By Wang Zhenghua (China Daily)
Updated: 2008-01-15 07:15

SHANGHAI: It might be the site of an unused power plant now, complete with a 165-m-high smokestack that once darkened the skyline with black fumes, but come 2010, the area will sport a futuristic riverside pavilion and become a must-see attraction for visitors to Shanghai.

The current site of the Nanshi power plant (left) and an artist's impression of how the new riverside pavilion, which will retain the plant's chimney, will look. Yang Huanmin and file photo

That, at least, is what local authorities are aiming for when the Shanghai World Expo opens in 2010.

Officials said the refurbishment of the 110-year-old Nanshi power plant is part of the city's redevelopment plans to close down old industrial plants and spruce up the area for the Expo, which is expected to attract more than 70 million visitors from home and abroad.

The Nanshi smokestack itself will be dressed up as a sightseeing tower overlooking the grounds of the Expo.

Preserving the Nanshi structure is in line with the Expo's efforts to retain the relics from China's industrial era, organizers said.

The authorities are also using the Expo to relocate polluting businesses out of town and replacing them with buildings that use clean energy.

The 110-year-old Nanshi plant, which is said to be one of the oldest in the country, closed in September.

Plans for the redeveloped site unveiled yesterday showed a structure that will reflect future urban lifestyles and best practices.

"The Nanshi power generation facility bears witness to the development of Shanghai, so we decided to preserve the workshop of the plant for the new pavilion to become the new scenic spot of Shanghai," said Gao Yulong, general manager of the Expo village, yesterday.

The new site will become the venue for showcasing various environmental protection technologies such as wind, solar and hydroelectric energy, officials said.

A highlight of the redevelopment will be the smokestack, which will be revamped into a 201-m-tall "Expo Harmony Tower".

Tracks and cars similar to roller coasters will weave around the tower and take visitors to the top for a view of the Expo site and the city's modern skyline.

The top of the tower will also be the highest point of the Expo site, officials said.

(China Daily 01/15/2008 page4)