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Expo will offer food delights for guests

By Tang Zhihao (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-24 09:06

SHANGHAI: A total of 300,000 meals will be delivered every day for visitors to the World Expo next year, as a part of organizers' attempts to create a "people-oriented expo."

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Chinese and western fast food eateries, food courts and theme restaurants will be scattered across the 5.28-sq-km expo garden. Expo visitors will have access to food within a walk of five minutes or less, no matter where they are on the grounds, according to the Chinese organizers of the expo, speaking yesterday at a meeting for expo participants.

Shanghai Expo organizers will recruit food suppliers to provide local foods such as hairy crab and soup dumplings at the upcoming expo.

Fast-food employees will work alongside world-renowned chefs and touted culinary innovators to bring their passion and flair to the approximately 400,000 daily tourists.

"The commercial service facilities in the expo site are designed to meet the catering and shopping needs of 70 million visitors," said Chen Xianjin, deputy director general of Shanghai World Expo Coordination bureau.

"We assure visitors will have safe, swift and affordable dining service, which will leave them with an impression of a successful, splendid and unforgettable World Expo," he added.

The Shanghai Expo, the largest world's fair ever, is designed to be part of a two-pronged demonstration of China's rising global clout, along with last year's Beijing Olympics.

So far, a record 241 countries and international organizations have confirmed attendance. Some 172 have appointed their commissioners general and 220 have signed participation contracts.

Among the 42 countries to build stand-alone pavilions, 38 have already celebrated ground-breaking or begun construction.

At one expo area entitled "Urban Best Practice Area," cities are invited to showcase their state-of-the-art design concepts and solutions to urban problems. Some 17 cities have started construction on their exhibit.

The public has also shown its excitement about the 2010 party as approximately eight million tickets have been sold since sales began in March. So far, the rate of ticket sales is meeting the organizers' expectations.

Organizers say the expo will include "humanized" service.

For example, a total of 80 information desks will be set up across the expo garden. Also visitors will have access to drinkable water at around 2,000 faucets.

Organizers will provide readily available, convenient, comfortable and quality services to visitors, Chen said.