood on their positions on time. After spending time together in the past several months, our pavilion guides really owe a lot of thanks to those volunteers working on the out-front. With their existence, the position “Outside Queue” is no longer annoying as it once was, and the working pressure loaded on each and every one of our guides gets really reduced to a great extent . Working as a press guide today, I took the opportunity to give those lovely elves an interview, hoping to get to know them better. Keke(reporter) : Please introduce yourself.Answer: Taopu County Team Five: lock Le Li Keke: the total working hour per dayAnswer: from the opening of the pavilion till the closing time (ie. Half past nine to ten), with a two –hour- long rest. Keke: the transportation tool to and from work?Answer: get up around six in the morning and get picked up by the collective bus at ten past seven , entering into the Expo park around eight. Keke: how about your food?Answer: Staff Canteen, 15 RMB standard lunches, so far satisfied, as long as we are no hungrier. Keke: the most bizarre question from the visitors?Answer: asking what pavilion it is and where is the cable car that you can actually find in Swiss pavilion? Keke: the changes on you after working so longAnswer: thinner body type and darker tone Keke :why not apply some sun-block cream?Answer: at the beginning I would use that working eight hours a day, but as time goes by I sort of get tired of doing that since it does not help much anyway. Keke : what is your opinion for Swedes after working with them for several months? Answer: fluent in Chinese， good-looking , civilized and highly –qualifiedGuide: Keke Chen From: shanghaiAge: 23Super power: transcending time spaceFavorite exhibition hall: solution hallMost looking forward to: performance by Street By Sweden Understanding toward the theme of the pavilion: Innovation is the impulsive sparkle of inspiration]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-the-extra-hands-outside-the-pavilion/ news_1104_1283238890 Tue, 31 Aug 2010 09:14:50 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-switzerland/ news_1099_1283157633 Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:40:33 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/the-expo-grandmother/ news_1096_1282998447 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 14:27:27 +0200 The past week has been filled with happy, exciting and sad moments. Check out the pictures and learn all about it. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-23-298/ news_1095_1282993788 Sat, 28 Aug 2010 13:09:48 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-chinese-pippi-longstocking-in-sweden-pavilion/ news_1093_1282884323 Fri, 27 Aug 2010 06:45:23 +0200 I have always wanted to go to Africa and the good thing about Expo is that here I can go anywhere in the world whenever I want. So in this week of pavilion friends, Maria and I decided to take a trip to the south-central African continent and the country Angola. As we approached Africa Square the Shanghai summer heat helped us imagine that we now had switched continents with the hot winds sweeping around us from the Angola desert. Soon we could see the Angola pavilion rising ahead of us like a big green plant, which is actually what it is. The construction of the pavilion is shaped after a special desert plant called Welwitschia, which is considered to be a living fossil. It can get up to 2000 years old! Inside the pavilion we met some of the guides working there and we got a guided tour through the exhibition that tells the story of Angola, from 2000 years ago until today. We went from the rock painting period to the story of kingdoms, the horrible slave trade to the years of colony and of course the declaration of independence for the Republic of Angola in 1975. The theme for the pavilion is New Angola, Better Life and our friendly guide told us that Angola now is building up their economy on the industry of oil and diamantes. One of the funniest things in the Angola pavilion was however the 4D cinema. The wind blows in our hair while flying over the landscape of Angola and suddenly an elephant comes in our way and Maria shouts out loud when it feels like the chair is going to break. A very interesting experience, I must say… Overall we had a nice visit in the Angola pavilion and one day I know I will do this trip again, but by then I will take the step outside of the Expo world and maybe meet some elephants in real life! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-angola/ news_1090_1282795736 Thu, 26 Aug 2010 06:08:56 +0200 Us ”old” guides have experienced a lot lately. On the one hand, we have had to say goodbye to some of our dear colleagues, who have left for pursuing their studies. As the Chinese saying goes, all good things must come to an end. But we believe there will be a day that we can be together again. On the other hand, we are also very happy to see new colleagues come and they have quickly become a part of the big family. What kind of family is it? What does the Swedish pavilion look like in these new guides’ eyes? Interviewees:Aron: from the Expo bureau, responsible for the Expo stampsChen Jiang Jun: from IKEA, responsible for the IKEA kitchen in the exhibitionYuan Zhen: new guide, from China.Sophia: sent by ABB and responsible for the ABB robots in the exhibition.Viggo: new guide, from Stockholm, Sweden.How long have you been here? And do you still remember the first day here? Aron: 28th, July is my first day here. I can clearly remember the deputy Commissioner General of Sweden Pavilion, Nina, together with our team leader, who gave us a warm welcome and showed us around. We even tried the slide that day. Chen Jiang Jun: In the first few days, we tried to learn the story of the exhibition as well as every object in the IKEA kitchen. People here are very kind and helpful. They helped us find our own locker. I felt great.Yuan Zhen: I’ve been here for two weeks. I started to work the first day so I didn’t even have time to get my uniform and I knew nothing about the pavilion. Thanks to my colleagues who helped me a lot. I had the night shift that day, so by the time I was off, there was no subway. So I had to transfer to a bus first, and then take a taxi home. By the time I got home, it was already one o’clock.Sophia: I’ve been here for only a week. Our colleagues are all very friendly. During lunch time, we sit down together, eat and talk, which feels really good.Viggo: I’ve been here for two weeks. I feel good. Colleagues are all very nice. What impressed you the most in our pavilion?Aron: The third hall—a sustainable society. This is a very good concept. I mean, in a sustainable society, everything is connected. Swedish people pay a lot of attention to the environment, which is the right thing to do.Chen Jiang Jun: My favorite are the five pictures in the second hall. Swedish way to solve environmental challenges is something that we can learn from. For example garbage recycling, I think everyone can contribute to it, and every family is responsible for it.Yuan Zhen: The most impressive one is, of course, the slide.Sophia: The IKEA kitchen and the Pippi’s cartoon pictures are very impressive to me.Viggo: the slide. I’ve tried like 20 times. What do you think of the staff food here? Aron: It’s OK.Chen Jiang Jun: Not good.Yuan Zhen: Not bad.Sophia: I didn’t expect lunch here. It’s very nice that the pavilion can provide food. Viggo: Sometimes it’s good.Our work can sometimes be boring and tiring, but our guides always seem to find ways to keep the spirit up. As Aron said “We can be innovative and make the work interesting”, “you can always get support and help from your colleagues, either Chinese, or Swedish, or “banana man”(Swedish born Chinese)”.Guide: Zhang YuFrom: Hangzhou, Zhejiang Superpower: prediction What's your favorite part of the exhibition?The atmosphere hall.What event do you look forward to the most?Staff tripWhat’s your understanding of “Spirit of Innovation”:As the light can bring people warmth and hope, innovation makes the world a better place to live.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-new-guides-new-experience-in-sweden-pavilion/ news_1088_1282627387 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:23:07 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/exploring-the-pavilion-medical-innovation-on-the-innovation-wall/ news_1087_1282626933 Tue, 24 Aug 2010 07:15:33 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-2-000-000th-visitor-of-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1085_1282558309 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 12:11:49 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-2-000-000th-visitor/ news_1082_1282550036 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 09:53:56 +0200 Since August 20, the innovation stage at the Swedish pavilion has been the scene of an autistic children painting exhibition, held by AstraZeneca together with Shanghai Aihao Children Rehabilitation Center. Almost 50 paintings created by autistic children are displayed, and they are full of color and creativity. A lot of visitors are deeply touched by the drawings and have left video messages of warm wishes to the children. These messages will be made into a DVD and sent to the children and their families after the exhibition is finished. Autistic children have problems communicating with people and tend to be very lonely. The cause of this disease is still unclear, and research have shown that to take good care of one autistic patient require at least three people. - There are about 67 million autistic persons worldwide. Even though we don’t have the statistics of the autistic patients in China, we probably have over one million people, since one out of a thousand is born with this disease. This large group is starving for care and understanding from the society. says Li Shanguo, Director of the WCH and CDC department (the Disease Control and Prevention and the Women's and Children's Health department) of Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau. - These children don’t lack feelings and they long for communication with other people just like all of us. However, their way of communicating is different, and painting can work as a window for them to express their thoughts and feelings. This can also help us to further understand their world and create more efficient communication channels with them. Our original idea with this exhibition was to let our children communicate with the outside world by their paintings and take part in the Expo in their own way, and with the help of the Expo, leverage the need for more care and understanding from the society. says Yang Xiaoyan, Principal of Shanghai Aihao Children Rehabilitation Center The exhibition will last until September 2, and then move on to the UK pavilion for another three weeks. If you wish to express anything to these children, please write to info@expo2010.se, and you get the chance to win a small gift from us as a thanks.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/autistic-children-painting-exhibition/ news_1081_1282544094 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:14:54 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-czech-republic/ news_1079_1282540794 Mon, 23 Aug 2010 07:19:54 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-august-16-22/ news_1075_1282448837 Sun, 22 Aug 2010 05:47:17 +0200 August 16 is, according to the Chinese lunar calendar, regarded as the traditional Chinese Valentines’ day. With its arrival, a tint of honey sweetness started permeating into the air and carrying with it the joy of being in love. People in love will send each other gifts like chocolate and other choose to get married on this very special day. To warm up the merry atmosphere even more, a special wedding ceremony was held on the Expo Puxi side, at the Korean Enterprise Pavilion. I had the honor of doing the on-spot reporting and witnessing the whole process of the ceremony. After a short conversation with the chief Mrs Xin, I found out that the couple about to get married was actually chosen from a campaign arranged by the pavilion on the theme of “cross-cultural marriage” as an act of promoting the friendly cultural bond between Korea and China. The touching story behind the couple, Mr Zhang and Mrs Lv, was the main reason why they finally got chosen as one of the four couples, being the only exception as a domestic couple. Mr Zhang, who is paralyzed, could not afford a wedding ceremony when they registered. But regardless of the poor economic condition and Mr Zhang’s physical inconvenience, Mrs Lv has been staying close by his side, taking care of all the home chores without a single word of complaining. 30 years of unrewarded endeavors has only been based on a simple promise ”if you treat me well, I will be your arms and legs”. The persevered and unselfish efforts made by Mrs Lv inspired her husband to sign up for the campaign and they ended up winning the hearts of the jury. Their prize was all venue arrangements made, dressing and make-up for the ceremony, 50 free Expo tickets for their wedding guests and a honeymoon trip to the famous Jieju Island in Korea. Towards the end of our conversation, I asked Mr Zhang to give some blessings to those in love and he replied ”a most simple promise at the wedding altar makes a lifelong commitment which should be treasured along with all the love acts throughout one’s life“. With those words, Mr Zhang turned to his wife with tears in his eyes.As hard as it already is to find each other in the beginning of your life, the harder it should be to maintain the deep love throughout the life. This belated wedding ceremony is an evidence of true love. It is not a start but rather a continuation. As the name ”Pearl Marriage” indicates, the love between the couple radiates the most fabulous color like a well-polished pearl, shining and everlasting. I extend my most sincere blessings to their future together, may they have each other’s company in life’s ups and downs and carry forth their love till death does them apart. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-south-korea-enterprise-pavilion/ news_1069_1282208923 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 11:08:43 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-chinese-valentines-day/ news_1065_1282204537 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 09:55:37 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-heroes-of-newerth-china-vs-sweden/ news_1063_1282195387 Thu, 19 Aug 2010 07:23:07 +0200 As a guide in the Swedish pavilion, I normally receive almost 20 000 guests from all over the world every day. Many of them like our first exhibition hall, the Atmosphere Hall, very much and love to spin the cylinders and take pictures with them. They seem to enjoy to get a taste if the “real Sweden and the Swedish lifestyle". Visitors are at first always curious about everything and ask me lots of questions about Swedish tourism, such as which places in Sweden are interesting? What do Swedes eat? Are all Swedes blonds? What are the symbols of Sweden? What is particularly must-buy products in Sweden? and so on. I feel that the Swedish pavilion is like a cultural bridge connecting Chinese visitors to Sweden. Through all our exhibition pictures, items and videos, the visitors start to develop an interest towards this Nordic country, and then they will maybe travel to Sweden. Sweden, a distant Nordic country in the Scandinavian peninsula, leaves Chinese people images such as "remote", "natural", "forests", "perfect welfare", "Vikings", "Northern Lights" and many more. Before the Expo, to many Chinese people, travelling to Sweden is such a "Norse mythology" - a dream hard to realize. But in fact, travelling to Sweden, no matter if you go with a package tour or DIY travel, is not so far away. In the Swedish pavilion and our guides, the visitors can get more tourism information about this amazing land. Thus, in addition to doing guided tours in the Swedish pavilion, I still feel that I should share my own experience about travelling in Sweden with those who have not yet got the chance to go there. So from now on, I will not only introduce the Swedish culture and spirit of innovation in the pavilion, I will also write a column about "The Swedish pavilion and travel in Sweden" here at swedenexpo.cn. So stay tuned for some really nice inside tips about this mythical country in the north... Guide: Vicky Qi Li From: Changsha, HunanAge:25Superpower: Leap and divergent thinking / Courage of rising to any challengeWhat's your favorite part of the exhibition? - The last hall, Hall of Innovation SocietyWhat's event do you look forward to the most in the Swedish Pavilion? - Princess's comingIf you would describe Sweden in one sentence, what would it be? - It is peaceful, simple, restrained and harmonious in style, just like my favorite classical music.How do you understand the Swedish theme, "Spirit of Innovation"?: - Innovation can be found anywhere no matter in Swedish pavilion or in everybody's life.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-the-swedish-pavilion-and-travelling-in-sweden/ news_1058_1282103082 Wed, 18 Aug 2010 05:44:42 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-usa/ news_1054_1281948018 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 10:40:18 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/dogge-doggelito-a-rap-wizard-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1052_1281943305 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 09:21:45 +0200 Recently a wave of pin collecting has hit the Swedish pavilion. Guide Xiaoxia is one of the collectors. It is said that a lot of frenetic fans have popped up at Expo. They are for example fans of handsome foreign guys, fans of memorial pins, fans of pavilion stamps, fans of delicious cuisine etcetera. Now the pin collecting trend is taking over our pavilion too, and it all began with a beautiful girl working at Invest in Sweden. As a guide working for Invest in Sweden, which is a government organization functioning as a facilitator for foreign companies who want to invest in Sweden, Xiaoxia’s role is to introduce to interested investors to Swedish culture and business environment. This gives her many opportunities than the other guides to collect pins. In the middle of one of Xiaoxia’s breaks, swedenexpo.cn got an interview with her.Swedenexpo.cn: How did you come up with the idea of collecting pins?Xiao Xia: Well, I didn’t have interest in pins in the first place and actually considered collecting them being rather childish. But one day, a guide from the German pavilion gave me a very nice pin which touched me deeply. So then and there I got the impulse to start collecting them. Once I think of the symbolic meaning that every single pin has in representing the pavilions, the collecting actually becomes a quite meaningful act . Swedenexpo.cn: How many pins have you collected? (by August 13)Xiao Xia: From my start last Sunday I have already collected 47. I got another one from my colleague just now so altogether I have 48 .(by August 13)Swedenexpo.cn: What is your goal, how many do you want to collect until the end of the Expo?Xiao Xia: I want my collection to become the biggest of the Expo. I have heard that there is a guy owning 400 something pins but I do believe that I can beat that. But recently I got the news that someone has already collected more than 15 kg which equals more than 2000 pins, and I guess that would be a bit hard to exceed. Swedenexpo.cn: Which are the most meaningful ones in your collection?Xiao Xia: The most meaningful ones are all those sent to me by my friends. They are all my favorites and most precious pins. I have even made a pin board for my collection, and encarved into the board below each pin are their names. For instance, I particularly treasure the national flag pin from the US pavilion that has a lot of bling-bling on it. It can’t be bought so I regard it as a gem in my collection. The pin from the Japanese pavilion is also very nice. Xiaoxia emigrated to Sweden when she was six, and now she is back in China working for the government affiliated bureau Invest in Sweden. The guiding experience that she gets when working in the pavilion is very special to her. When doing the guided tours, Xiaoxia feels that she can really identify with the innovative spirit that the Swedish pavilion stands for. It’s like something floating in the Swedes veins and she really shares this passion for innovation with her countrymen. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/the-super-pin-collector-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1050_1281941946 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 08:59:06 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-shop-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1048_1281937789 Mon, 16 Aug 2010 07:49:49 +0200 Recently, a voting box has appeared in our Swedish pavilion office, a “Smiling star” box. swedenexpo.cn is very curious about this idea. So today we will look into it and check it out. After a bit of research, we found out that it is arranged by the Expo bureau C district in order to choose the smiling star among the staff of the pavilions. From the beginning of June, the smiling stars will be chosen from all the pavilions in the Expo C district. For the Swedish guides, it is a big opportunity to have fun, but also to have a little break from the job. During these weeks, the voting box has been filled with votes, and every Swedish guide has given their votes to their own smiling star. So let us wait and see who’s will win the most charming smile according to the Swedish guides. As we know, the Expo bureau will soon announce the “Smiling star” of July, and we are looking forward to witnessing a Swedish guide on the “Smiling star” list. Maybe, you visitors also have your own smiling star of the Swedish pavilion. You might even be thinking of the same person, or maybe you are thinking of someone else? It doesn’t matter; you can always send us a letter and tell us about your smiling star. info@expo2010.se]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/the-smiling-star-of-the-swedish-pavillion/ news_1045_1281876564 Sun, 15 Aug 2010 14:49:24 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/street-by-sweden-is-cancelled-for-mourning-victims-on-sunday/ news_1039_1281781563 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 12:26:03 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-august-9-15/ news_1037_1281769507 Sat, 14 Aug 2010 09:05:07 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-from-sweden-with-love/ news_1036_1281699974 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:46:14 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-a-fair-deal-for-everyone-csr-forum/ news_1035_1281694015 Fri, 13 Aug 2010 12:06:55 +0200 Sweden and Norway have always been good neighbors with some kind of love and hate relationship to each other. You could say that our countries are just like two brothers that like to tease each other but with lots of love underneath. In Sweden we have Norway stories where we like to make fun of Norwegians, like for instance:“What is the difference between Norway and outer space? – In outer space there is hope for intelligent life.”“Why does Norwegians carry a car door in to the desert? – So that they can pull done the window if it gets too hot.”We Swedes think this is hilarious, but in Norway they actually have exactly the same stories but with Sweden and Swedes as the main characters instead… In this week’s Pavilion friends I decided to visit our beloved neighbours to see how things are going in Norway.Norway is a country with a lot of beautiful nature and their theme for the Expo is “Powered by Nature”. Just like we brought the glue tree to the Swedish pavilion structure, the Norwegians brought the Norwegian pine tree and together with Chinese bamboo created a pavilion with the feeling of a Norwegian skiing cottage. According to the Norwegian guide Esten outdoor life is what Norway is all about, and inside the pavilion one can follow the Norwegians active life through small wooden sculptures that are climbing mountains, skiing, fishing etc. And talking about fishing, the most successful part of the Norwegian pavilion seems to be the restaurant where they serve the Norwegian salmon. Esten tells me that the restaurant always has plenty of visitors, both Chinese and foreigners, and everyone seems to be very impressed by the salmon. In Sweden we also eat a lot of salmon but according to the Sweden stories in Norway we haven’t really got a hold on it yet… What will Swedish people do if they caught a salmon while fishing?They will through it right back again. They can’t afford to eat such expensive fish. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friendsnorway-norway-old-friend/ news_1032_1281617300 Thu, 12 Aug 2010 14:48:20 +0200 Pippi Longstocking is one of the characters of the Swedish pavilion. She is the nine year old girl in the books by Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren. Pippi is bold, courageous, mischievous, and clever and has become something of a role model for a majority of the Swedish children, as almost everyone read about her during their childhood. Now, in the Swedish pavilion, without a time machine and not having to go back to Sweden which is Pippi Longstocking’s home, visitors can have fun with Pippi Longstocking here in Shanghai. Just come and join us in the Swedish pavilion, and we will show you how to become Pippi Longstocking. At the Dala horse square and by the Villa Villekulla playground, there are two Pippi Longstocking boards and this is where kids and adults who want to be Pippi can realize their dreams. The only thing you have to do is to go stand behind the frame, look through the hole and smile. Have a friend take as many pictures of you as you want, and voila, you are Pippi. Innovation and creativity has its base in play. swedenexpo.cn encourage everyone to have a try on being Pippi Longstocking. Strike a pose and be creative, and just maybe we will catch a picture of you with our professional Leica lens cameras. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/being-pippi-longstocking-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1024_1281411888 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:44:48 +0200 Two weeks ago the visitors got useful tips from Pino Chen on how to survive the hot summer at the Expo. We read about the high-powered electric fan, the ice and the café’s food stall, all provided to keep the visitors cool and calm. This week we are taking a closer look at how our Sweden pavilion guides are coping with the heat inside the pavilion. A rumor says that Zhu Lvxin has found a very innovative way to keep cool so we decided to find her and see what it is. Zhu Lvxin’s innovation consists of a hat that is shaped like an umbrella. She explains that it is very effective and protects her from the hot sun as well as the rain. The hat can be bought outside the entrance to the Expo and only costs 10 RMB. Inspired by Zhu Lvxin’s spirit of innovation, the search for other effective cooling systems continues around the pavilion. The next innovation to be found is the “Friend cooler” which basically consists of one very warm and one very friendly guide. The friendly guide uses his or her staff-pass and waves it as fast as possible in front of the warm guide. It is free of charge and quite effective since the Swedish pavilion is known for its many and friendly staff but how long it will last will depend on the physics of your friend. Last but not least, on our search for a great cooling innovation we find Bruce Zhao. He says that it helps to think positive thoughts when you are standing out in the sun. The image of swimming in a very cold pool keeps him through the day. Considering he recently got what we call a “farmer’s tan”, we would suggest him to put on some sun-lotion the next time he stands outside thinking about taking a swim. After a long and hard day of work, if the guides are still not cool enough they can always realize Bruce’s dream, do as the public visitors, and take a swim outside the Finnish Pavilion. Guide: Linda AnderssonFrom: Sweden, (Shanghai is my 2nd home)Age: 25Superpower: PersuasionWhat’s your favorite part of the pavilion? Swedish Atmosphere HallWhat pavilion event are you looking forward to the most? All events that include music, dance & sportWhat’s your understanding of “Spirit of Innovation”: My understanding is that to be able to be creative and innovative there has to be an environment that is nurturing peoples’ thoughts and ideas. There has to be a positive spirit towards thinking outside the box, keeping an open mind and daring to speak out, otherwise thoughts will remain thoughts. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-the-sweden-pavilion-guides-under-the-shanghai-sun/ news_1023_1281411460 Tue, 10 Aug 2010 05:37:40 +0200 Aug 16 is the Chinese Valentine’s Day. On this special occasion, the souvenir shop of the Swedish Pavilion is introducing the Royal wedding chocolate, limited edition to the public. This chocolate was made especially for the wedding of the Swedish crown princess, celebrating the big event. On June 19, Sweden’s crown princess Victoria and her fiancé Daniel Westling got married in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden and it has become a much talked about love story in European Royal history. It has been confirmed that the newly wedded princess and her husband will visit the Swedish Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo on October 13, and we very much look forward to welcoming them here. On the Chinese Valentine’s Day, Aug 16, swedenexpo.cn would like to recommend the Swedish Royal wedding chocolate to the visitors of the Swedish pavilion. Give it to your loved ones and enjoy the sweet taste of love. Price of the Royal wedding chocolate box (limited edition): 198RMB ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/recommendation-for-chinese-valentines-dayswedish-royal-wedding-chocolate/ news_1019_1281348831 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 12:13:51 +0200 During August 8-9, Dreamhack held qualifying matches in the Swedish pavilion. A lucky young man won a flight ticket and the honor to represent China at the world's largest computer gaming festival in November. For two full days gamers played Heroes of Newerth at the Innovation Stage of the Swedish pavilion. After a final two-hour match the lucky winner was known yesterday afternoon. Dan Che (单车), is a 22-year old young man from Anhui. He has been a professional gamer for a year, and is well-known within the gaming community. However, he has only played the game of the competition, Heroes of Newerth, for two weeks. His old favourite game is DOTA, a multiplayer game based on World of Warcraft. Because there are a lot of similarities between the two games he has learnt quickly. And now he prefers the new game."DOTA has a lot of bugs. This is a lot faster", he said. His trip to represent China at Dreamhack in Sweden during November 25-28 will be his first visit to Europe, and he's excited."It feels really awesome", he said. Click here to see Dan Che in DOTA action on web TV. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/gamers-of-the-world-unite-dreamhack/ news_1018_1281346725 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:38:45 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-yoga-class-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_1015_1281338039 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 09:13:59 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-singapore/ news_997_1281321614 Mon, 09 Aug 2010 04:40:14 +0200 Sweden is known as one of the most innovative nations in the world and the world famous birthplace of the Nobel Prize. Although Sweden is a small country with only 450,000 square kilometers land it has many world-renowned Fortune 500 companies. In our pavilion, there is a wall in the Spirit of Innovation Hall, which is also called "Spirit of Innovation”. On the wall, it shows more than 50 pictures of innovative representatives of Sweden in fields of technology, business life, health care, telecommunications, social construction, etc. All of these innovative products are giving the visitors an idea of how innovation makes life better in Sweden and the rest of the world. With a short stay in front of the wall during the pavilion tour, with only help from a few descriptions below each picture, visitors may not know the whole idea behind the innovative idea. Here we will gradually look into the distinguished Swedish inventions and help you to get to know each of them better and explain how they help Sweden and the world turn better. Firstly, the well-known Swedish brands on the wall that Chinese people usually recognize are: IKEA, H & M, Vodka, Volvo and Tetra Pak. The wall also displays many other crucial inventions which are invented by Swedes as well. The following inventions are such: Celsius thermometer, Hasselblad camera, Volvo's three-point seat belts, the global mobile communications series (GSM) ,handy baby bag, the first Coca-Cola bottle, deposit one machine dry Nobel explosives, SSA B high strength steel, Electrolux vacuum machine, innovation of the banking system, the Swedish Association of the wood pulp and paper construction, Skype, Tonium Pacemaker (the world's first Pocket DJ Mix Disc system), the 21st century Halda watch, algae cells (Algae battery), the green call key, electric wheelchairs, heart pacemakers, ball bearings, safety matches, adjustable wrench, zip, etc. In fact, all these inventions came true after long-term research and development. Furthermore, the Swedish innovation momentum continued to grow rapidly. From 2009 to 2012, the Swedish government will give an unprecedented increase of investment in R & D and innovations, and continue to encourage research on innovation and development. "Innovations do not only stay as ideas, they can be realized into actual products, something that can help people in their everyday life", this is the way Swedes understand innovation. In the following weeks, we will focus on each invention on this wall, and tell you more about their stories. By doing this, we try to give you a more vivid understanding of the Swedish spirit of innovation.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/exploring-the-pavilion-spirit-of-innovation-wall/ news_994_1281263134 Sun, 08 Aug 2010 12:25:34 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-august-2-8/ news_990_1281165633 Sat, 07 Aug 2010 09:20:33 +0200 A while back, I was contacted by a representative from SMG - Shanghai Media Group, asking if I would like to get interviewed and sing on national Chinese TV. It was a big show with appearances by Jackie Chan and other Eastern celebrities, and this time they wanted someone from the World Expo to come and sing and play games with some of China's most famous models. How could I say no? It was a considerably hot day in June as my girlfriend and I hopped into a taxi and travelled over to the SMG studio in Pudong. Things were confusing, and only once we arrived at the right place, talking to the right people and getting the right information, things got clearer. "Huarendazongyi (华人大综艺)" is a nation-wide hit show featuring Chinese celebrities playing games and having fun. What they wanted with a simple photographer/singer from the Swedish pavilion was hard to conclude. A couple of employees from the Norwegian pavilion; Kevin and Lars, backed out in the last minute, leaving only me with the TV people. Loosing backup and moral support from fellow Scandinavians left me unsure, but once on stage in full make-up and with microphone in hand, I couldn't help but enjoy myself. At first we talked a bit about Sweden and the Spirit of Innovation, and after that I sang and played a guessing game with the celebrities. To be honest, I did not entirely understand what was going on there on stage and in front of the cameras, but then again, I never really do... Click here to see the show at Dongfang Weishi's own website, the appearance is somewhere 55 minutes into the show. See the clip also at Youku, exact time is 54:24-63:14. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/singing-on-tv/ news_988_1281089432 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:10:32 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/the-swedish-pavilion-starts-reservation-for-evening-tickets/ news_987_1281082852 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:20:52 +0200 August 3, Chinese rapper C.J. performed together with Swedish hip hip artist Dogge Doggelito and crew. The crowd went wild as the b-boys free styled. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-volunteer-rapper/ news_986_1281082678 Fri, 06 Aug 2010 10:17:58 +0200 This week we set out to meet our colleagues from the Brazilian pavilion. In the midst of chitchatting we figured that we could also try to confirm the alleged rumor of Brazilian pavilion having not only very friendly, but also cute employees. Thanks goes out to the CCI guards for the tip. At the Brazilian pavilion we met up with Joey Zhou and Rena Le, two guides in their early twenties, both born and raised in Shanghai. We took the opportunity to ask them some questions. Hi, we come from swedenexpo.cn!Joey Zhou: Hi!Rena Lu: Hello, welcome!So, tell me, what’s the Brazilian pavilion about?Joey Zhou: It’s about making people happy. For example, by sport activities like soccer and volleyball or from samba dancing.Aha, and is that something that also reaches out your visitors?Joey Zhou: Yeah they really like it when we have samba dancers here. It’s quite exciting.Can you tell me anything fun that usually happens here?Joey Zhou: We usually get a lot of foreigners who claim that they are from Brazil to get easy access....But when we ask for their passports they turn out to be from somewhere else. I’m curious, what have you heard about the Swedish pavilion?Joey Zhou: That you have a slide! Actually I visited once and I liked that everyone no matter of the age could have fun in your pavilion. That’s very true actually, everyone can enjoy it. And, what have you heard about Sweden as a country?Joey Zhou: I think Sweden is like a garden, very clean. Also, I have a Swedish friend and she tells me it’s quite expensive to get a haircut in Sweden. Rena Le: Salmon, Swedish salmon!Yes, we all love that of course… Thanks for the visit girls!]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-brazil/ news_982_1280983773 Thu, 05 Aug 2010 06:49:33 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/in-astrid-lindgrens-footsteps/ news_981_1280913930 Wed, 04 Aug 2010 11:25:30 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-online-guided-tour-room-a/ news_977_1280821857 Tue, 03 Aug 2010 09:50:57 +0200 In August, the Swedish pavilion is launching several activities open to the public. We will also host a number of high-level seminars and forums. Activities open to the public : August 4, Family Musical Pippi LongstockingLocation: entrance hall, the Swedish PavilionTime slots: 11am, 14pm, 16pm Open to the public Family musical Pippi Longstocking will be performed on the stage at the Swedish pavilion on August 4 in collaboration with Swedish Arts Council. Pippi Longstocking is the most popular fairy tale in Sweden and large parts of the world.At the Innovation Stage, Pippi reading hours is open to all kids. Time slots: 11.30, 14.30, 15.30, 16.30August 3-15,Street by Sweden: Dogge DoggelitoLocation: entrance hall, the Swedish PavilionTime slots: 12:30, 14:30, 15:30 Open to the public Dogge Doggelito grew up in Sweden with a Swedish mother and a Venezuelan Father from the Caribbean. At an early age Dogge fell in love with the hip hop culture. He started to rap in 1986 in the Swedish band Latin Kings. At the age of 17 he got a contract with Warner Brothers. August 12-13, Street by Sweden: Con Amore Location: The Swedish pavilionOpen to the public Appearing at the Swedish pavilion August 12 and 13, as part of the Street by Sweden performance series produced by Cirkus Cirkör: Con Amore. Con Amore is a violin ensemble that consists of thirteen young violinists between the ages 9 and 19. The majority are Suzuki students who have begun playing by ear before being introduced to written music. Work in Con Amore focuses on each student’s individual musical development with an emphasis on the joy of joint music making. The violin ensemble performs with a repertoire that reaches from Bartok to Swedish and Finnish fiddling. In August, DreamHack is back on stage Location: Innovation Stage Date: 07-08,14-15,21-22,28-29 August.DreamHack comes back to the Innovation Stage in August. Dreamhack organizes very large LAN parties. The top participants will be flown to the Swedish pavilion again where they will compete with other international contestants at the Shanghai 2010 World Expo.Forums and Seminars : August 4, Seminar : "in the footsteps of Astrid Lindgren Contemporary Children’s Literature in Sweden and China".Location: 3F , The Swedish pavilionDate: August 4Astrid Lindgren, author of classics such as Pippi Longstocking and Emil i Lönneberga, is Sweden's most important children's book author. Her work has been translated into more than 90 languages all over the world. But when her books were first published, they chocked and provoked. The strong children and independent girls of her books were very much ahead of their time. In China, the sales for Astrid Lindgren's titles have accumulated up to over one million copies and attract many Chinese kids. August 4, a seminar will be held in the Swedish pavilion, called "In the footsteps of Astrid Lindgren: Contemporary Children’s Literature in Sweden and China".August 11-12 CSR Forum Location: 3F , The Swedish pavilionDate: August 11-12The forum on corporate responsibility will be a discussion on how companies can become internationally successful. Using Sweden as an example it will show how corporate responsibility and the corporate values has been keys in giving Swedish companies a good reputation and market advantages worldwide. For more information about the events, pls. go to event page]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-coming-up-next-from-august-1-to-15/ news_974_1280739800 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 11:03:20 +0200 The midsummer day in the Swedish pavilion was a special day for me because it was the first time I volunteered to be a flower-arranger’s assistant. Although quite some time has passed since midsummer I still to this day enjoy reminiscing about it by talking to my friends. In order to celebrate this festival, the Swedish Pavilion invited two experienced flower-arrangers: Gunnar Kaj and Elaine Jansson who previously decorated the Nobel Prize banquet in Stockholm. Although I have celebrated many midsummers in Sweden I had never made a wreath before. With the help of Gunnar and Elaine, I completed my first one. Some of the visitors of the Swedish Pavilion also had the opportunity to wear the chains and take photos. Just like the Swedish Midsummer tradition we danced around a maypole that was decorated with leaves and flowers. This gathered quite a crowd and many people eagerly watched us dancing while taking photos. Since most of our visitors are Chinese it felt nice to demonstrate a different custom to them. If you want to experience the most traditional Swedish midsummer, I highly recommend the Swedish county “Dalarna”. During Midsummer people will wear their national costumes, dance folk dance around the pole to violin and accordion music and eat pickled herring, eggs, fresh potatoes and strawberries. This county, Dalarna is also famous for the Dala horse which can be seen in front of the Swedish pavilion.Even though we are already in Shanghai’s hot month of August, I still can feel the pleasant and cool June breath whenever I recall my experience as a volunteer for the midsummer festivities. We are going to show more of this kind of traditional activities to visitors during the Expo, which can increase the cultural exchanges between our two countries and hopefully bring Sweden closer to our guests. Guide: Li SuFrom: Shanghai/SwedenAge: 26Superpower: mind readerWhat’s your favorite part of the pavilion? Swedish Atmosphere HallWhat pavilion event are you looking forward to the most? The visit of crown princess Victoria and her husband.What’s your understanding of “Spirit of Innovation”: Innovation is prerequisite for social progress. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-volunteering-during-the-midsummer-day-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_973_1280739452 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:57:32 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-turkey/ news_971_1280736930 Mon, 02 Aug 2010 10:15:30 +0200 Here we have this week's batch of unforgettable memories, captured through the lenses of our Swedenexpo.cn pavilion photographers. The 1.500.000th visitor, meat slicing, office relaxing, TV celebrities, Danish girl's choirs, you name it - we've got it. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-july-26-august-1/ news_964_1280646856 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 09:14:16 +0200 The Shanghai Rolex Masters organized the Tennis4EXPO tournament at Qizhong tennis center recently and the siblings and Swedish pavilion guides Linda and Fredrik Andersson came 3rd in the tournament. A lot of other pavilion guides took part in the tournament, among the pavilions that send out guides to compete were Chile, Finland, Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. The real thing, the ATP Shanghai Rolex Masters will be held at Qizhong Tennis centre the 9-17th of October. Two lucky winners from the Czech pavilion won class A tickets for the Masters in October. But after a long day of tennis, a third placement and two big cans of beer the Swedish participants went home happy and kind of satisfied. From true competitors, as Swedes can be you, you could still hear some complaining on the bus home: “We were so close”, said Linda about their loss in the semi-finals. “I really thought we had them there for a while”. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-participation-in-tennis4expo/ news_963_1280633610 Sun, 01 Aug 2010 05:33:30 +0200 How do the Swedes spend their summer here in Shanghai? Do they go to the beach or exercise and sweat? Well, in the Swedish Pavilion, we have another choice: yoga.Ana Pang, VIP reception manager at the Swedish pavilion, initiated a yoga course, injecting a refreshing flow of quietness and meditation into the pavilion of “Spirit of Innovation”. Swedenexpo.cn took the chance to try it out. With the melodious yoga music, it was time for relaxation. Get your yoga mat. Close your eyes as the music goes. Adjust your breath. Let go of all the irritations. Follow the teacher and return to the starting point of your body. Stretch as hard as you can. Have before your eyes Sweden, the tranquil Northern European country, and its casual lifestyle. Now, you are free from the chaos. What is left is only meditation and freedom. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/peaceful-yoga-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_960_1280468980 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:49:40 +0200 The Swedish pavilion started to use reservation machine in the middle of July. By using the reservation tickets, our visitors may use our easy access line and try the slide. But how does it work? Today, Aileen Li from swedenexpo.cn takes us through the process.Step one: how to make reservation There are two reservation machines at the entrance line of the Swedish pavilion. They are open every day from 9:00. About 800 tickets are provided daily. Using your expo ticket will give you a voucher in return. But remember, your expo ticket can only be used once. Tips: From our experience we can tell you that most of the vouchers have been distributed around noon, so we suggest that you come to the reservation machine in the morning to get your voucher. Step two: how to use the reservation machine The reservation machine of the Swedish pavilion is just like all the other reservation machines at the expo site. The instructions are as follows: Insert your Expo ticket. Then the reservation voucher will automatically be printed out. Very simple. On the voucher you will find the date, your reservation time and the ticket code. Tips: Reservation can be made every half an hour from 10:30 to 20:00 Step 3: How to enter the pavilion with your voucher The entrance for visitors with the voucher is next to the VIP entrance (near the Dala horses). Show your expo ticket together with your voucher and the security officer at the door will let you in after a ticket validation check. Tips: Please visit our pavilion strictly in accordance with the time shown on your voucher. Otherwise, it will be out of date and you will get rejected at the entrance. Step 4: How to try the slide with your voucher Please remember that our slide is only open to those who have the vouchers. The slide is in the third exhibition hall. At the slide entrance, please hand in your voucher to the guide or security officer there. After his/her check, you are welcome to enter and try the slide. Tips: The slide is open from 10:30 to 20:00. Please obey our guide’s instructions while using the slide. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/useful-tips-for-reservation-of-tickets-for-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_959_1280468187 Fri, 30 Jul 2010 07:36:27 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-switzerland/ news_954_1280380873 Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:21:13 +0200 On Monday, July 26, NBA superstars from the Houston Rockets visited the Swedish pavilion together with a class of poverty stricken children from the Anhui hope school. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-basketball-bonanza-in-swedish-pavilion/ news_949_1280310803 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:53:23 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-interview-with-the-rope-artist-junkka-juntti/ news_947_1280309067 Wed, 28 Jul 2010 11:24:27 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-interview-with-the-visitors-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_944_1280217684 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 10:01:24 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-south-korea/ news_942_1280205264 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:34:24 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-have-you-seen-haibao-in-orange/ news_940_1280204341 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 06:19:01 +0200 During this hot summer, visitors coming to the Swedish pavilion will see the pavilion guides holding a pretty bottle in their hand. This is our water source which comes from Tetra Pak, the world's leading food processing and packaging solutions company. During the Tetra Pak pavilion day in July, swedenexpo.cn took the chance to experience the Swedish ”spirit of innovation” and see how a Swedish company really implements innovation into our daily life. We wanted to examine this creative packaging carton from three different angles: design, sustainability and convenience.Test one: DesignBoth our pavilion staff and all the VIPs who visit our pavilion like this small bottle because of its charming and simple look, showing a sense of dynamic along with the colorful logo of the Swedish pavilion. It reflects the ever changing flow of energy of Sweden.Swedenexpo.cn comments: innovation can create fashion as well. H&M, the Swedish fashion clothing brand is a good case which is well-known all over the world by young trendy adults. Test two: SustainabilityAs we all know, Sweden is known as a nation of forest thanks to its high forest coverage. The packaging board comes solely from sustainable forests in Sweden, that is, forests recognized by the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council). The forests are continuingly replanted with new trees, to ensure the sustainable development of forests and reduce the impact on climate change. Swedenexpo.cn comments: The green value is really everywhere. Test three: Convenience Finally we tested the practicality of this little bottle. After nearly three months of trial, the pavilion guides say that it is easy and comfortable to grip and convenient to carry around. Swedenexpo.cn comments: for a guide who handle nearly 20.000 visitors a day, practicality is definitely the most basic requirement. Sweden is not big but has many world-renowned companies. Today this small package case also tells us that innovation, whether it is big or small, is a matter of applying it to real life.For more innovative cases of Swedish companies, welcome to visit our pavilion or click on our website-spirit of innovation hall]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/exploring-the-pavilion-our-drinking-water/ news_938_1280131998 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 10:13:18 +0200 The Swedish Pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 is definitely the largest Swedish pavilion ever built at an exposition, but it is not the first. Way back in 1876, the Swedish government sent an all-wood schoolhouse to the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia as part of its participation. Even then, the focus was on sustainable building techniques — the pavilion's Baltic fir logs displayed Sweden's superior woodworking craftsmanship, and it received much praise from visitors. It looked like this: After expositions close, pavilions tend to be moved to a new location and reassembled, where they then enjoy a second life. In 1877, the Swedish schoolhouse was brought to Central Park in New York City, where it became known as the Swedish Cottage. On a recent trip to New York, I was walking through Central Park when I remembered that the Swedish Cottage was nearby, so I went looking for it. Soon enough, a Swedish flag peeked out from the treetops, so I took some snapshots with my phone: The cottage is still a very handsome building, and on the day I visited, there were no queues at all:-) In its 130+ year life, it has had many uses — from toolshed to library to public restrooms (!) to staff lunchroom to insect laboratory... even as headquarters for the local civil defense during World War II. In 1947, the cottage found its true calling — as a marionette workshop. In 1973, an indoor stage was added, allowing regular performances for children. It was fully restored in 1998. For more information, visit swedishcottage.org-the website of the Swedish Cottage. Central Park's website also has a page about the Swedish Cottage.Did you know? There is yet another Swedish pavilion on the loose in the United States. Swedes built and transported a traditional Swedish manor house to the 1904 St. Louis World Fair; afterwards, it was moved to Kansas and reassembled, where today it is part of a local heritage museum. More information here.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/a-visit-to-the-first-swedish-pavilion/ news_935_1280118220 Mon, 26 Jul 2010 06:23:40 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-july-19-25/ news_929_1279961476 Sat, 24 Jul 2010 10:51:16 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/interview-the-best-choir-in-the-worldjune-22-after-winning-two-gold-medals-and-placing-themselves-as-the-best-male-choir-in-the-world-lund-university-male-voice-choir-visited-us-here-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_924_1279798189 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 13:29:49 +0200 On July 21, Sweden pavilion challenged Holland pavilion in one of the first Expo Football games and Swedenexpo.cn took photos. Even though it was hot and a little bit confusing to be outside the Expo area for once, the Swedish team spirit was high and great heroic moves were accomplished. For more photos, please see the set on our Flickr page. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-expo-football-sweden-vs-holland/ news_923_1279790720 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 11:25:20 +0200 July 21 was is Belgium’s National Day, so we went to check their pavilion out. The Belgian pavilion is also known as the European Union (EU) pavilion. How come they have two names? Belgium pavilion guide Luo jiao explains that the reasons are three: the headquarters of the EU were in Belgium, Belgium is in the center of Europe and Belgium is one of the six original founding members of the EU.Visiting the Belgian EU pavilion takes about one hour - there are so many things to see. Of all things in the exhibition, Swedenexpo.cn found three things to be the most interesting ones: diamonds, chocolate and "smurfs". Belgium’s DiamondsBelgium is not known for producing diamonds, but it is however famous for cutting them. During the Expo, Antwerp Cut and Chou Sang Sang Jewellery are co-operating with each other, having a shop inside in the Belgian EU pavilion. In the shop there are many kinds of diamonds and yellow diamonds are more precious than other diamonds. We found the especially cut yellow diamond "Star Elizabeth" amazing. Usually there are four categories for judging the quality of a diamond, called 4S for short. Diamond’s carat; color; clarity and cut. Generally, 0.3 carat costs 8000RMB –20000RMB; 0.7 carat costs 10000RMB – 40000RMB; 1 carat costs 50000RMB to 200000RMB. Belgian EU pavilion holds a Diamond Lucky Draw activity. You can send a SMS message, and then they will pick a winner. The winner can win a diamond, which is indeed quite cool. Belgium’s chocolateIt is also famous, man-made skills. A lot of efforts have been taken to make good chocolate, which is why chocolate here tastes so well. Three famous Belgian chocolate brands are Godvia (1926); Neuhaus(1857), and Guylian (1960). The Belgian pavilion also hands out chocolate in different times: 11:00; 15:00 and 18:00.Belgian’s SmurfsFor those who were born in the 1970's, the world famous cartoon "Smurf" is part of every child's memory. It was created by a Belgian cartoonist named Peyo.Other recommendationManneken Pis is known all over China. It said that the statue of Manneken Pis honours the memory of a little boy who put out a bomb fire accidently. Before visiting the Belgian pavilion, I did not have much knowledge about the country. Having visited it, I really want to go there to travel. I want to go to Brussels and see that beautiful city; I want to see how they cut diamonds; try out their delicious chocolate... Finally I would bring a lot of Smurf toys back to China.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-belgium/ news_921_1279786432 Thu, 22 Jul 2010 10:13:52 +0200 Queueing is a must here at the Expo Site, but what does it feel like? We, the pavilion guides, have never experienced it, although we have heard that it could be quite a "hardship." Anyway, we had a sudden impulse to have a try. So, to “enjoy” waiting in a queue at the Expo Site to my heart’s content, I disarmed myself: No cell phone. No mp3 player. And no company. I will just stand alone in the long queue to the Swedish Pavilion. It seemed that even the rain is “on my side” and poured. Well, bring it on! 14:23. The official queueing up started. As I expected, we were packed like a tin of salmon. I moved forward slowly with the queue. And at the same time I had to dodge the rain. This, after all, was the first time I had ever stood in such a long queue.Freshness made me settle down and try to figure out what the people around me were talking about. Complaints and noises were inevitable, some of which you could just smile at and forget all about. Although we were all strangers, we were like teammates or comrades in an army since we were fighting for the same goal. Therefore, we had a lot to share. We talked about, apart from the experience of lining up, everything from the College Entrance Examinations to the housing market and the stock market. A man from Yingtan, Jiangxi Province recognized by dialect a man from his home province who was standing next to him. 14:55. Half an hour had passed. The air seemed to get thinner and breathing was getting harder and harder. My patience was worn out, leaving me no interest in the others’ chatting. All I could do was looking forward and see how far I needed to go. 15:10. Now, I could see my colleague standing right in front of the row greeting the visitors. The fact that I could now see the end of queuing by no means eased my fretfulness but only made every second excruciatingly hard to bear. After almost an hour, which was the longest time of waiting I had ever had, if you asked me what it felt like. I really could not simply boil it down in a word or two. All I could say is that only when you have been in a queue like this in earnest could you understand a visitor’s feeling. Therefore, some of their doings we encountered previously have become more understandable since I could now sympathize with them. In the end, a few words about what I have learnt from the experience: Next time, if you can, bring your cell phone, mp3 or your company along with you!]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/standing-in-line-how-does-it-feel/ news_919_1279696307 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 09:11:47 +0200 As Shanghai’s weather turns scorchingly-hot, cases of heatstroke and fainting are on the rise at the Expo site. To cope with the heat, we here at the Swedish pavilion are taking several measures to help lower the temperature and make our visitors more comfortable. Measure #1:Sunshades for the waiting visitors. Spray systems within the shades will work at regular times in hot weather, which can help lower the temperature by 5℃. Measure #2:Recently, a high-powered electric fan has been installed at the pavilion entrance. Together with the sunshades, it serves to cool down the surroundings. Measure #3:Staff members of the Swedish Pavilion have placed ice and a huge umbrella in front of the queues to help cool visitors down. Measure #4:The café of the Swedish Pavilion has placed a food stall selling mineral waters, soft drinks and Swedish sweets at the end of the queue, which can help compensate for excessive loss of water and sugar from the body. As the city entered into summer, the Swedish Pavilion has raised its reception capacity per minute to 60 people. The average waiting hour is 1.5 – 2 hours during peak hours in the day and 30 minutes in the evening. Swedenexpo.cn suggests visitors avoid peak hours and choose to visit the Expo after 7 p.m.Pavilion Opening Hours: 9:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m.（stop queuing at 9:45p.m.)Pavilion Reservation Machine: Begins at 9:30 a.m., 600 tickets a dayOpening Hours for the slide: 10a.m.-6p.m.（Reservation Tickets needed）]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/summer-survival-tips-from-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_917_1279678470 Wed, 21 Jul 2010 04:14:30 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-when-people-matter-activity-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_912_1279602723 Tue, 20 Jul 2010 07:12:03 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-spain/ news_908_1279510513 Mon, 19 Jul 2010 05:35:13 +0200 Hot, hot, hot! Is there anything else we can do at all through all of July except for lurking at home? Well, why not come to the Expo? Now please don’t think this is a silly idea! If you want to laugh at me, come over and see and then we’ll talk! With the weather so hot and the expo so spicy, I (the modern guru of gastronomy) am here to add even more flavor, sweet flavor, to a mix of summer lovingly distributed to you. Wang Xingcheng (the good-looking café clerk in the Swedish pavilion) informs us:”The double-layered Swedish chocolate biscuit, blown here to you from across the seas! Precisely the tastiest piece of romance to take home in the summer!” Me: With the single layer chocolate biscuit already out there, how come you wanted to go double-layer?Wang: Because double layers stands for thick love. Me: So, what is the magic of this double-layer chocolate biscuit?Wang: It’s sweet but not greasy, and tasty without making you fat. Me: Is that the whole magic?Wang: Isn’t it?! Me: All right... So how do you eat this thing then? Wang: With your mouth, haha... It’s not bad with coffee, I think – if you like drinking coffee, that is. Our café has that too, classic Swedish coffee. I think the combination is pretty good. Off with the high-heels, on with flat-heels and hot shorts, release yourself, release your heart, don’t complain that the queues are too long or the crowds are too large, just feel – and believe that life is one large love tryst. Take with you a box of Swedish chocolate biscuits from here, and add a sweet flavor of romance to your Expo trip. Swedish biscuit – incomplete fact sheetPrice: 90 yuan/box, 150 yuan/2 boxesNet weight: 620gPlace of origin: Sweden How to eat:1. If two people: after eight-thirty in the evening, in the Expo park, on the elevated walk way beside the Swedish pavilion. Choose a bench and sit in any preferred posture, but make sure it is one you like. Then eat, and enjoy the breeze and the feeling of superiority from looking down on people queuing below you. 2. If one person, find a friend and proceed according to method 1. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/feature-swedish-confectionary-expo-romance/ news_907_1279448819 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 12:26:59 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/a-paper-story-what-is-innovation/ news_905_1279426531 Sun, 18 Jul 2010 06:15:31 +0200 It is July, and the visitors keep pouring in. Here are some moments we'll never forget. For more photos, click here. For our official page on Flickr, click here. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-july-12-18/ news_903_1279355643 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 10:34:03 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-china-vs-sweden-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_902_1279352524 Sat, 17 Jul 2010 09:42:04 +0200 On July 16th, the Swedish Pavilion received another international movie star, Vivian Wu, appearing in the movie The Last Emperor. The Chinese American actress and her husband, the director and producer Oscar L. Costo, visited the Swedish Pavilion. Afterwards, Wu got interviewed by the reporter Chelsea Zhu from swedenexpo.cn. Swedenexpo.cn: Have you been to Sweden?Wu: It is a pity I missed the chance of visiting Sweden. When I was in Denmark, I saw the bridge across the sea and knew that Sweden was on the other end, but I didn’t get the chance to visit it. Today I saw the Swedish pavilion on my own and now I really want to set my feet there. Swedenexpo.cn: What are your feelings about the Swedish Pavilion? I observed that you paid great attention to our guiding.Wu: It is excellent! What it wants to express is enriched in a unique way. For example, the five photos on the wall illustrate the contrast between the past and the present. I sensed the pursuit and efforts Swedes have made on environment and innovation. I do appreciate them. Swedenexpo.cn: How do you comprehend our theme “The Spirit of Innovation”?Wu: As your guide told me, Sweden is a small country but plays a leading role in many fields in the world. All comes from the spirit of innovation. I do like Swedish design. It is simple and furthermore, if you look into it, it exhibits the masterpiece of ingenuity. It concerns nature and human beings without luxury. Swedenexpo.cn: Being a famous actress, how much do you know about Swedish movies?Wu: I know Swedish movies are well known. For example, the famous director Ingmar Bergman is my idol. In addition, Swedish movies are very dramatic with profound themes. During her one hour visit, Wu revealed her appreciation for the Swedish Pavilion. Her gentleness and easy-going manners left a deep impression on swedenexpo.cn. Welcome back! Reporter: Chelsea Zhu Editor: Pino Chen ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/special-visitor-chinese-american-actress-vivian-wu-visited-swedish-pavilion/ news_899_1279275205 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:13:25 +0200 The world's largest digital computer and entertainment group DreamHack is coming back this weekend. On July 17 and 18, at the Innovation Stage of Swedish Pavilion, it will launch another round of fabulous digital interactive programs on interactive fitness and robotics science category. Before it starts, you can get the first-hand experience here. Organizer: DreamHackKey Category: Interactive Fitness and Robotics ScienceOpen time: 10:00am to 18:00pm (Interactive program is open to the public every hour throughout the day)Highlights: two major categories on fitness and robotics science, with several professional equipments and products, open to the public each hourDigital Interactive Fitness CategoryFitness is a hot topic of urban white collars. Onsite, DreamHack will bring 6 sets of the latest digital interactive fitness equipments and products with professional experts aside. Meanwhile, every 1 hour there will be a mini quiz contest, with nice gifts to the paticipants. Robot Science CategoryTo well delivery high-tech concept, the organizers will have a display and demonstration of the Robotics Science Expo competition mission. Robotics Instructors will share their brilliant knowledge and guidance for robotic model assembly. Meanwhile, kids and the public will be invited to build up some simple models under the guidance. A mini competition will be held on the timing of the completed model.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/dreamhack-is-coming-back-on-this-weekend/ news_897_1279274563 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:02:43 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-junkka-junttis-performance-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_895_1279251968 Fri, 16 Jul 2010 05:46:08 +0200 In late July, the Swedish pavilion will hold many exciting activities for all visitors to have a cheerful summer at the Expo site. Here we list some of the main happenings for your reference:July 17-18, DreamHack is coming back to Innovation Stage. As the world's largest organization of digital computer festivals, DreamHack is to invite the world's top players, again gathering into the Swedish Pavilion for the 2nd round of the international digital competition. We welcome all visitors to have a look!Location: Innovation Stage in the Swedish pavilionJuly 22, Lund University Male Voice Choir – one of Sweden’s oldest and most traditional choirs will perform in the Swedish Pavilion in July. This is Sweden's most outstanding male chorus, with members that traditionally have been constituted of present and former students of Lund University. Check details here.In mid-July, the Swedish Pavilion starts to use the ticket reservation machines, which will give you easy access to the pavilion, and also the possibility to use the slide inside. Around 600 reservation tickets will be delivered to the visitor each day. Open time of reservation machine: start from 9 am Location: right side of the exit of Swedish Pavilion Open time of the slide: 10.30 am to 6 pm (only by reservation tickets)In late July, the official website(www.swedenexpo.cn) is going to launch an online campaign called ‘A Paper Story” to collect all visitors ideas of what innovation means to them. Details of this campaign will be announced soon, welcome to participate! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-coming-next-from-july-15-to-31/ news_889_1279180378 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:52:58 +0200 The first Swedish exhibition hall- the Atmosphere Hall has brought out a rather serene and brisk feeling by displaying pictures on various aspects of Swedish lifestyle. Yet a great many visitors just pass by without noticing the white flower lamps on the ceilings. Now let us explore the mystery behind that. It is a kind of dandelion commonly seen in Sweden, which symbolizes the harmonious Swedish nature and a cosy lifestyle. Hanging at the end of the hall is a photo on a Swedish girl blowing the dandelion in her hand . The large picture actually corresponds brilliantly with the dandelion lamps on top of our heads. As people spinning round the cylinders, they can feel as if they were already in the cool and brisk Swedish summertime. Unexpected enough, the dandelions can be also served on table, accompanied by Swedish delicacy vitmögelost and majonnäs. Although the taste being a bit bitter, it makes a most authentic Swedish delicacy. The wonderful combination is happily relished by the Swedes.Many visitors will probably ask: is this the national flower of Sweden?The answer is no. The national flower in Sweden is twin flower or Linnea Borealis symbolizing purity and happiness. Dandelion is just a kind of common grass which can be spotted everywhere in Sweden. Linnea Borealis will blossom at the beginning of summerseason, which is held dear to heart by many Swedes . To celebrate the arrival of this amiable season, the Swedes even create a festivity called “mid-summer festival”. Swedish summer is relatively short with the average temperature being around 25 degree and the weather is just perfect for the Swedish people. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/exploring-the-swedish-pavilion-dandelion-and-swedish-national-flower/ news_888_1279180099 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 09:48:19 +0200 The playground outside the Swedish pavilion is not just another playground. Being inspired by the house of Astrid Lindgrens fictional heroine Pippi Longstocking, the Villa Villekulla playground located on the EXPO site is crowded with kids from morning until late evening. While their parents take a rest in the shadow kids from all ages slide down the firepole, climbe the spider web or explore the surroundings through the periscope on the ground floor of the colorful playground. One of the enthusiastic children playing in Villa Villekulla, Li Qian Chu黎芊楚, told me she did not want to leave this exiting place to go queuing up for other pavilions. I have looked everywhere and this is the only playground in the Expo, she tells me, smiles and continues climbing. When I ask her what she knows about Sweden, and the origin of Villa Villekulla, she looks a bit puzzled, and glances towards her mother for some help in answering. I tell them the story about Pippi Longstocking and her crazy house that we Swedes so wanted to visit when we were kids. The films about Pippi Longstocking were shot on the Swedish island Gotland and the “real” Villa Villekulla can be found in the town of Vibble. Unwillingly Li Qian Chu is being dragged away from the playground, but Li Qian Chu’s mother promises to buy her the book about Pippi Longstocking while inside the Swedish pavilion. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/villa-villekulla/ news_886_1279095201 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 10:13:21 +0200 I don’t think I ever have had or ever will have a more interesting way to work than the one I have here, working at the Expo. When living in China you more or less get used to the overwhelming crowds of people you meet everywhere, even if it takes a while when you are from a country with 9 million inhabitants. But the crowd that I meet every morning on my daily way to work I don’t think I ever will get use to. It is like you are participating in a race you didn’t know existed. The race for a seat in Line 13. It all starts right after the security check. Suddenly the volume is rising as all the thrilled Expo visitors are making their way down the escalator and position themselves at the metro platform. I find myself being dragged into the movement, inevitable part of the race. More and more people are coming down and I struggle hard to keep my position in the front. Since I am taller than most of my competitors they find their way underneath me and when the train arrives I suddenly have a bunch of 70 years old ladies and gentlemen in front of me. I have no idea how they got there, but when the doors slide open the crowd storms in to the train and I have no chance to win the race for a seat. As always. But this is not the end, when we arrive to the Expo Avenue the second race starts; the race to get first up through the escalator and first in line to the pavilions. Once again the crowd storms out of the train, running over the platform and jumping on to the escalator, and the winner always turns around with a happy smile, as he or she is going up up up high above the rest of the crowd. Which always includes me. This morning procedure can from time to time be a bit exhausting, especially since I always lose… However what fascinates me is the excitement that has become a natural part of my daily way to work. Since there are new visitors every day, whom never before have visited the Expo, the air is filled will anticipation. And when I go back to Sweden, taking the metro to work in the morning, filled with tired quiet Swedes, I will probably miss the enthusiasm and exaltation from the Expo metro train. Perhaps then, I will be the one who starts racing. Guide: Matilda Axelsson Age: 28Superpower: I can flyWhat’s your favourite part of the pavilion?- The Atmosphere Hall. Whenever I miss home I just go and spin the cylinders.What pavilion event do you most look forward to?- The Pentathlon between the Nordic countriesWhat is your understanding of "Spirit of Innovation"?- It is to believe in the possibility to change things to the better and to actually do it. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-line-13/ news_885_1279079673 Wed, 14 Jul 2010 05:54:33 +0200 Even though rains are falling from the sky, today (July 11) the Swedish pavilion has again received a visit from some special children. The “Children’s Expo Weekend Trip” jointly organized by The Caribbean Association in China and the Chi Heng Foundation had chosen the Swedish pavilion as one of the highlights of their visit and brought over thirty HIV-infected children from central China together with volunteers from all over the world. They were met at the entrance by Commissioner General Annika Rembe and received gifts of traditional Swedish gingerbread cookies and Swedish pavilion memorial pins. During their short visit, the children were full of enthusiasm for the Swedish cartoon character Pippi Longstocking, the slide and the swings in the pavilion. In Sweden, everyone enjoys equal rights and opportunities! The Children’s Care project receives all these special children equally and lets them all experience Swedish culture during the brief but unforgettable Expo Weekend.On August 4, the Swedish pavilion will host the “Pippi Longstocking” musical, offering even more exciting activities for the young at the Expo. A little about Swedish education of children:A principle for the Swedish education system is that everyone should receive equal education, no matter sex, race, social background or place of residence. In Sweden, children from six years of age have the right to free education, including free education for handicapped students. For more information about Swedish culture, please click here ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/the-care-project-a-happy-weekend-for-children-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_884_1279006902 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:41:42 +0200 Orange and red, the two most intensely powerful colors, have already sent their shock waves flying, clashing in the World Cup. When the battle ended, we impatiently arrived at the “football pitch” of the World Expo, to watch the two pavilions’ performance in another competition, one that will last until the end of October. With the teams man marking each other in this contest of innovation, what surprises can we expect to see? Chelsea:To us here at the Swedish pavilion, the Dutch are true friends in regard to sentiment and temper. Cruising through the Dutch pavilion, I discovered that many exhibition objects here have got related counterparts in our own pavilion. It suddenly occurred to me then, that we should let them form friendships with each other. For example, let their chimes and our Digital Choir sing a song together; let their solar-powered race car and our Volvo hybrid car run a rally with each other; combine their green indoor furniture with our IKEA kitchen; or even let their Miffy the Rabbit and our Pippi Longstocking act out a cartoon together! Suddenly I felt that the whole Happy Street of the Dutch pavilion actually is overflowing with our Swedish Spirit of Innovation, and that just like here, this innovation does not focus on ambitious and complex industrial technologies, but on common details in life that even though small, are full of interest and meaning. I am sure, that if these exhibition objects would meet, they would recognize each other as souls of similar temper! Yujie:Already from the outside, the Spanish pavilion catches the eye. The whole pavilion is woven in the shape of a rattan basket, showing Spain as the cradle of civilization! Entering the first hall, the hall of origins, a hundred-meter long mega-screen meets the eye, and the valiant postures of Spanish bullfighters appear on football fields, basketball courts and tennis courts. This immediately makes me think of the indomitable spirits of the “bullfighters” struggling on the football pitch! I am completely intoxicated by overpowering momentum of this atmosphere when I suddenly see the outline of a live flamenco dancer’s figure. The majestic splendor of her movements and the feminine beauty she exudes perfectly matches the masculine beauty of the athletes: hard meets soft, full meets empty, and it is hard not to inwardly admire the Spanish innovation. But even so, the best still lies ahead. The smiles and frowns of Miguelin the baby are undoubtedly the most devastating thing in the whole pavilion. He is a robot baby, several meters high, sitting lazily on the ground, sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, with every little change in his lifelike expressions tugging at the hearts of the visitors. This technological marvel is surely a stroke of genius, for who can really say that technology and babies are not two symbols of the future? In the end, when the whistle blows, I suddenly understand that innovation really is everywhere to be found. You can find it in the Swedish pavilion, and at the same time discover its imprints in the Dutch and Spanish pavilions. And in this contest, where innovation is what counts for most, these two countries have both scored fabulous goals, and both received satisfying scores! AuthorAs: Chen Yujie , Chelsea Zhu ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-orange-netherlands-red-spain-and-new-miracles-on-the-expo-football-pitch/ news_882_1279005964 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 09:26:04 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-1000000th-visitor-of-swedish-pavilion/ news_878_1278990313 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:05:13 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/ikea-activity-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_876_1278990025 Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:00:25 +0200 On June 6, Hungry Henrik visited Argentina pavilion to try out their imported tenderloin steak. Please enjoy the video and photos in this post, and for more of Hungry Henrik, click here. Are you in China? Click here. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-argentinia-stake/ news_873_1278909170 Mon, 12 Jul 2010 06:32:50 +0200 Since July 5, an interactive seminar on the theme of ”Innovation Starts From Play" has been held daily on the innovation stage of the Swedish pavilion. Swedenexpo.cn went to have a look to see how innovation is connected to playing.Decorated with toys, coloured pens and small wooden chairs, the room was packed with children and their parents. They were sitting together and concentrating on a lecture from IKEA with the theme ”Home is the child's favorite playground".“The famous inventor Einstein once said during an interview that his childhood had the greatest influence on his whole life ", IKEA's lecturer started her speech. Indeed, children are born with creativity. The lecturer gave an interesting example on the screen: one day a Swedish child in the garden played alone. He saw a grasshopper that was about to jump. Afterwards, the child followed his suit. Clearly, out in nature, children are more likely to imitate and try creative things than sitting in classes. “Children are also born with pressure. Learning how to relax and get balance help them grow well in the body and soul. The swings in the Swedish pavilion are such tools to help children relax and learn balance skills. ”The lecturer said. The lecture ended with a drawing session for the children, a time for them to creative. Many of the items in the Swedish pavilion's exhibition, such as the mini-kitchen, the swings and the Dala horses are meant to inspire creativity. This is because in Sweden, we believe that playing is the origin of creativity and innovation. This activity will last till July 14. For more details, please click on event. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/innovation-starts-from-play-different-way-of-children-education/ news_871_1278769098 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:38:18 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-july-5-11/ news_870_1278755953 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 11:59:13 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedenexpocn-best-expo-blog/ news_867_1278738652 Sat, 10 Jul 2010 07:10:52 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-end-of-the-72-hour-race-to-innovation/ news_863_1278650413 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 06:40:13 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/annikas-blog-summertime-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_862_1278591772 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 14:22:52 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-prada-vs-hm/ news_859_1278565604 Thu, 08 Jul 2010 07:06:44 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-welcomes-its-1000000th-visitor-1/ news_851_1278483996 Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:26:36 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-symbiocity-forum-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_844_1278387792 Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:43:12 +0200 It is July, and the scorching sun and the pouring rain take turns warming up and soaking down the Swedish pavilion and her dear visitors. We here at swedenexpo.cn took a moment and looked back at some of the lovely encounters with visitors we've had here recently. Will you have your photo here next time? ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-visitors/ news_843_1278327309 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 12:55:09 +0200 The other day when I was guiding some Swedes through the exhibition halls, I had a nice conversation with them about the contrasts between Chinese and Swedish summertime. In comparison with the cool tranquil Swedish summer days, we are here witnessing enormous crowds of people, scorching heat as well as overwhelming noise. While I was listening to the Swedes describing their beloved homeland, a sweet reminiscence of my last summertime spent there awakened in my mind.The Swedish summer is characterized by three major colors; green, yellow and blue. The flourishing plants as well as the brisk , refreshing air contribute to giving Swedish people an inexhaustible energy. The sun starts to demonstrate its magic power and wake up the passion long suppressed in people’s heart. Proudly stands the Maypole on the grassland enouncing the official arrival of summer season. People immerse themselves in the enchanting brisk music, ever-lasting dancing, and laughs are bursting out from top of the lungs. The only and ever expressed theme is “embrace the summertime”. Displayed on the long table are the delicacies waiting to be wolfed down: the yummy juicy shrimp or lobster, fresh potatoes, light yoghurt with a tint of sweetness, fresh strawberry cake with soft spongy texture and nutritious salmon. To embrace what nature offers to the fullest, people are indulging their taste buds in a feast of delicacies. The crescendo of the day comes when people dip into the lukewarm water, a “life-worth-living” feeling is guaranteed to emerge in your mind. Being grilled in the scorching weather here in Shanghai, people have been sweating a lot, and especially the guides who are constantly moving outside and inside to make sure the pavilion runs smoothly. I can’t help but think wouldn’t it be heaven-like if we could enjoy the natural SPA of the Swedish lake water? Swedish people love outdoor activities during this time of year. During the five-week long summer vacation people will spend the semester in cozy wooden houses on the seaside. Experiencing a primitive lifestyle makes good enjoyment after having to bear with the hustle and bustle of modern city for long. This inborn love towards nature originates from all the joy offered by it: hiking in the woods, blueberry picking, fishing in the lake or boating on the sea. The sun is almost worshiped during summertime. People can be seen sun-bathing everywhere; on the roadside, grass lawns, lake banks or beaches. As a contrast, here in Shanghai Chinese girls holding umbrellas trying to protect their skins from getting burned can be spotted everywhere. Summertime in Shanghai is otherwise different,subwaystations crowded with hustling people , bustling streets jammed by cars, tightly-knitted people patterns floating in the streets.At that point, I montage another view in front my eyes---the image of Swedish summertime! Guide: Helena MaFrom: Hefei, Anhui provinceAge: 21Superpower: Fast ImaginationWhat's your favourite part of the pavilion?- Challenges Hall What pavilion event do you look forward to the most?- Princess Victoria and her husband's visitWhat is "Spirit of Innovation" to you?- Innovation comes from caring about simple things in your daily life. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-remembering-swedish-summer-days/ news_842_1278316644 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 09:57:24 +0200 Are the public the passive consumers during the urbanizing process, or are they the creative architect of the city landscape? How to give full play to their initiative and make the city a better place to live in? Perhaps every one of us has different answers in mind. On July 3, as part of the “SymbioCity Forum, the public participation activity on the theme of sustainable urban planning arranged by the Formas, Swedish Heritage Committee and Swedish Architecture museum, attracted quite a lot of visitors to actively participate in it. On Innovative Stage, the interactive contents revolving the theme of “human-oriented” have brought to the visitors an interesting and reflective day. Choose your dream home, high-rise or low-rise; describe the neighborhood you like, downtown or new developing area; choose your favorite living environment, with family or with friends; choose your favorite transportation, public or private cars... After these interactive Q&A, every visitor began to think about what kind of life style that contributes to a better city? On the spot, the appearance of a fan attracted lots of attention. A most common fan brought about a deep theme reflecting on the various urban plans, not to mention the cool breeze it brought about in the scorching summer day. Same as the five exhibition pictures in the Environmental Challenge Hall, both sides of the fan display different scenarios when viewed from different angles. From one side it’s the picture on Shanghai Expo landscape in 2008 before all the pavilions were constructed, from another it’s the neon light night view of Expo 2010. Short as the two years are, the huge contrast of pre and pro expo is exposed totally on a small fan. The backside of the fan shows the different sceneries of the same place in 1945 and 2004. Although it’s only a difference of 59 years, the changes of the city landscapes though are not so obvious. That different urban plans are tailored to the unique features of different places is probably one of the messages hidden in the fan. The people are the owners of the city. How to make our habitation a better living place and how to better our life through making smart urban plans? Perhaps the answer lies in the most mundane details in our daily lives rather than on a fan or in an activity. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/changes-of-the-citt-shown-on-the-fan/ news_841_1278300078 Mon, 05 Jul 2010 05:21:18 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-june-28-july-4/ news_838_1278147892 Sat, 03 Jul 2010 11:04:52 +0200 Football fever has struck Hungry Henrik and swedenexpo.cn as well. Honouring the upcoming Argentina vs Germany game, we treated us some good old sauerkraut at Germany pavilion. Next week we'll see what Argentina has to offer. As always, F stands for Swedish Flag. Unique : FFF - In some parts of the world, it may be exotic, but it is not too different from Swedish food. Service : FFFFF It is über! Lovely treatment and friendly staff. Best so far! Taste : FFF - Out of the three (!) dishes I was offered, the German speciality platter got four flags, it was a great mix of sausages and sauerkraut. The grilled pork knuckle was lovely as well, but the Chicken Schnitzel is the only thing that kept "taste" from getting four flags. Art : FF - It must be hard trying to make an artsy serving with only meat, sauce and potato. Healthy : FFF - Heavy food with lots of sausages, lots of sauce and fried meat. What can I say. Making Hungry Henrik less hungry : FFFFF - When they serve me three dishes, of course I get less hungry. Exhibition : FFFF - One of the craziest and most artsy exhibitions so far. All over score : FFFF - Service, exhibition and food together gets four flags. Go Germany! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-germany/ news_834_1278076275 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 15:11:15 +0200 The big enthusiasm of our dear visitors has not at all withered infront of the scorchingly hot weather.Recently, we started to allow in 60 people per minute which hit the records high! Many visitors lingered around inside the pavilion ,sitting and chilling out as a way to avoid the heat outside. Here below are the pictures in some of our exhibition halls showing all kinds of creative resting manners . ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hold-on-in-the-summer-hot/ news_833_1278064233 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:50:33 +0200 The aspiration for cities in symbiosis continued during the Friday in the Swedish pavilion when the SymbioCity forum opened up for its second half. The Shanghai summer heat didn’t stop the participants to continue the discussions about sustainable urban development and the first keynote speaker of the day was the Swedish State Secretary Ola Alterå, Ministry for Enterprise, Energy and Communications. Mr Alterå stated that SymbioCity is not only about how to make future technology function together but also to use the knowledge from everyday life in ordinary households. This is how Sweden has found a way to combine sustainable development and economic growth, Alterå said. Mr Li Xun from the Secretary General of Chinese Society for Urban Studies, the second keynote speaker of the day, focused his speech on the enormous challenge the urbanization creates for China and the world today. Every year more than 15 million people migrate into urban areas in China, and even though the cities in the world only cover 2 percent of the global area, more than 50 percent of the world’s population lives in urban areas today. Mr Li Xun continued by stating that low carbon cities has become a consensus for the world and today over 100 cities in China have top priorities to become Eco cities. During the first day of the forum several good examples of eco-cities in both Sweden and China were presented, such as The City of Malmö, The City of Wuxi and Caofeidian International Eco-City. For the second day the focus was implementation and how to create business opportunities for our common goal; a sustainable urban future. But what do we really mean when we say that something is sustainable? Do we all have the same interpretation of the word? I decided to ask some of the participants in the forum what their idea of sustainability is and here are their answers;Mathilde Mansoz from France and Xia Jungang from Fudan University - The wining students from the Sino-Swedish students’ competition: - We believe that there are different aspects of sustainability; socially, economically, and ecologically. They all have to be taken into consideration. Sustainability is an ongoing process and not a fixed position. It is about being flexible, to evolve and change. Traditional life and modern technology can together stipulate sustainability. - Katarina Nylund, Malmö Högskola: For me sustainability means a strong civil society. Today we live in a consumption society instead of an industrial society which means that consumption is the condition for growth. I believe that we will have to find an alternative to consumption otherwise it will be difficult to see any sustainable development. - Lars Orrskog, KTH Royal Institute of Technology: It is not the technique that will save the planet. It is the people’s capability to collaborate. That is sustainability to me. We will not save the world by try to create a perfect society. That is only scary. - Zhou Shan, Tongji University, To me sustainability means hardworking, the use of simple things and no luxury. - Anders Hall, Somfy Nordic; Sustainability is a survival criterion. The importance is obvious and that people still are questioning the global warming effect is astonishing. That is way we need positive initiatives like this one. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/symbiocity-forum-day-2/ news_831_1278060557 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 10:49:17 +0200 The hot summer is coming, when visitors come to Swedish pavilion, the ponds aside the pavilion really help them to cool down a little bit. Do you know the story behind these ponds? The artificial ponds around Swedish Pavilion are fitted with water purifiers supplied by Wallenius Water. This small example showcases the Swedish successes in water resource utilization in an innovative way, while at the same time reflecting the theme of “better city, better life”. Sweden is a country rich in water resources. The capital of Stockholm, intersected by a network of waterways, is known as the "Venice of the North"; the whole country has over 90,000 lakes and abundant precipitation throughout the year. Adding to this a low population density of 20 inhabitants per square kilometer, the Swedish can really be regarded as “water millionaires". But yet, Sweden is still very careful with the use of water resources, and are a recognized model for a low-carbon environmentally friendly country. Sweden has established a special award for water saving to promote the process of global environmental protection. Since 1991, the "World Water Week" has been arranged in Stockholm in August every year, until now running for 18 consecutive years. During the World Water Week, the King or the Crown Princess of Sweden hand out the "Stockholm Water Prize" to specialists, government officials or individuals who have made outstanding contributions to global water issues. This is one of the biggest prizes in the area of water resource protection in the world, amounting to 150,000 U.S. dollars. Today, the influence of the prize has increased rapidly and is becoming known as the “Nobel Prize of international water issues". At the Swedish Pavilion, visitors can also experience actual cases of Swedish water saving efforts. In the Room For Solutions, it is for example shown through pictures and exhibition objects how rain water can be drained off the roof and be used to flush the toilet, how Swedish eco-cities make use of geothermal heat, and even how sewage can be used for residential heating or cooling. In the conceptual Swedish kitchen, and IKEA water-saving mouth piece can decrease water use by 30%... and these are just the beginning. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/exploring-the-swedish-pavilion-the-ponds-green-secret/ news_825_1278053072 Fri, 02 Jul 2010 08:44:32 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-72-hours-race-to-innovation/ news_820_1277958799 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 06:33:19 +0200 Today is the first day of the SymbioCityForum at the Swedish pavilion. It is a forum very much in line with the Expo overall theme “Better City, Better Life” as the purpose of these two days is to discuss sustainable urban planning and showcase world leading technology for city development and waste management.Mats Denninger, the Government High Representative for Sino-Swedish Environmental Technology Cooperation opened the forum.- I think we can all agree that it is highly appropriate to discuss today’s topic. China is undergoing a rapid urbanization, and it is likely to continue with this speed. It is a big challenge, but to me it is much more an opportunity. Now we have the opportunity to do things in the right way, combine systems and plan well for better cities and better lives. We have the knowledge, the insight and the courage to do it. It is important for the Swedish government to have this cooperation with China, and I hope we can strengthen our cooperation through this forum, said Mats Denninger.Elisabeth Falemo is State Secretary at the Ministry of Envorinment in Sweden, and also one of the key note speakers. Elisabeth talked about the urban transformation and the fact that growing cities become more and more important, not only for the economy but also for the environment and the living conditions for its citizens.- Cities around the globe become increasingly important as they are centers of innovation and activity. But energy usage takes place and we must find ways of diminishing the cities’ environmental impact. Well-planned cities with intelligent use of resources can provide eco-friendly solutions to these problems. This integrated support is what we call SymbioCity. In Sweden the urban development is regarded as a very important matter, something that Elisabeth also highlighted in her speech:- Sweden must also work more with this, and therefore the government has created a unique delegation for sustainable cities. Among other things, this delegation shall stimulate the creation of sustainable neighborhoods that can be used as inspiration both in Sweden but also in China.The SymbioCity Forum goes on for two days in the Swedish pavilion, July 1 and 2. Tomorrow’s key note speakers are Ola Alterå, Swedish State Secretary at the Ministry of Enterprise and Li Xun, Secretary General of Chinese Society for Urban Studies.For more information about the SymbioCity concept, please visit www.symbiocity.org ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/first-day-of-symbiocity-forum/ news_819_1277955353 Thu, 01 Jul 2010 05:35:53 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-hosts-forum-for-sustainable-urban-development/ news_817_1277884553 Wed, 30 Jun 2010 09:55:53 +0200 In the Swedish pavilion there is a very special choir. The members are not real people, but a group of charming robots. When visitors interact with it, their input is processed by the machine, which then responds with a unique musical composition, co-created by visitors and the machine.This innovative exhibition object, called the "Absolut Choir", is created by the internationally renowned Swedish design team Teenage Engineering in cooperation with the famous Swedish vodka brand Absolut Vodka. It is a contemporary art piece supported by a speech synthesizer and artificial intelligence software, consisting of 22 colorful wooden characters varying in shape and size, the smallest being four inches and the largest almost eight feet tall. There are men, women, tenors and sopranos in the ABSOLUT CHOIR, each member with a unique and synthetically produced voice. Artificial creativity is about exploring the concept of creativity. When an Absolut Machines installation creates a work of art, who or what is the artist – the machine or the machine's maker? And what happens when there is a third party – you – to interact with the machine? Come to the Swedish pavilion and try it yourself. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/exploring-the-swedish-pavilion-absolut-choir/ news_800_1277805991 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:06:31 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friend-denmark-pavilion/ news_799_1277805177 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 11:52:57 +0200 The clock is ticking. Yesterday, June 28, the Swedish Energy Agency embarked on a life-changing journey, a 72 hour race to innovation in the Swedish pavilion. The Swedish Energy Agency is a government agency with the aim to achieve more efficient and sustainable use of energy. For 72 hours, the participants work (almost) around the clock to come up with new innovations, an exciting but also tough experience. The creator of the innovation race, professor Kaj Mickos, calls it an innovation machine; an organized way of producing new solutions to important problems that also reach the market. To him, innovation is something that we have to do all the time: " In Sweden, we have a saying that is that you shouldn't invent the wheel all over again - but that's a lie", he says. Especially in these time of environmental degradation and climate change we have to find new solutions. And according to professor Kaj Mickos, they will: "We are not ending this race with a wall of yellow post-its, because then we have failed." This is the second time an innovation race is held in the Swedish pavilion; the first one was arranged by the Swedish company SSAB in May. This race ends at 5 pm on Thursday, July 1. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/72-hour-race-to-innovation-the-journey-has-begun/ news_793_1277789482 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 07:31:22 +0200 Have you always wondered how it comes that Sweden is known as the second largest music producer in the world? We all know Sweden as the country that brought forth the already legendary music group ABBA; but still, one thing could never have foreseen is how deeply I would be touched by a group called Josefine Lindstrand Band, when they came to the Swedish Pavilion. If Ma Zhiyuan canonically summarized Chinese serenity with his “little bridges, flowing water, people’s homes”. Josefine has given me a taste of the Swedish counterpart in the form of "blue sky, green grass, blooming flowers". It was when I stood one day in the pavilion watching the throngs of people pressing by that an overwhelming sound reached my ears; following the direction of the sound, suddenly an almost paradisical scene revealed itself before me. The lead singer Josefine, a light-haired young Swedish woman dressed in a dotted dress, stood tapping the toes of her bare feet while she swayed calmly back and forth to the music, and the otherworldly sound that emerged from the petite frame of her body instantly carried me far away from the distraction and noise of the surrounding World Expo. I felt as though transported to a vast meadow, lying outstretched on the ground, feeling the light caresses of the wind and the whispers of birdsong in my ears filling my soul with peace. I was very curious if Josefine herself had the same kind of feeling as she sang. Her answer to my question was very simple: “It makes me forget everything!” So what is it that inspires this transcendental state of mind? She says: “I love going to the countryside, to the middle of nature, and let everything that happens to me serve as sources of inspiration. Four years ago, I wrote a song just by reading an English poem.” It is a simple truth she gives us, this singer who has named her band after herself: that nothing touches people more easily than heartfelt, unadulterated music. So when the endless queues make you burn with impatience, come and listen to the music of Sweden, and see for yourself what feelings it will bring you.Name: Chen YujieFrom: ShanghaiAge: 27Superpower: TeleportationWhat’s your favorite part of the pavilion? The Innovative Society Hall.What pavilion event are you looking forward to the most? The visit of crown princess Victoria and her husband.What’s your understanding of “Spirit of Innovation”: Better innovation, better life!Translation from Chinese: Alexis von Sydow ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-what-can-you-feel-in-swedish-music/ news_783_1277780012 Tue, 29 Jun 2010 04:53:32 +0200 Are you in China? Click here. I never thought the day would come when I would be able to fly. But it did. It happened in the Latvian Pavilion a very special Wednesday in June. It all started as a rumor; “The Latvians can fly” people were whispering. Then one night, we saw them. High above the glittering pavilion, three Latvians flew in the shining lights of Expo land, waving to the crowd. That night the decision was made; if the Latvians can fly, so can the Swedes! The big day came and three very excited and determined Swedes crossed the Expo Area to try their wings in the vertical wind tunnel in the Latvian pavilion. It all became clear what we were about to do when we first had to sign a contract saying that we would be responsible for our own possible death… The confidence was on top; Henrik had to run to the bathroom, Maria was repeating to herself how she always wanted to do this since she was a kid, it just had to be the right decision. And I was trying to look cool but I felt my heart beating hard as we were given the uniforms to put on. The white, yellow and purple overall, the hairnet, the earplugs, the glasses and finally the helmet. The flying Swedes were ready to take off! After the security movie we had to watch closely, learning the different signs the instructor would show us while flying; we started to climb the stairs up to the glass cylinder. The ground started to vibrate as the wind pressure increased and so did we. As the first to try out I did as I was told; I crossed my arms in front of my chest and then leaned forward into the hot wind and tjof… I was flying! It was amazing! I really was flying! Perhaps not the most graceful flying session that has been observed; as I struggled with my balance I felt like a very big bird with too small wings, trying to get a glimpse of my mother bird’s directions (my Latvian instructor that was), and since I couldn’t stop laughing saliva involuntary left my mouth and flew up in the air and probably landed somewhere on the vertical wind tunnel roof. But still, I was flying, and after a while I felt that I was ready to fly high above the pavilion like the Latvians! But perhaps it was for the best that I didn’t since I had signed that contract before… Then it was Maria's turn and off she went, sailing in the wind like she hadn’t done anything else in her life before, and even more saliva landed on the roof in the vertical wind tunnel. And also Henrik's. He went up and down, spinning around and almost in to the glass wall… What a day! It was three very proud adrenaline kicked Swedes that left the Expo area that day with only one song in their minds; Fly on the Wings of L(ove)atvia! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/fly-on-the-wings-of-latvia/ news_733_1277709301 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 09:15:01 +0200 A little while ago we had a visit from Shanghai based Mexican lifestyle blogger Berenice Hernandez. She wanted to know more about the Swedish spirit of innovation and see for herself what is so special about it. She found that few countries manage to grasp the Expo theme "Better City, Better Life" like the Swedes have. "The pavilion is built around the theme 'spirit of innovation' and showcases the Swede’s quite impressive collection of innovations they’ve racked up over the years. For instance, did you know that the Swedes are responsible for the safety match, the adjustable wrench, the boat propeller, ball bearings,Volvo, H&M, hot blonds with blue eyes, affordable furniture and ABBA? " she writes, and continues by asking herself the question: "I couldn’t help but wonder: what’s the secret? how come a small country like Sweden with a very modest population of only 9 million, can come up with so many important innovations? "Curious to know what she finds? Please visit her blog to read more about the Swedish Spirit of Innovation]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/lifestyle-blogger-likes-what-she-sees-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_727_1277694710 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 05:11:50 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-interview-of-anja-zuber-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_725_1277693652 Mon, 28 Jun 2010 04:54:12 +0200 We here at Swedenexpo.cn cannot believe that almost half of our time here at the Expo in Shanghai has already passed. When time runs away, memories are all we've got left. This week we shared some moments and memories that will forever stay in our hearts. Happy Midsummer's Eve everyone. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-moments-of-the-week-june-21-27/ news_722_1277633192 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 12:06:32 +0200 On Sunday, June 27, superstar Shang Wenjie 尚雯婕, champion of the 2006 Super Girl contest (literally: Super Female Voice), the Chinese equivalent of the TV-show American Idol, visited the Swedish pavilion. We guided her through the exhibition and sung with her. For Shang Wenjie's own blog, click here. Are you in China? Click here. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/super-girl-shang-wenjie-visits-the-pavilion/ news_720_1277622294 Sun, 27 Jun 2010 09:04:54 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/midsummer-festival-special-how-to-make-a-beautiful-flower-wreath/ news_719_1277539439 Sat, 26 Jun 2010 10:03:59 +0200 On Friday June 25 the Nordic countries arranged a unique event together, discussing two of the most important issues of our time: Climate and Energy. The day started with a forum in the Finnish pavilion featuring both Danish and Finnish ministers. After lunch at the Danish pavilion, the group moved on for an afternoon seminar session in the Swedish pavilion. Key note speaker was State Secretary to the Minister for Nordic Cooperation, Johan Tiedemann. After the Swedish pavilion, the participators left for dinner and entertainment at the Icelandic and Norwegian pavilions.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/nordic-chinese-energy-climate-day/ news_717_1277465156 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:25:56 +0200 On June 25, pavilion guide Henrik Törnell, also known as Hungry Henrik, continued his never-ending quest for unique food and cultural experiences. This week is Queensland Week and despite the rain here at the Expo park, we journeyed to the Australian pavilion. Henrik tried the 100% Aussie Beef Burger Combo menu and as always, F stands for Swedish Flag. Unique: FF- It is a hamburger with fries and a coke. Sure, it says 100% Aussie beef, but that does not make it anymore unique. Tasty: FFFFF- Really, really good! This burger did not look like much, but it is. It has a very special and good taste, there must be some interesting spices in it. Healthy: FFF- It is a burger. With fries. However it did not feel too oily. Art: FF - The serving was nothing special, just a typical fast food package, without a tray. Service: FFFF- Excellent treatment and great service! Exhibition: FFFF- The exhibition is very interesting, although the crowds are too big. The flying and diving performers high above the crowds in the entrance area was an awesome sight. Making Hungry Henrik less hungry: FFFF- Perfect amount of food. I can always eat more, but now I will survive until dinner. Average score: FFFF- Great portion, delightful taste and speedy service, all for a very affordable price. Henrik likes Australia! For more Hungry Henrik, click here.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-australia/ news_714_1277452966 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 10:02:46 +0200 Yesterday, June 24, the famous Chinese Confucius scholar Yu Dan visited the Swedish pavilion together with a team from Sichuan TV. Needless to say, other visitors lined up to take pictures of her. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/confucian-wisdom-in-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_712_1277448223 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:43:43 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-interview-johnathan-priest-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_710_1277446500 Fri, 25 Jun 2010 08:15:00 +0200 Swedish Guide and Malmo resident Ping, took the ferry over to Puxi for a quick visit to her hometown Malmö. Sweden is not only represented by the Swedish Pavilion at the Shanghai Expo. Across the Huangpi river, on the Expo site in Puxi, you can visit the Swedish city of Malmö in the Case Joint Pavilion 1-4. The theme for the Malmo exhibition is “Urban sustainable development in a former industrial city”. The aim of the exhibition is to teach Chinese to build for a sustainable future, this being realized in an area in Malmo called Västra hamnen. Västra hamnen shows a housing area built to be sustainable from the beginning. Anna Viren from SYSAV, the Southern Swedish Waste Disposal Agency, compares Västra Hamnen to Hammarbyhamnen in Stockholm, a similar case of an old harbor being turned into modern living area. The transformation of Hammarbyhamnen can be experienced in the Environmental hall in the Swedish pavilion. The Malmo case pavilion will have different themes and staff changing every month during the EXPO. The theme for June is Eco cycles: Water, Waste water, Waste, and according to Anna Viren this theme has got a lot of attention from the Chinese visitors. Anna Viren has been here during June to present Sweden’s innovative and forefront methods of waste disposal.She explains that visitors are very interested in the food disposal systems. Sweden is an amazing example when it comes to waste management as 96 % of all the waste in Sweden is being recycled. Another popular part of the Malmo case exhibition is the electric bike; the energy you produce by cycling will recharge your phone. However, Pings favorite part of the Malmo pavilion is the telescope where you can watch the area “Västra hamnen” in 360 degrees. - I ususally spend my summer days just hanging out here, says Ping as she is turning the telescope around.When I ask Anna Viren to describe Sweden in one word she says she can’t, but in a short sentence she summarizes her thoughts and says:- You can really be proud of being Swedish. For more info about the Malmo case, visit their website: http://southernswedenexpo.cnUpcoming themes in the Malmo Case exhibition: July: Urban Everyday travelAugust: Smart EnergySeptember: Sustainable Urban PlanningOctober: CleanTech City ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-ping-goes-home-to-malmoe/ news_706_1277363926 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 09:18:46 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-upcoming-event-at-the-swedish-pavilion-midsummer-festival/ news_703_1277351447 Thu, 24 Jun 2010 05:50:47 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-celebration-party-of-the-swedish-royal-wedding-at-the-lan-club/ news_699_1277278287 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 09:31:27 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-guiding-yuan-longping-through-the-pavilion/ news_696_1277273101 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 08:05:01 +0200 For little over a week now the guides have been handing out ginger biscuits at the entrance of the Swedish pavilion. The cookies are being provided by the Swedish company Gille. Many visitors have never tasted a ginger biscuits before and the little gift has therefore been very welcomed! Yong Chen Rui (杨晨睿) and his mother tell me it is the first time they try this kind of cookie. They never tried anything with this particular taste before, but they do like it! Giving people something little to eat will strengthen the memory of Sweden, and she thinks the gesture is very nice and something “fresh”. Ginger biscuits are traditionally eaten during Christmas and holidays, but actually they can be eaten all year around. There are also some magic connected to the Swedish ginger biscuits. By putting pushing your finger in the middle of the cookie and making it break you can predict your future. A cookie split in three gives you a wish come true. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/explore-the-pavvilion-a-little-taste-of-sweden-ginger-biscuits/ news_694_1277271543 Wed, 23 Jun 2010 07:39:03 +0200 Mr. Gunnar Kaj, , Sweden's most famous floral designer will come to the Swedish pavilion during the Swedish midsummer festival, June 25 -26, arranging traditional Swedish celebrations on Chinese soil. Creating flower arrangements for exhibitions and events, Gunnar Kaj is very famous in Sweden. He has been responsible for the floral arrangements for nine Nobel Prize banquets in The Stockholm City Hall. In 2008, Gunnar designed the Christmas stamps for the Swedish Post Office on the theme of “Christmas doors”. Gunnar has also participated and organized a variety of floral display, flower arrangement for prestigious organizations and companies and he also holds floral workshops. His works includes Christmas flower exhibition at Drottningholm Palace, table decorations at the banquet of the European Ministers’ summit meeting in Brussels, Belgium. Flowers in the “Oktober” exhibition at Svenskt Tenn. Swedish Christmas stamps 2008, etc. MAKING THINGS BEAUTIFUL WITH FLOWERS. Gunnar Kaj will present a wonderful midsummer feast at the Swedish Pavilion very soon. Welcome all visitors come and join! Time: 10am-18pm, June 25-26Venue: Swedish pavilionActivities: Swedish Midsummer Festival ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/midsummer-festival-mr-gunnar-kaj-is-on-his-way-to-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_690_1277193804 Tue, 22 Jun 2010 10:03:24 +0200 In the afternoon of June 21, two special visitors arrived at the Swedish pavilion, Mr. Yuan Longping-known for developing the first hybrid rice and Mr. Cao Jingxing, the famous TV host from Phoenix TV . After a tour of the pavilion, they were interviewed at the VIP entrance for the TV program Jingxing at EXPO, which is presented by QQ.com, the EXPO official media. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/high-profile-visit-yuan-longping-and-mr-cao-jingxing/ news_685_1277108213 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 10:16:53 +0200 The swings in the Swedish pavilion are an ultimate attraction to kids. All day along, you can find the swings occupied by kids, playing and laughing. Actually, the swings is a piece of art called "Sense Light Swing" designed by the internationally renowned Swede Alexander Lervik . The Sense Light Swing is made from plastic with fibre-optic lighting inserted. On a dark summer night the swing creates a spectacular lightshow that lights up a whole garden in the most beautiful way. The swing was originally shown in the “Five playful chairs” exhibition in 2005 and has been a huge success around the globe, beheld also by The New York Times, Herald Tribune, Taipei Times and Frankfurter Allgemeine. Nowadays the swings can be found in the Swedish pavilion at the Expo site. Why not come with your family and enjoy the playful moments by the swings yourself? Place: Room D-Spirit of Innovation HallOpen: all day ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/exploring-the-swedish-pavilion-the-playful-swings/ news_683_1277100295 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:04:55 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-best-wishes-from-the-swedish-pavilion-june-19th-royal-wedding/ news_680_1277095738 Mon, 21 Jun 2010 06:48:58 +0200 On June 19, the Swedish Consulate General in Shanghai, the Swedish Expo Committee and Visit Sweden arranged a fashionable celebration of the royal wedding of Swedish Crown Princess Victoria & Mr. Daniel Westling. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-royal-wedding-celebration/ news_673_1277044062 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 16:27:42 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-moments-of-the-week-june-14-20/ news_671_1277029912 Sun, 20 Jun 2010 12:31:52 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-june-19th-royal-wedding/ news_664_1276852137 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 11:08:57 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-father-of-expo-visits-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_657_1276832750 Fri, 18 Jun 2010 05:45:50 +0200 The Nordic countries have some great family films that are being screened on the Shanghai Film festival. On Wednesday June 16 the Nordic film institutes and consulates in Shanghai arranged a reception to celebrate this. Read more about the Swedish presence on the Shanghai film festival here]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-nordic-film-reception/ news_655_1276779846 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:04:06 +0200 On June 17, Ireland's national pavilion day, the Irish president attended official ceremonies at the Expo center and the Irish pavilion. But a few hundred meters from the Swedish pavilion another side of Ireland was displayed. "We only get one day, but we make the most of it", Brian Wynne, bartender at the Porter House said. The Porter House is an Irish pub that brews its own beer. Traditional Irish beer. And by mixing red ale and plain porter, they've even come up with a special Expo beer. For the National pavilion day the pub had face-painting, harp-playing, and of course, drinking. Brian the bartender anticipated a day of good fun: "Theres gonna be a lot of Irish people kicking back, having pints, and doing their thing. It's just Irishness". Swedenexpo.cn brought Brian a Tetra Pak of the Swedish pavilion's own water, but he refused to drink it. Although intrigued by the packaging, he was less interested in the contents. "I think I know what water tastes like", he said. But when he heard about the Swedish Midsummer Festival taking place exactly a week after the Irish party he showed more interest. Dancing around the flower-clad maypole, singing about frogs and talking to Swedish girls was something he could imagine himself doing. On one precondition. "As long as there's beer involved I'll dance around any pole", he said. The Swedish pavilion would be glad to have him. And if your on your way here and feel the thirst coming, you can always stop by the Porter House. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-irish-charm/ news_654_1276776777 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 14:12:57 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-hungry-henrik-dragon-boat-festival/ news_652_1276758848 Thu, 17 Jun 2010 09:14:08 +0200 Must robots be clumsy?Have you ever seen a really quick robot?In the Swedish pavilion, we actually have two really cool robots that can do tricks and they are super popular among visitors. The larger robot, named Nobel, is mainly in charge of collecting business cards from our visitors and with these forming a map of Sweden on the wall. The smaller robot is responsible for distributing ping-pong balls to the visitors leaving their business cards. The ping-pong balls bear the logos of the Swedish pavilion and other Swedish companies. Want to try it out? Bring your namecard and come visit us at the pavilion! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/explore-the-sweden-pavilion-the-magic-of-robots/ news_648_1276598088 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:34:48 +0200 Having worked in the Swedish pavilion for one and a half month, not one of the Swedish guides can have missed the photo phenomenon. There is a very big interest in taking photos of the guides. I counted today. During one day of work I had my photo taken 89 times. The other day I was standing in the atmosphere hall, the first hall of the pavilion, greeting visitors on their arrival. I stood in the middle of the room and was swept up in a cloud of visitors. Talking mainly about me. “Beautiful girl, beautiful girl, oh she is a beautiful girl.” Blushing I stand there in the middle, wrapped up in some kind of worship of my appearance. And then the photo session starts. At first no one dares to ask for a photo. But when the magical question, “Beautiful girl, may I take your photo?” has been said, the others follow. From then on every single one of the 50 visitors being let in wants a photo. Sometimes me holding up the little kid, me with granny, me granny and the little kid and so on. Actually it has gone so far that I expect every visitor to take a photo. When they ask me to take a photo of them, instead of helping them out, I start posing. I have started to listen to the phrase “beautiful girl” like it was my name. Oh God what will this do to my, or lets say all of the guides self-confidence? I will start to cry when I enter Swedish soil again, and no one turns around looking. It should be said though that I am far from the most popular guide to take a photo of, winning title to that competition would be given to a tall blond guy named Erik. Actually I have heard that there are photos of him at a website listing the most good-looking people at the Expo-site. And not all of them are taken after being asked, many are taken paparazzi style. As long as I don't get a stalker following me home I am fine with the superstar-feeling.You don’t even have to ask any longer, just sneak up with a camera,call me “beautiful” and I will give you my best pose. See you in the Swedish pavilion! Guide: Viola Gad From: Stockholm, SwedenAge: 22Superpower: I can read other peoples minds Whats your favourite part of the pavilion?- The innovation stage. When the 72 hour innovation are being heldthere. It really is a cool and very interesting activity.What pavilion event do you most look forward to?- The party at midsummer-nights eveWhat is your understanding of "Spirit of Innovation"?- That Sweden has come a long way through being innovative, and that wethrough this spirit has an advantage when dealing with future problemsand opportunities. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-beautiful-girl-may-i-take-your-photo/ news_644_1276582494 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:14:54 +0200 June 19 will be a very special date for Sweden. That is the date when our crown princess, Victoria, will marry her fiancé Daniel Westling. There are many things about this wedding that makes it unique. It is the first time Sweden has a female throne successor and in the Swedish history it is very unusual that the heir of the throne marries a person from the people, and not a royal or a noble person. Also, June 19 is actually the same date as Victoria’s parents, HM King Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia Sommerlath, got married 36 years ago.It all started back in 2000 when a young man from the small Swedish town of Ockelbo started an exclusive gym called Master Training in the center of Stockholm. The facilities soon became popular amongst young urbans, and the crown princess was one of those who became a member. She met the owner, Daniel Westling, and after several years as being just friends, a romance rumor started to spread about the two. After a little while their relationship became official and in 2009 they declared their engagement.The wedding will cost approximately 20 million SEK (about the same in RMB) and will be the largest TV production in the history of Swedish TV. 67 cameras will watch the wedding and total air time will be 16 hours.The Swedish government will hand over the Haga castle as a wedding gift to Victoria and Daniel, where they will move in after the wedding. The castle was built 1802 and has housed many royal members during the years. The Swedish King, Victoria’s father, was born here and he spent some happy summer days in the play house that Gustav V built nearby the castle as a gift to his grandkids many years ago. With our newlyweds moving in during the summer, it will probably not be long before a pair of little feet again explores the play house and its surroundings… ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/the-royal-wedding-a-unique-event-in-swedish-history/ news_643_1276576224 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 06:30:24 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-anja-zueber-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_641_1276574312 Tue, 15 Jun 2010 05:58:32 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/upcoming-events-from-june-16-to-30/ news_639_1276510289 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 12:11:29 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-jonathan-priest-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_636_1276492931 Mon, 14 Jun 2010 07:22:11 +0200 Another week has passed here in Shanghai, at the pavilion. Here are some of the key moments from last week. My favourite is the mysterious flute playing man. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-june-7-13/ news_633_1276431242 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 14:14:02 +0200 On June 12, in a collaboration between Project China, the Swedish Consulate General in Shanghai, the Swedish pavilion and a number of Swedish companies - Sweden Day was held at Fudan university. You could win Expo tickets, play Swedish summer games and dance with Swedish students. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-sweden-day-at-fudan-university/ news_632_1276424061 Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:14:21 +0200 New arrival at the Swedish cafe and souvenir shop - Swedish Xanté Brandy and Gille cookies. Want to try it? You know where to find it. Location: The Swedish pavilion souvenir shopOpening hours: 9.30 - 22.00Prices: RMB 30 - 50We recommend: The Gille cookies and Swedish classic brandy ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/new-arrival-in-the-souvenir-shop-cookies-and-wine/ news_627_1276345182 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:19:42 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-slide-help/ news_626_1276342349 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 13:32:29 +0200 Mikael Genberg is the man who can turn anything into anything, starting with nothing. Having built hotels high up in the trees and down below the water, the Swedish entrepreneur won numerous awards for his innovative spirit and ability to make the seemingly impossible possible. In 2002 he embarked on yet another inconceivable project - putting a traditional Swedish house on the moon. "Monuments have a bigger impact on society than their actual size", Mikael said during the press conference at the Swedish pavilion, "in Paris we have the Eiffel Tower, the opera house in Sydney is representing an entire continent, and here in China we have of course the Great Wall. In Sweden, we have the Globe, which represents the city of Stockholm. But we also have another monument, of which there exists thousands and thousands all over Sweden". The project seemed impossible at first, but Mikael Genberg gathered all his friends, and through playfulness and innovation, they gained more and more momentum, reaching milestones such as putting a Swedish house on the Globe in Stockholm, having famous Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang fold out a Swedish house in space and even NASA agreeing to bring the Swedish house to the moon on their next trip. Mikael Genberg also enjoys strong support from the City of Stockholm, deputy mayor of education and Stockholm city council member Lotta Edholm said. Why a house on the moon then? As Mikael says himself: "A house on the moon to make the world a better place." The plan is to overnight have the entire world knowing that Sweden has placed a house on the Moon, and then within that momentum create a long series of related charity and social institutions back here on Earth, one example being the Moon Academy schools. Mikael concluded that "This project is about competence, a lot about visions but most important - it is about courage. We want to show that together we can make the impossible possible". ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/sweden-counquers-the-moon/ news_621_1276329944 Sat, 12 Jun 2010 10:05:44 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-sweden-national-day-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_618_1276243560 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:06:00 +0200 Swedish Crown Princess Victoria and Mr. Daniel Westling will get married June 19 in Stockholm. In order to celebrate this royal event as well as to promote the Stockholm culture, a nation-wide celebration named Love Stockholm 2010 kicked on June 6, which also happen to be the Swedish National Day.In the Swedish pavilion on June 19, all the visitors are welcome to sign our specially prepared “wish books” which later will be given away to the royal family as a gift. In our souvenir shop some souvenirs in memory of this wedding will be placed on the shelves. Very welcome to celebrate this very special day together with us at the Swedish pavilion. Love Stockholm 2010 ：http://www.lovestockholm2010.se ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/love-stockholm-2010-our-best-wishes-for-the-royal-wedding/ news_616_1276237110 Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:18:30 +0200 On June 10, Henrik Törnell, also known as Hungry Henrik, started his epic quest for the perfect dish. After a long day working as a guide, taking a trip to the Indonesian pavilion to try out some of their cultural dishes was warm and joyful experience. Let's see what he had to say (F stands for Swedish flag). Unique: FFF- There is a lot of chicken and rice in China, but not with Indonesian flavors such as these. Tasty: FFFF- It has a perfect amount of flavors and spices, a good balance. Healthy: FFF- Not too oily, but there is a bowl of peanut butter sauce. Art: FFF- The serving was nice, and the cutlery was interesting. Service: FFFFF- Very nice, Indonesian staff employee Tryphena Luhur was very friendly and happy to talk about Indonesian food. Making Hungry Henrik less hungry: FFF- The portion had a good size, but I am a hungry man after all. Average score: FFF- The Indonesian food and the Indonesia pavilion was a treat, the final score is a strong three flags. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/hungry-henrik-indonesia/ news_610_1276168897 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 13:21:37 +0200 The upcoming Football World Cup is adding to the Expo fever. How high is the spirit at the Expo? Swedenexpo.cn went and asked our friends at the South African pavilion and the Mexican pavilion how they will support their nations on Friday's play-off. South Africa Mexico Player: Thabo Jacob Dream position: Forward – “I am a scoring machine!” Midfielder – “I can control the whole.” Score: South Africa wins! – "The home advantage" Mexico wins! – “We will fight for our country! 2-0” Warming up: Big football statue outside the pavilion, table football game, World cup mascot Zakumi (cousin of Haibao), fully equipped staff wearing the national colours of South African team. None The night of the first game: Big party for everybody to cheer for the football heroes. The Mexican restaurant will challenge a Chinese restaurant to get the heat going. Nice innovations: Indoor-stadium-like exhibition hall Kites flying above ground, with the actual exhibition hall underground. Verdict: South Africa is fully prepared! Behind the calm lies a fighting spirit hidden. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-the-heroes-are-lining-up/ news_608_1276149119 Thu, 10 Jun 2010 07:51:59 +0200 According to PR Newsware Asia EXPO Weekly of May 31 to June 6, Swedish Pavilion was included into the top ten most media-covered pavilions with a total reporting amount of 665 times! Weekly News Report: rank name reporting times 1 China Pavilion 3370 2 Italy Pavilion 2070 3 Spain Pavilion 1920 4 Canada Pavilion 1270 5 Shanghai Corporation Pavilion 1200 6 Japan Pavilion 956 7 Saudi Arabia Pavilion 943 8 Germany Pavilion 807 9 France Pavilion 769 10 Sweden Pavilion 665 11 American Pavilion 663 Translation by: Henela Ma ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-is-ranked-into-the-top-ten-most-media-covered-pavilions/ news_605_1276093988 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 16:33:08 +0200 swedenexpo.cn: Every Wednesday, one of the pavilion guides bring us behind the scenes of the Swedish pavilion. This time, Alexis von Sydow tells of an interesting encounter he had at the information desk. Guides' Talk: Info desk internship (By Alexis von Sydow)When I stood one evening stamping away by the information desk, looking, I can imagine, rather tired and drained, Pan from Giant Kone came up and offered to help me with putting stamps in people’s Expo passports. Pan is a man of tremendous kindness and stamina, and during fifteen minutes I watched how he meticulously put the Swedish Spirit of Innovation stamp on outstretched pages 38 in an unhurried and thorough fashion, while we struck up a nice conversation. A: ”How does it feel?”P: ”Not like anything. But that means it’s alright. I’ve just been at it for five minutes.”A: “You have a pretty good technique. How come you could learn it so quickly?”P: “I did this for an hour once. There was someone here who should do it, a girl, but she disappeared.” All the things that happen in this pavilion! I felt a little disturbed by hearing this and changed the subject. A: “Do you have an Expo passport yourself?”P: “No.”A: “Why not?”P: “They haven’t given me one.”A: “Does that mean you’re not really interested enough? What is your perspective on these passports and the stamps?”P: “I am interested! I think the visitors love them so much!” Pan is probably right about this. He seems to see the pavilion stamps as a vital part of the Expo experience and takes a rather zen approach to the whole process of stamping, however monotonous it is. When people hold out their passports with the wrong page up, he reminds them kindly of their mistake. I am rather impressed by this, because I, in executing this task, tend to assume that people actually want their stamps in all the incorrect places they hold up in front of me. “I see that you take this job rather seriously?” I cannot help but ask. Pan smiles while a flurry of stamps land precisely on green and pink passport pages, and answers with a small utterance, containing, it seems, all his genuine feeling and understated humor:“Uhm, no. I’m just pretending.” Guide: Alexis von SydowAge: 22.Superpower: Classical chinese . What's your favourite part of the pavilion? - The Absolute Choir.What pavilion event are you looking forward to the most? - The arrival of Crown Princess Victoria. I hope that her sister Madeleine comes as well.What's your understanding of "Spirit of Innovation" - To create music that is what it is for reasons of its own. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guides-talk-info-desk-internship/ news_603_1276082898 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 13:28:18 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/leif-pagrotsky-key-note-speaker-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_599_1276067363 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 09:09:23 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/interview-of-the-aerial-artist-linnea-backgaard-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_596_1276055952 Wed, 09 Jun 2010 05:59:12 +0200 Sing-a-long, herring and cake. Sunday, June 6 was Sweden's national day. Shanghai's Swedes celebrated it like never before. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-swedish-national-day-a-piece-of-home-away-from-home/ news_589_1275890073 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 07:54:33 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/professor-hans-rosling-visits-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_585_1275876667 Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:11:07 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/moments-of-the-week-315-6-6/ news_582_1275825265 Sun, 06 Jun 2010 13:54:25 +0200 As one of the world’s most popular handicrafts, the Dala Horse has become a symbol for Sweden. Here at the 2010 Shanghai Expo, you can have the opportunity to see it for yourself. The Dala Horse is a traditional carved and painted wooden statuette originating from the Swedish province of Dalarna. Legend has it that back in the 1600s woodcarvers in the region had to spend a lot of time in the woods, and as they missed their children very much, they carved little wooden horse as gifts for them. The handicraft was kept by generations of Swedes and eventually became a part of the unique traditional craftsmanship in Sweden.The Dala Horse is no stranger to the World Expo. In the World's Fair in New York in 1939, the Dala Horse first attracted the attention of the world. On May 1st 2010, the Minister for trade of Sweden painted one of the eyes on a Dala Horse as part of the opening ceremony of the Swedish Pavilion.Now, visitors can see two Dala Horses at the entrance of the Swedish Pavilion. They were completed in Sweden by a Swedish artist called Torbjörn Lindgren, then traveled for weeks and finally arrived here at the Expo site. The bigger one, weighing 2 tons, is 3 meters high while the smaller one measures 1.5 meters in height. The colorful pattern is called “kurbits” and matches well the façade of Swedish Pavilion.If you want to buy a Dala Horse souvenir you are most welcome to the Swedish Pavilion Souvenir Shop and if you want to see the large Dala Horses mentioned above, come to the Swedish Pavilion Dala Horse Square.For more information please visit: http://www.swedenexpo.cn/media/about-sweden/ ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/symbol-of-swedish-pavilion-magic-dala-horse/ news_581_1275751217 Sat, 05 Jun 2010 17:20:17 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-skogsindustrierna-table-tennis-tournament-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_579_1275721823 Sat, 05 Jun 2010 09:10:23 +0200 On June 4, Skogsindustrierna (the Swedish Forest Industries) arranged an exciting event at the Swedish pavilion, featuring table tennis rock stars Jörgen Persson and Mikael Appelgren. The elite sportsmen played a game against each other, and then invited the audience to play along, all commented by Chinese news anchor Wang Dong 王东. Zhao Jun 赵俊，51 from Shanghai challenged Mikael Appelgren and put up a surprisingly good fight. He is hereby named the Hidden Table Tennis Dragon of Shanghai. Stay tuned for video, interviews and more photos of this event. If you want to see some of the live footage from the day, click here. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-table-tennis-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_577_1275653777 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 14:16:17 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/announcement-skogsindustrierna-table-tennis-tournament/ news_573_1275631201 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 08:00:01 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-childrens-day-activity-at-the-the-swedish-pavilion-singing/ news_569_1275618262 Fri, 04 Jun 2010 04:24:22 +0200 On June 3, a group of monks from the Jade Buddha Monastery Shanghai Buddhist Institute visited the Swedish pavilion. Pavilion employee Jenny Chen guided the group through the exhibition. "The pavilion is rich in content" one monk said, "and riding in the slide was equal parts scary and exciting". ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-a-spiritual-visit/ news_568_1275558745 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 11:52:25 +0200 Only one month after the opening ceremony, the Swedish pavilion visitor count has risen to 500 000. Our 500 000th visitor, Wei Cuizhen 卫翠珍 , 53 from Shanghai, was saluted by Deputy Commissioner General Nina Ekstrand, interviewed by the media and received lots of Swedish pavilion gifts. She, her daughter and granddaughter was of course also given a very special tour through the Swedish pavilion. Will you be our 1 000 000th visitor? ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-the-500-000th-visitor/ news_567_1275555274 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 10:54:34 +0200 swedenexpo.cn:More than 60 guides from China and Sweden work on the front lines of the Swedish pavilion, helping visitors at the entrance, explaining the exhibition and providing technical support in VIP sections. For sure, they have many interesting stories to share with us. Starting this week, we will invite one of them each week to share with us their behind-the-scenes stories of everyday life in the pavilion. This week, Tom Huang is going to tell us about the gigantic slide in Room for Solutions.The Exciting Ride (By: Tom Huang)The gigantic slide is one of the most popular items in the Swedish Pavilion. It is open from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Although it is approaching 4:00 p.m. now, visitors are still lining up. Some will even wait for an hour for a single ride.At a length of 14 meters and an angle of 40 degrees, the ride is so exciting that some of the girls will scream loudly as they ride down. It's at this point that the male visitors get to show their bravery and calmness, sliding down without uttering a sound. However, the children seem to be the bravest ones in the face of such a challenge. They don’t even need our help. As a pavilion guide, the first time I tried the slide was under the pressure of my coworkers. I was shaking, and afterwards they told me that my scream was just as filled with horror as that of our female visitors. However, after a few rides, I like my fellow workers regard it as an efficient means of transportation. Guide: Tom HuangFrom: Shanghai, ChinaAge: 23Superpower: Piano-playing What's your favorite part of the exhibition? - The second hall, Environmental challenges (Hall B) and the Hall of Solutions (Hall C)What's event do you look forward to the most in the Swedish Pavilion? - Swedish National day (June 6)If you would describe Sweden in one sentence, what would it be? - Sweden looks like Cosiness Relaxation and Confortable Nationality.How do you understand the Swedish theme, "Spirit of Innovation"?: - As far as I am concerned, the Spirit of innovation is thinking out of the box, get rid of the stereotype, use different method to tackle the problems. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/this-weeks-pavilion-guide-blog-the-exciting-ride/ news_564_1275538364 Thu, 03 Jun 2010 06:12:44 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/videoexpress-of-childrens-day-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_559_1275456907 Wed, 02 Jun 2010 07:35:07 +0200 Singing, drawing and dancing was on the schedule when we celebrated Children's Day in the Swedish pavilion. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-childrens-day-june-1/ news_554_1275370168 Tue, 01 Jun 2010 07:29:28 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-chinas-challenge-seminar/ news_549_1275305350 Mon, 31 May 2010 13:29:10 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-coming-up-next-from-june-1to-15/ news_548_1275298381 Mon, 31 May 2010 11:33:01 +0200 The international Children's Day is around the corner. The Swedish Pavilion has prepared a whole-day program to celebrate the occasion. Swedenexpo.cn has interviewed some of the pavilion guides and asked about their childhood memories and expectations for the coming holiday. Q1: As we all know, the international Children’s Day is coming. As a pavilion guide, what do you recommend for the children visiting to the pavilion?The Dala Horse Square and Children’s Square, the pavilion slides, the special kitchen the shinning swings.Q2: Have you noticed any difference between Chinese and Swedish kids?Children all over the world are lovely. Comparatively speaking, Swedish kids are more active while Chinese kids are quieter. Q3: Can you picture the most unforgettable Children’s Day you had when you were little?The Chinese guides described the picnics organized by the school, which inevitably turned into a treat to the palate. Q4: What roles will the guides assume on 1, June? They will teach the children how to dance, sing, draw and speak the Swedish language.Thanks pavilion guides ---Paul Philip Abrigo，Viola Gad，Ana Pang, Eric Zhang for their cooperation. Let’s look forward to it. Are you in China? Click here.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/from-our-pavilion-guide-to-you-happy-childrens-day/ news_546_1275279883 Mon, 31 May 2010 06:24:43 +0200 （Released on 28, May ）Yesterday, staff from the souvenir shop and café on the first floor told us that the long-expected candy shipped from Sweden had finally arrived. Today, without any delay, www.swedenexpo.cn is here at the shop to check it out.The Swedes are known as the No.1 lovers of candy in the world, consuming 17 kilos each year per person. The Swedish candy is also hailed as the most delicious of its kind. This time, the café in the souvenir shop sells a wide range of well-chosen products by JW Sweets, an established Swedish brand since the 1930s. Apart from classic sweets, there are chocolates, as well as fruit wines and beers. Among all the products, “Sweden Box” with the logo of “Spirit of Innovation,” is the most popular one. In “Sweden Box”, all flavours of sweets and chocolates available in the souvenir shop are included.According to the staff, all the sweets are specially prepared for the Expo. They are very popular and only available in the Swedish Pavilion. There is a wide variety of choices, and the prices range from 30yuan to 200yuan. It is believed that the sweets will be especially popular amongst the children at the coming Children’s Day on June 1. They also gave us a tip that in the middle of June, a new shipment of classic Swedish biscuits and wines is coming. We look forward it. Location：Souvenir shop ( F1 ) of the Swedish Pavilion Open：9：30-22：00 Price range：30-255RMBRecommendation：Sweden Box，Swedish wine Coming up soon：Swedish biscuits（in late June） ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/new-arrival-in-the-souvenir-shop-sweets-and-chocolates-from-northern-europe/ news_544_1275274740 Mon, 31 May 2010 04:59:00 +0200 The past week started with the King's visit and ended with a farewell to our in-house artists Rasmus Wurm and Linnea Backgård. It's time to recapitulate and reminisce. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-moments-of-the-week-may-23-30/ news_543_1275224648 Sun, 30 May 2010 15:04:08 +0200 Sometimes, on lazy Saturday afternoons, the people working at the Swedish pavilion feel a need to show off their hidden talents. Does this mean every Swedish person knows how to juggle? See for yourself. Thanks to performance artists Rasmus Wurm and Linnea Backgård for helping us out and to Circus Cirkör for letting us use their balls. Related videos: Linnea Backgård rope-dancing, Rasmus Wurm performance and interview.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-everybody-juggles/ news_538_1275128620 Sat, 29 May 2010 12:23:40 +0200 On May 28, the Swedish pavilion had a very special visit. A group of young students from the Hope primary school (青海省民和县李二堡海尔希望小学), a charity school in Qinghai province, came and explored the Swedish exhibition. Together with teachers, our dear pavilion guide and TV reporters, the children slowly played their way through the exhibition, with swedenexpo.cn following closely. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-children-of-hope/ news_530_1275044835 Fri, 28 May 2010 13:07:15 +0200 There are three virtual guides in the Swedish pavilion; the world-famous storybook character Pippi Longstocking, Erik Feng, Executive Vice President at Ericsson in China, and Victoria Karlsson who just started her career at Volvo. Yesterday, we showed you pictures of the real-life Victoria Karlsson. Today it's time for the next reality-check, Erik Feng. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/reality-check-erik-feng/ news_529_1275042521 Fri, 28 May 2010 12:28:41 +0200 June 12-20 it is time for the 13th Shanghai International Film Festival, and Sweden will participate with three movies, Glowing Stars, Starring Maja and the short movie Panic Painter. Glowing stars (I taket lyser stjärnorna)Jenna lives two parallel lives. While experiencing the thrills and sensations of adolescence, her mom is dying. Jenna struggles with finding herself while facing the fear of having to continue life without her mom.For more information about Glowing stars please click here Starring Maja (Prinsessa)In a hopelessly small town somewhere in long and narrow Sweden, lives Maja, 18 years old. Her life’s dream is to become an actress. She wants for everyone to see the beautiful human being she is on the inside, only it’s a little hard. Heavily overweight, clumsy and socially inept, Maja struggles to realise her dream during her final term at high school.For more information please click herePanic Painter (Panikkonstnären)A kid and his old man visits a museum where every room becomes an adventure. A red string and some words of wisdom comes from the kid. Words the world is waiting for... For more information please click here For more information about the Shanghai International Film Festival, please click here ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-participation-at-the-shanghai-international-film-festival/ news_527_1275030479 Fri, 28 May 2010 09:07:59 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-hm-king-carl-xvi-gustafs-opening-speech-at-the-spirit-of-innovation-forum/ news_525_1275027869 Fri, 28 May 2010 08:24:29 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-fashion-show-at-the-expo-center-on-national-pavilion-day/ news_524_1275024847 Fri, 28 May 2010 07:34:07 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-spirit-of-innovation-forum/ news_521_1275018248 Fri, 28 May 2010 05:44:08 +0200 There are three virtual guides in the Swedish pavilion; the world-famous storybook character Pippi Longstocking, Erik Feng, Executive Vice President at Ericsson in China, and Victoria Karlsson who just started her career at Volvo. The question on everyone's mind is: how much do they look like their real-life counterparts? Last week (May 17-23) Victoria made an appearance at the Swedish pavilion. Judge for yourselves. Tomorrow we'll give you a glimpse of the real-life Erik Feng, see you then. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/reality-check-victoria-karlsson/ news_520_1274955580 Thu, 27 May 2010 12:19:40 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedens-children-day-at-expo-2010-june-1/ news_518_1274941176 Thu, 27 May 2010 08:19:36 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guiding-the-king-after/ news_516_1274854189 Wed, 26 May 2010 08:09:49 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-king-carl-xvi-gustaf-visits-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_513_1274779709 Tue, 25 May 2010 11:28:29 +0200 ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-sweden-national-pavilion-day/ news_511_1274708083 Mon, 24 May 2010 15:34:43 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/interview-giving-flowers-to-the-king/ news_510_1274693326 Mon, 24 May 2010 11:28:46 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-last-day-of-72-hour-race-to-innovation/ news_507_1274680022 Mon, 24 May 2010 07:47:02 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-king-is-coming-swedish-national-pavilion-day/ news_505_1274673542 Mon, 24 May 2010 05:59:02 +0200 To visualize the innovative spirit of Swedish design, the Swedish National Pavilion Day on May 23 will present an exclusive cooperation between Chinese and Swedish culture, featuring dance, fashion and music. The Shanghai-based dance choreographer Jin Xing will bring life to clothes designed by some of Sweden’s most prominent designers to music made by Swedish musicians Andreas Kleerup and Andreas Unge.The Fashion Performance will feature clothes designed by Diana Orving, Sandra Backlund, Martin Bergström, Göran Sundberg and Nakkna with the renowned Swedish dancer Virpi Pahkinen in a solo part. Original music for the performance is composed by the two popular Swedish artists Kleerup and Unge. The Swedish performance artist Charlotte Engelkes will host the show that takes place in Expo Center Red Hall. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-national-day-preview-fashionably-fabulous/ news_489_1274370910 Thu, 20 May 2010 17:55:10 +0200 A mysterious text message from an inside source set us onto it: "In the Turkish pavilion they have an icecream trick". What is the trick? Our source told us that the Turks trick you into paying, but don't actually give you the icecream. Outside the red box that is the Turkish pavilion, visitors with expectation gleaming in their eyes formed a line up the icecream stand. When the man wielding the icecream stick started to prepare our cones, our reaction went from anticipation to frustration to sheer confusion. He tried giving us a mini-sized cone as well as not giving us any icecream at all. Ayşe, a female guide from Istanbul told us that it's only a trick to entertain the visitors, and that they all get their icecream in the end. So did we. She also told us the secret behind the Turkish icecream's special flavour. "The secret is to use lots of milk." Turkish domestic milk that is, and there are no artificial flavours, only the original milk flavor. The Turkish pavilion is conveniently located, almost next to the Swedish one. So if you're on your way here and want to try something different, give it a try!]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-2-turkey/ news_487_1274358774 Thu, 20 May 2010 14:32:54 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-rope-dancer-linnea-backgaard-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_484_1274333474 Thu, 20 May 2010 07:31:14 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/interview-with-the-yo-yo-artist-rasmus-wurm/ news_481_1274266750 Wed, 19 May 2010 12:59:10 +0200 A visual recap from last week. This time we're leaving the story telling to the photos. Photos by: Tobias Andersson Åkerblom and Paul Philip Abrigo. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-moments-of-the-week/ news_476_1274173650 Tue, 18 May 2010 11:07:30 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-singing-in-the-queue/ news_473_1274172288 Tue, 18 May 2010 10:44:48 +0200 The queue to the Swedish pavilion is long and crowded as usual, but it's never boring when guests and pavilion guides sing together. Today, May 18 we were honored with a visit by the Qingdao Music Sail Xiao Cao Chorus (青岛音乐之帆小草合唱团), and as they bursted into spontaneous singing, the entire queue joined in, as well as a couple of pavilion guides. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-singing-in-the-queue/ news_472_1274171006 Tue, 18 May 2010 10:23:26 +0200 Today, over 100 journalists from more than 30 different countries came to the Swedish pavilion to attend the three-day Ericsson Business Innovation Forum. The forum is a global event where experts come to discuss and learn about innovation in business. Ericsson hosted the event in Stockholm for the first time last year. This time it was natural for them to host the event at the Swedish pavilion: "Here, journalists have a chance to meet us and also visit the Expo at the same time" Ola Rembe, director of media relations at Ericsson said. But the main reason that Ericsson chose the venue was their previous engagement in the Swedish pavilion, as well as China's importance for the telecom industry. Some of the journalists where guided through the pavilion by pavilion guide Erik Bergenholtz. Kashminder Singh, editor of Malaysian Mobile World Magazine was impressed by the pavilion: "It reinforced my impression of Sweden; I've always thought of them as creative and innovative". He especially liked that the pavilion gives examples on how to solve our environmental problems, and all the showcased innovations: "I didn't know that the original Coca-Cola bottle was Swedish." His only regret was that he didn't get to try the slide this time. For the first day of the forum, the focus was on China's economic development. Renowned Chinese economist Dr Fan Gang was one of the many speakers. He told the audience that when he grew up, his family did have a phone, but it was disconnected during the Cultural revolution. It wasn't until 1981 or 1982 that it they could actually use it. "And today, everyone has got a a cellphone. That reflects China's economic development" he said. Tomorrow, the forum will continue in the pavilion with consumers and innovation as the main topics. On the third day, the journalists will be taken on guided tours of Ericsson's facilities in the region. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/ericsson-business-innovation-forum-attracting-journalists-by-the-hundreds/ news_468_1274092258 Mon, 17 May 2010 12:30:58 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-rasmus-wurms-performance-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_466_1274089189 Mon, 17 May 2010 11:39:49 +0200 Interview with Mattias Klum Famous Swedish photographer Mattias Klum is co-hosting a photo contest together with the Swedish pavilion. It started May 1st and the winners will get to participate in a workshop together with Mattias and learn more about the job as a photographer. Mattias is also the artist behind the large forest pictures on the facade of the Swedish pavilion. We asked him about his thoughts on innovation, the Expo, his work and his expectations for the competition. What meaning do you think a world expo can have for the society today?I hope that people will be inspired by the world around them and see our differences as assets and nothing else. Also, sustainability should be an overall theme from now on, it is about time. What impact do you think the Swedish participation can have on the Sino-Swedish relationship?I hope that we can inspire this huge country to take yet another step towards a sustainable society, both regarding environmental issues as well as human rights. We too have a lot to learn, of course, from this culture far older than our own. What does the Swedish theme, ”Spirit of Innovation”, mean to you?To be curious about life and aware of how much we have yet to learn about the world. To use that curiosity to create better and more sustainable solutions is extremely important! Political systems and processes that allow smart, new and creative solutions that in turn will create better conditions for a better world. Tell us about the huge pictures you have taken that cover the exterior of the Swedish pavilion. When did you shoot them, and where?The assignment I got from Sweco and the Swedish pavilion was to interpret the soul within, that the nature is a part of all of us and not the least us Swedes. The basic idea was to shoot pretty simple, straight-forward portraits of Swedish forest environments. I chose a few that I really like. Swedish oak, beach, elm, maple and lime tree forests in Uppland, and an old fashioned old growth forest with large fir trees and rocks covered in moss. They make a good contrast against glass, concrete and wood. They add warmth and dynamics. Why did you choose to host a photo contest with the Swedish pavilion?I wanted to be part of a multi-cultural project where people all over the world can give their point of view about “City and nature” and how we can look at our own part within the role of nature in the urban world. We are dependent on a healthy nature and sound environment in our ever-changing world. What are your hopes for the submissions in this contest?I hope that they will be of high quality and very creative. In your opinion, what qualities does a submission need to stand out from the other?A unique picture language and an artistic and/or journalistic angle that connects to the theme. The winners in the competition will get to participate in a workshop with you. What will this workshop contain?I will use my experiences as a National Geographic photographer, and tell the participants about my work. I will focus more on telling a tale rather than the techniques. What makes a picture communicate? What can we change through pictures? If you got to take one person’s photo, living or dead, who would it be?Carl von Linné, Charles Darwin or Cleopatra would be exciting. Or why not my own little family… I see them way to seldom right now. Yes, my family it would be. Thank you Mattias, we look forward to seeing you in the pavilion soon.Thank you, and likewise!. For more information about the photo competition, please click HERE. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/interview-with-photographer-mattias-klum/ news_465_1274088819 Mon, 17 May 2010 11:33:39 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/guiding-the-king-before/ news_463_1273993188 Sun, 16 May 2010 08:59:48 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/chinese-art-meets-swedish-entrepreneurship-absolut-vodka-launches-china-campaign/ news_462_1273919268 Sat, 15 May 2010 12:27:48 +0200 Hans Blix is a Swedish diplomat and politician. He was Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1978 and 1979, and from 2000 to 2003 he was the head of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission. In 2002, the commission began searching Iraq for weapons of mass destruction and since 2003 Hans Blix has been chair of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC), which is an independent body funded by the Swedish government and based in Stockholm. Hans Blix is visiting China this week to give a lecture at the Fudan University about disarmament, and while in Shanghai he also wanted to visit the Expo. We were very happy to show him the Swedish exhibition, and to get the opportunity to sit down with him and ask him what he thinks “Spirit of Innovation” means. Dr. Hans Blix hates bombs but likes nuclear power. "Today the world is spending 1,400 billion dollars on the military expenditure. Could we do not better with that, in trying to save the planet?" Are you in China? Click here.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/high-profile-visit-to-the-swedish-pavilion-by-dr-hans-blix/ news_355_1273826367 Fri, 14 May 2010 10:39:27 +0200 This Wednesday famous Swedish wine expert Bengt Frithiofsson visited the Swedish pavilion. He is in China for a vacation together with his family and we were honored to be able to hold a special Chinese wine tasting at the pavilion together with him. Are you in China? Click here.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/famous-wine-expert-tries-chinese-wines-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_241_1273730993 Thu, 13 May 2010 08:09:53 +0200 The 72 hour race to innovation reached the finish line today with 14 new inventions as the result. Professor Kaj Mickos, the man behind the concept, thought the race a success only made possible by his "fantastic coworkers". Joel Ydring from the yellow team (see the previousarticle) has another recipe for the success: "The secret is to never sleep", he says. If the race to innovation is an emotional roller-coaster, then he was at the lowest point of the track at approximately 4 am this morning. "Then I saw the light, that there is a possibility that it will work." And it did. Among the 14 new inventions there are as differing things as a steel refugee shelter, a special paper clip, and light-weight steel waste bins. The latter is made from a material that SSAB calls Prelaq Clear. It is prepared with a special paint that has the advantage of being more or less self-cleaning. The steel covering the outside walls of the Swedish pavilion are made of a similar material called 'Prelaq Energy', which has the main advantage of reflecting the sun rays, thus saving energy for cooling during the summer months. The next innovation race in the Swedish pavilion will start in June. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/72-hour-race-to-innovation-finish-the-secret-is-to-never-sleep/ news_206_1273677667 Wed, 12 May 2010 17:21:07 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-third-of-the-72-hour-race-to-innovation/ news_197_1273660635 Wed, 12 May 2010 12:37:15 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-second-day-of-72-hour-race-to-innovation/ news_195_1273660321 Wed, 12 May 2010 12:32:01 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/now-online-360-degree-panorama-series-of-the-pavilions-construction/ news_194_1273659350 Wed, 12 May 2010 12:15:50 +0200 Just now, the Complete Dance Company gave another stunning dance performance. This time they ended up in the water and even six year old Wang Yuxuan approved of the shenanigans. The dancers from the Complete Dance Company have been hard to miss here at the pavilion. They've given breath-taking performances almost daily, and the audience keeps getting bigger. During today's afternoon performance the gang danced their way into the pools outside the Swedish pavilion, and afterwards the crowd stormed in for a wet photo session. Six years old Wang Yuxuan from Beijing was happy to pose with the dancers. "The dance was really good" he explains calmly while finishing his pizza next to the Dala horses. On Saturday the 15th, the Complete Dance Company, part of the concept Street by Sweden, produced by Cirkus Cirkör, will give their final performance here at the Swedish pavilion. Be sure to catch a glimpse of them before they leave Shanghai and continue their worldwide quest for inspiration and beats. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-splashing-show/ news_192_1273653665 Wed, 12 May 2010 10:41:05 +0200 In a recent article at CNN Go, the Swedish pavilion gets praised for its architecture and style. Out of all the pavilions at the Expo, the Swedish one is described as one of the best looking. Of course we already knew that, but our cheeks are blushing with pride anyway... Come see for yourselves! For more info about the ranking, please visit CNN Go]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/cnn-top-ranks-the-swedish-pavilion-at-expo-2010/ news_191_1273645573 Wed, 12 May 2010 08:26:13 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/poehl-by-the-pool/ news_188_1273581582 Tue, 11 May 2010 14:39:42 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/72-hour-innovation-race-day-two-it-is-an-emotional-roller-coaster/ news_187_1273581258 Tue, 11 May 2010 14:34:18 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/the-swedish-pavilion-media-magnet/ news_186_1273576930 Tue, 11 May 2010 13:22:10 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-60-years-of-friendship/ news_162_1273504401 Mon, 10 May 2010 17:13:21 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-trailer-of-ssab-72-hour-race-to-innovation/ news_151_1273485966 Mon, 10 May 2010 12:06:06 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/videofirst-day-of-72-hour-race-to-innovation/ news_148_1273485532 Mon, 10 May 2010 11:58:52 +0200 As part of a new article series called Pavilion Friends, www.swedenexpo.cn visited the Finnish pavilion and had a quick chat with one of their guides. It turns out Sweden and Finland are not very different after all, which may or may not derive from the fact that we were the same country for some 400 years... Here's a quick Q&A with Finland pavilion guide Atte Lotjonen: Hi, who are you and where are you from?Atte Lotjonen from Helsinki, Finland. What is the theme of the Finnish pavilion?It's Sharing Inspiration. If you look at the wall you will see the small seeds of inspiration flying all around, we're really inspired here in the Finnish pavilion! Are you inspired? Always?Yeah of course, every single day. Is it a Finnish thing to be inspired?Yes, I think that during springtime and summertime we're even too inspired, but then during the winter we're a bit less inspired... The Swedish theme is Spirit of Innovation, it's not very different from the Finnish theme, is it?No, no it sure isn't! We're pretty alike us Finns and Swedes, maybe you're almost as inspired as us Finns!]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-friends-1-finland/ news_146_1273481612 Mon, 10 May 2010 10:53:32 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-72-hour-race-to-innovation-starting-the-countdown/ news_144_1273467328 Mon, 10 May 2010 06:55:28 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-performance-artist-angela-wand-at-shanghai-expo/ news_117_1273403691 Sun, 09 May 2010 13:14:51 +0200 The sand falls through Andrew Huang's fingers onto the lit up table. With a concentrated look on his face he starts shaping it into a pattern which is projected onto the big screen in the VIP area of the Swedish pavilion. The first pattern that takes shape is a globe with hands meeting across it. Moving the sand with his fingers, he slowly changes the picture to a heart, and then a flower. It's how the pictures, and messages, blend into one another that makes this particular art form interesting for Andrew.-I don't like stills. Stills are easy, he explains.Today, the Swedish company Atlas Copco arranged a performance with shadow dancing and sand painting for their guests in the pavilion. The message was simple.- It's all about social responsibility, Andrew Huang said.Behind a white screen, Shanghainese shadow dancing troupe Leo Communications delivered the message ever more clearly. Accompanied by a prerecorded video in the background, they showed the guests how to make arid land come back to life, amongst other things.Atlas Copco was founded in 1873 and is now a world leading provider of industrial productivity solutions. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/shadow-dancing-and-sand-painting-new-ways-to-deliver-a-classic-message/ news_111_1273311989 Sat, 08 May 2010 11:46:29 +0200 The Swedish pavilion keeps drawing a crowd, and not just from anybody. Today the pavilion was visited by a film team from China Central Television (CCTV) who are making a documentary about the Expo. The journalists were shown around the pavilion all the way up to the glass roof, even though one of them got a little dizzy from the height. They were especially impressed by the street dance performance outside of the pavilion by Complete Dance Company, produced by Cirkus Cirkör. The film team has been working on the documentary, which will be aired around the time the Expo finishes, since April and will continue filming on site in Shanghai until mid June. After watching the dance performance they left with a promise to come back soon. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/camera-rolling-action/ news_110_1273241400 Fri, 07 May 2010 16:10:00 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-complete-dance-company-in-the-shanghai-expo-partb/ news_109_1273213922 Fri, 07 May 2010 08:32:02 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-complete-dance-company-in-the-shanghai-expo-parta/ news_105_1273205022 Fri, 07 May 2010 06:03:42 +0200 Thursday in Shanghai and the weather is amazing with the sun shining and 25°C in the air. A lot of people are visiting the Expo today and the queues to the Swedish pavilion are long.Just before lunch the Complete Dance Company gave a grand show outside the pavilion to entertain the people queuing, and a lot of other visitors also crowded around the performance area. A few minutes into the performance another street dance crew showed up. They had just performed outside the Estonian pavilion across the square, and became curious about what was going on at the Swedish pavilion. In the name of the Swedish hospitality, CDC of course invited them to show us what they had got. As you can see in the pictures, they turned out to be very skilled and the audience got a great show! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/street-dance-battle-at-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_102_1273139597 Thu, 06 May 2010 11:53:17 +0200 As part of the concept Street by Sweden, produced by Cirkus Cirkör, seven dancers from Sweden travelled all the way to Shanghai to perform at the Swedish pavilion. They call themselves Complete Dance Company and they know how to excite a crowd. "Its so nice to be here in Shanghai at the Expo, with so many people and getting so much support from everyone " Merdean Munez, says, just after the three o' clock performance. One could think dancing in the pouring rain or searing sun several times a day could be a challenge, but Munez smiles and says they are proffessionals and that's what they do. "The sun here is nice! In Sweden we don't have this much sunshine, just a lot of snow" he adds. When asked what the Spirit of Innovation means to a dancer, Otto Bücker replies: "Finding new things, breaking new barriers and daring to be yourself." Fun, play and creativity also means a lot - "It means everything, in order to be really good you have to have fun and like what you're doing" Akira Nossborn explains. Each time they perform, the long line of visitors all turn their heads and cameras to the performance. "Spreading inspiration to people and getting inspiration back is why I do it" Munez says. Complete Dance Company came together as a group around one year ago. Seven very experienced performers with many different styles and backgrounds decided to form a dance crew and have since travelled the world doing what they do best - perform, spread inspiration have fun. For nine more days, you can see them four times a day, at 11:00, 12:00, 14:30 and 15:30 right at the Swedish pavilion. Don't miss out! Click here for videos - Part A, Part B! ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/complete-dance-company-innovative-dance-inspirational-spirit/ news_99_1273113950 Thu, 06 May 2010 04:45:50 +0200 During the inauguration at the Swedish pavilion we had the honor of greeting the Swedish minister for Trade Ewa Björling as our guest. She held an opening speech in the morning and formally inaugurated the pavilion, and then she made a slightly more informal speech during dinner in the evening. She talked about the Swedish “Spirit of Innovation” and Pippi Longstocking. At the end of the speech, she took out a Pippi wig from her bag and put it on, and the entire room spontaneously started singing the theme song from Pippi Longstocking. Truly a very nice moment! On her blog she wrote: "The day finished with dinner in the Swedish pavilion with many Swedish and foreign guests. I made a speech about “Spirit of Innovation” and about how much Pippi had meant for me as a child. When the Pippi wig came on there was spontaneous singing, which was fun. Several of the Chinese guests looked a bit shocked, but after a while they laughed too. It was a nice evening that was finished by admiring the view of the Expo area from the glass roof." The minister wrote a lot more, and also posted pictures of her stay. For more information, please visit her blog.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedens-trade-minister-blogs-her-visit-to-the-swedish-pavilion/ news_97_1273048842 Wed, 05 May 2010 10:40:42 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/winners-of-design-competition-announced-at-swedish-inauguration-day/ news_94_1273036559 Wed, 05 May 2010 07:15:59 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-the-inauguration-of-swedish-pavilion/ news_93_1273036445 Wed, 05 May 2010 07:14:05 +0200 After Expo's opening ceremonies on the evening of April 30, 2010, Shanghai's skyline lit up with fireworks. This photo was taken from the rooftop Absolut bar at the Swedish pavilion. It sits atop a glass and wood atrium with vertigo-inducing views straight down. It may well have been (and likely will continue to be) the best place in Shanghai from which to watch fireworks during Expo. For more photos of the fireworks, see this set on Flickr.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/opening-night-fireworks/ news_87_1272945929 Tue, 04 May 2010 06:05:29 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-visiting-the-swedish-pavilion-at-shanghai-expo/ news_77_1272881223 Mon, 03 May 2010 12:07:03 +0200 On May 1, Inauguration day, the Swedish Pavilion officially opened its doors to the public. Some 12 000 visitors passed through the exhibition this first day, as did a long list of VIPs. Swedish Trade Minister Ewa Björling made it all the way from Stockholm to Shanghai to be part of the celebration. The minister held an opening speech, painted the eyes of the traditional Swedish wooden Dala horses, and was guided through the exhibition by our dear pavilion guide Carl-Johan Blom. "I was a little nervous at first, but as soon as you start up you know what to do", he said. It was a long and eventful day, and on the program there were also dance performances by the Swedish dance crew Complete Dance Company and a press conference of which both local and international media took part. For more photos, please see the set on Flickr. By Paul Philip Abrigo and Tobias Andersson Åkerblom. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photo-opening-day/ news_76_1272875295 Mon, 03 May 2010 10:28:15 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-inauguration-of-swedish-pavilion-part-ab/ news_70_1272714263 Sat, 01 May 2010 13:44:23 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/video-final-preparations-before-the-inauguration/ news_66_1272700116 Sat, 01 May 2010 09:48:36 +0200 On April 28, in preparation for the arrival of His Majesty the King of Sweden Carl Gustaf, the pavilion guides were educated in the royal ways, via Skype. Former Director of the Press and Information Department at the Royal Court, Elisabeth Tarras Wahlberg gave a long and informative lecture about His Majesty's history, the monarchy of Sweden in the past and today, and also pointed out some do's and don'ts. For example, one do is "be yourself". VIPs are humans too. There was a cheerful thrill in the air during the lecture, and thanks to a dedicated IT team the online conference was a joyous meeting between the centuries old history of Sweden and the young brilliant minds of the Swedish pavilion.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/royal-training-via-skype-traditional-ways-meet-modern-technology/ news_65_1272686827 Sat, 01 May 2010 06:07:07 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-web-shop-is-open-for-business/ news_64_1272685042 Sat, 01 May 2010 05:37:22 +0200 The guides where taught how act in an emergency situation, where to find the extinguishing equipment and alarm buttons of the pavilion, and how to organize an evacuation. Some of the guides already had experience of handling emergency situations, i.e. from military service. The Swedish pavilion have at least two emergency exits in every room of the exhibition and is well prepared to handle emergencies. PSU is the first foreign security company in China, and earlier this month they trained the guides in CPR and general security thinking. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/fire-drill/ news_62_1272614890 Fri, 30 Apr 2010 10:08:10 +0200 On Monday, April 26, the Swedish pavilion conducted a soft opening. The queue lined up around the building and the skills of the guides were tested for the first and last time before the grand opening on May 1. Visitors ranged from children to high-level officials. Pavilion guides Paul Philip Abrigo and and Tobias Andersson Åkerblom documented the event. Below is a selection of images from the soft opening. For more images, please see the set on Flickr. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/photos-from-the-soft-opening/ news_58_1272544083 Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:28:03 +0200 Today was the first sunny day in weeks in Shanghai, so I took my camera to record the recent progress on the Swedish pavilion exterior. Then I put these photos into Microsoft Photosynth, which turned them into 3D photomontages. Watch the result here: (You may need to install a plugin to see it.) ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/swedish-pavilion-on-photosynth/ news_51_1271250789 Wed, 14 Apr 2010 15:13:09 +0200 On October 31, 2009, the Swedish Shanghai Expo 2010 Committée visited the building site of the Swedish pavilion on the grounds of the World Exposition. In the panorama below, a ceremony for construction workers is taking place. Ceremony at The Swedish Pavilion, Shanghai Expo in Shanghai]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/ceremony-at-the-pavilion/ news_47_1271169307 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:35:07 +0200 Sweden introduced the theme of its participation in Expo 2010 — Spirit of Innovation — at Sweden Expo Week, held October 30 - November 5 at the Hong Kong New World Tower in Shanghai. Of course, openings wouldn't be any fun without opening ceremonies, so the exhibition was not so much unveiled as unzipped by Annika Rembe, Sweden's Commissioner General for Expo 2010. The zipper, in case you were wondering, is a Swedish invention, just the sort of thing that the spirit of innovation produces. More photos on Flickr. You can find the press release on expo2010.se.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/sweden-expo-week/ news_48_1271169307 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:35:07 +0200 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/annika-rembes-links-for-shanghai-expo-china-forum/ news_49_1271169307 Tue, 13 Apr 2010 16:35:07 +0200 We're in the final 50 days or so before the pavilion opens to the public, and construction continues at a rapid pace. Our on-site manager Sven Calander has been taking photos which he shares with us here. Above, the pavilion as it looked recently. The scaffolding is now more transparent, and through it you can see the exterior walls being panelled with SSAB steel. The pattern represents an aerial street map of Stockholm. Below, you can see a closeup of the perforated steel panelling, and the lighting being tested inbetween. Each panel gets lifted up and slotted into place, like so: Inside, work is well underway on the interior decoration. Below, you can see the VIP floor being installed. Here, partners and sponsors of the pavilion (who have paid for half of it) will be able to entertain corporate clients and guests, and hold seminars and meetings during Expo. The wooden Glulam construction has received a coat of paint and some glass railings. These stairs will lead to the rooftop bar. And finally, here are some panoramic shots that Sven took of the interior of the wooden construction. We hope to see you soon:-)]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/racing-to-the-finish-line/ news_36_1268320090 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:08:10 +0100 One icon of the Swedish Pavilion will be a 3-meter tall, all-weather, traditional wooden Dalecarlian Horse statue — or "Dalahäst" as the Swedes call it — stationed outside the entrance, welcoming visitors to the Swedish exhibition. The brightly-colored horse was recently completed by wood sculptor Torbjörn Lindgren in the Dalarna region of Sweden, packed into a crate along with a smaller (but still huge) cousin, and is now on its way to Shanghai. Where is the horse right now? Check out its live position on the map below: View Journey of the Shanghai Expo Dalecarlian horse in a larger map So far, the horse has travelled by truck from Mora, where it was built, to Göteborg, where it was put on a ship to Germany, and driven to Hamburg port. From there it was taken by ship to Rotterdam port, where it is being put on a container ship bound for China. Follow along in the coming weeks as the horse makes its way half-way around the world for its final destination at Shanghai Expo, in time for the opening on May 1, 2010. You can also follow the horse by opening this file in the free application Google Earth. See also a Swedish-language page about the travels of the Dalecarlian Horse, hosted by the providers of the geo-positioning technology used to track it, Future Position.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/follow-the-dalecarlian-horse-from-sweden-to-shanghai/ news_34_1267114922 Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:22:02 +0100 By Sven Calander, Master Builder, Swedish PavilionThis past weekend steel constructions started on area C, while area B is finalizing. [Each of the four building cubes are called A, B, C and D.] Today there are 14 workers and three supervisors from the steel supplier on the site; our supervision company Jianke is also present to check safety and quality. As you can see, the workers use safety belts and helmets. I found a very lucky helmet with 8888 written on it. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/construction-update-one-very-lucky-helmet/ news_1_1256908612 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:16:52 +0100 The panoramas on the home page do a good job of showing construction progress on the Swedish pavilion. You can't miss it - it's the big red steel construction growing right in front of the camera: But what about those other metal skeletons sprouting from the ground? Here's a quick walkthrough of the most prominent ones: Just below Lupu bridge, you can see the beginnings of the Belgian European pavilion, which will become a long rectangular building: If you want to see what that pavilion will look like when finished, visit the Belgian European pavilion's website. Further along, you can see two pavilions being built, one right behind the other. The closest one is the Danish pavilion, and behind it is the Finnish pavilion. The Danish pavilion was designed by Bjarke Ingels of the famous architecture firm BIG, and it will feature a spiral causeway for visitors. Check out this video of the Danish pavilion: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev9ZbPULhOY&feature=player_embedded#t=78] More photos are over on Arch Daily. The Finnish pavilion will look like a "giant kettle", in the words of the architects. For images of the Finnish pavilion, visit its website. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/panorama-walkthrough-whats-on-view/ news_3_1256908612 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:16:52 +0100 The architects of the Swedish pavilion at Shanghai Expo 2010 have just completed the official 3D fly-through of the pavilion, and it is available for the first time on the web right here: ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/3d-flythrough-of-pavilion-released/ news_20_1256908612 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:16:52 +0100 The Swedish pavilion is the centerpiece of our country's participation at Shanghai Expo 2010. Designed by Swedish architecture firm SWECO, it will house an exhibition showcasing Sweden's spirit of innovation, and how this spirit permeates all aspects of Swedish society. (You can see what it will look like when finished in this 3D simulation.) Groundbreaking for the pavilion occurred on April 20, 2009, with just over a year to go before the opening of Expo on May 1, 2010. Here's a view of what the plot looked like during the ceremony: Satellite imagery taken on April 2, 2009 was recently published to Google Maps and Google Earth. This is the view from space then: You can explore more of the region in Google Maps here. During the Shanghai summer, piles were driven into the ground — this is the foundation of every construction project. By September, the pavilion's steel skeleton started to take shape above ground: In October, once the main steel girders were in place, work was started on placing the floors, as well as the stairs: Of course, all of this is done with safety in mind: Later in October, scaffolding was placed around the structure, so that work could begin on the the outer walls: Simultaneously, work was started inside on the airconditioning ducts and sprinkler system: The Swedish pavilion comprises of three cube-ish steel structures, and one wooden cube, arranged so that they form the Swedish flag when seen from above. The wooden structure will be an atrium-like entrance, and its assembly was begun in November, when all the parts had arrived: Work continued apace throughout the Christmas holidays. Now in January, the roof is being installed: Here is a view of where the roof-top bar will be, with Lupu Bridge in the background: The future entrace of the pavilion will be here, minus the scaffolding, of course:-) The aim is to have the main construction finished by the Chinese New Year in mid February. Then, focus will shift to installing the exhibition. You can see more and higher-resolution pictures of the construction process on Flickr. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-construction-the-story-so-far/ news_32_1256908612 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:16:52 +0100 http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-exhibition-area-a-guided-tour/ news_29_1256908612 Fri, 30 Oct 2009 14:16:52 +0100 There are many ways in which you can stay updated on news about the Swedish pavilion. This website is just one of them.Are you on Facebook? Become a fan of the Swedish Pavilion. Do you use Twitter to stay updated? Follow us. We post our videos to YouTube, our photos to Flickr and our news as RSS. If you are in China, we are also on Xiaonei, Kaixin001 and Douban, and provide a Chinese-language Twitter feed. Image credit: Morgan Finley]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/follow-us-via-your-favorite-social-media-site/ news_4_1256804287 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:18:07 +0100 What you may not know is that Sweden is one of the biggest exporters of computer games — with some really talented game developers, as well as players. It's only fitting then that Sweden also has the world's largest LAN parties — think rock concerts for video game players — organized by DreamHack. To get an idea of how large they are, check out this video: Now DreamHack is expanding to the rest of the world, and is coming to Shanghai during Expo 2010. The Swedish Pavilion will be the location of the finals of the Chinese e-sports qualifiers for DreamHack Summer 2010, to be held in Sweden later in the year. Read more here.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/dreamhack-coming-to-shanghai-expo/ news_13_1256804287 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:18:07 +0100 Google Earth and Maps are a fantastic way of seeing the world — but the imagery on there is usually a few years old, so in a fast-changing city like Shanghai that can meant that what you see in Google Earth is no longer there in real life. And so it is with the site of the upcoming Shanghai Expo. If you check the area around the Swedish Pavilion on Google Maps or Earth, the current imagery just shows factories. Those factories are gone, however, replaced with intense construction of national pavilions. On a recent visit to the pavilion, we used a GPS device to find the precise location of the Swedish pavilion grounds, and overlaid them on Google Maps. Here are the grounds of the pavilion on Google Maps. As you can see, there used to be a large factory at the location: You can zoom in closer via the map in the above link. Users of Google Earth can use a feature that lets them see historical satellite imagery for any location — in the area of the pavilion, back to 2000. For example, in 2004 there was still a residential area nestled amid the factories: In 2002, Lupu Bridge was still being built: In 2000, the construction on the bridge still needed to be started: Hint: To turn on historical imagery in Google Earth, click on the clock icon in the top left of the application toolbar. Then move the slider to the left to see older imagery: View Location of the Swedish Pavilion in a larger map]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/find-the-pavilion-on-google-maps/ news_14_1256804287 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:18:07 +0100 In addition to viewing the panoramas here on swedenexpo.cn, you can now also explore them on 360cities.net, a large repository for panoramas from all over the world. 360cities.net allows you to embed the panorama on your own blog or website, so you too can show them, just by copying and pasting some code: Currently, there are four panoramas available, from Aug 3, Sept 7, Sept 15 and Sept 28. Click on the "Embed this" tab to get the code to paste into your own site. More are coming as the pavilion construction progresses.]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/pavilion-panoramas-now-on-360citiesnet/ news_15_1256804287 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:18:07 +0100 In the below video, Sweden's Commissioner General for Expo 2010 Annika Rembe introduces the Swedish Pavilion and explains the ideas behind it. Also speaking are SWECO architect Johannes Tüll, discussing the pavilion's physical structure, and Springtime's Carin Lembre, who is responsible for the pavilion's exhibition. ]]> http://www.swedenexpo.cn/en/news/detail/article/annika-rembe-introduces-the-pavillion-video/ news_22_1256804287 Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:18:07 +0100