SophieQ 隨筆

Shanghai marks comeback with Expo extravaganza

A proud Shanghai celebrated the opening of the 2010 World Expo on Friday with a lavish(盛大的)riverside display(河岸表演) of fireworks, fountains(噴泉)and laser lights that rivaled(抗衡) the stunning launch of the Beijing Olympics in its extravagance.

For Shanghai, the Expo marks an emphatic comeback as a major world city after decades of Spartan(斯巴達) industrialism following the 1949 communist revolution(共產革命). Like the 2008 Olympics, the event is showcasing(展示) China's growing economic and geopolitical sway(地緣政治的搖擺), both for the world and for its own public.

In a toast(敬酒時) at a gala dinner(晚宴) for dignitaries(貴賓) invited to watch the ceremony(儀式), President Hu Jintao said he was confident the world would "witness a successful, splendid(燦爛) and unforgettable World Expo."

The star-studded(星光熠熠) indoor festivities included action star Jackie Chan, Japanese singer Shinji Tanimura, concert pianist(音樂會鋼琴家) Lang Lang and opera star(歌劇明星) Andrea Bocelli, among 2,300 performers. Afterward, guests moved outside for a lights, music and fireworks jubilee(歡樂) that lit up the drab(單調) banks of the Huangpu river with 1,200 searchlights, powerful lasers and mobile fountains(移動噴泉).

The normally tea-colored waters glowed(發光) with 6,000 rosy-hued(玫瑰色斑駁陸離)0.5-meter (1.64-foot) LED balls and lights from a parade(閱兵) of flag boats representing nations participating in the Expo.

The Expo opens to the public on Saturday and is expected to draw 70 million people over six months to pavilions(大型看台) from almost 200 nations designed to reflect the urban sustainability(都市持續) theme of "Better City, Better Life."

China is splashing out(飛濺=花錢) 28.6 billion yuan ($4.2 billion) on the Expo itself, and many billions more on other improvements for this city of 20 million. Freshly painted buildings(新粉刷的建築物), new highways, subway lines and airport terminals -- all proclaim(宣告) the country's newfound status(新狀態) as a modern, increasingly affluent(富裕的) industrial giant(工業巨人).

"The government will spend whatever money it takes. For the leadership, it's worthwhile," said Zheng Yongnian, director of the East Asian Institute of the National University of Singapore.

The Expo caps a trio of landmark events that began with the Olympics and was followed by the elaborate (闡述)military parades(軍事遊行) for the 2009 celebration of the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule.

All have involved massive security crackdowns(安全掃蕩) and intensified harassment (加強騷擾)of political dissidents(異議份子), though commercial-minded(商業頭腦) Shanghai has kept measures low-key compared with the lockdown imposed for the Beijing Olympics, when tourist visas were canceled and the capital was cleared of migrants.

Still, local authorities, determined to prevent crimes or disturbances that could mar(損傷) the Expo, have tightened their enforcement of a ban on protests or public criticism of the ruling Communist Party.

A prominent dissident(傑出異議份子), Feng Zhenghu, said police confiscated(沒收) computers from his home after he announced a new manifesto(宣言) on human rights, a critique(批判) of Shanghai's legal system, to coincide with(配合) the Expo.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong-based Chinese Human Rights Defenders said at least six people who protested having their homes demolished(拆缷) to make way for the Expo were sent to labor camps(勞動營).

The Shanghai Expo, the first held in a developing country, is a source of pride for many city residents, though they already are complaining about crowds, traffic jams and other disruptions(中斷).

The already tight security(嚴密的保全) in the city was ratcheted up Friday as authorities closed the sprawling riverside(廣闊的河岸) Expo site to all but a few workers, journalists, and VIPs. As the evening performance began, police went from door-to-door in some buildings near the Expo site, trying to force visitors to leave as outraged residents(憤怒的居民) argued back(吵回來).

"We have been bothered many times recently. They even don't allow us to invite our relatives or friends to come see the fireworks. How can such a good thing turn out to be so be miserable(淒慘)?" complained one apartment owner. Fearing retaliation(害怕被報復), she gave only her surname, Zhu.

Shanghai residents had crowded into areas near the river from the early afternoon, hoping to get a glimpse (一瞥)of the evening celebrations attended by Hu and other leaders, including French President Nicolas Sarkozy, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Expo organizers had insisted on keeping details of their plans for the evening performances hush-hush, saying they did not want to spoil the surprise(破壞驚喜).

The elaborate outdoor performances, focused on the themes "Welcome to China," "Harmonious Gathering" and "Celebration" were centered on what organizers said is the world's largest LED screen, at 280 meters (920 feet) long and 33 meters (108 feet) high, and a fountain shooting water 80 meters (262 feet) high .

"This show couldn't be done anywhere but in China," said David Atkins, the executive producer(執行製作) of the outdoor performance.