CRI听力: Shanghai Expo Gears Up for Global Meet and Greet with People-oriented Design and Services

Anchor: With only a couple of days to go now until the opening of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, a lot of people are wondering how well the city will pull off the event. And when it comes to planning these major spectacles, the conveinence for people is always a big concern. Zhang Cheng has been poking around the Expo site to see for himself if the 6-month event is going to be "people-friendly."



Lines for the restrooms at the last World Expo in Aichi, Japan, were said to be incredibly long. So, with that in mind, Shanghai's Expo bureau drew lessons Aichi and used data from more than one million toilet users there in constructing their toilet layout.

At the Expo site, there are around 8,000 restrooms decorated in warm colors with piped-in music.
The proportion of toilet seats for males and females in one detached toilet is 1:2.5. In this way, both male and female visitors shouldn't have to stand around for any more than 10 minutes to use the facilities, even during peak periods.

Entering inside, visitors will find each station is equipped with two squat toilets and one urinal in the men's room, and two squat toilets in the ladies' room.

Inside each cubicle, temperatures will be moderated to keep it about 10 degrees cooler inside than it might be outside during the hot Shanghai summers.

Plus, instead of installing ceiling fans, organizers have created a system in which fumes are extracted from below.

Some early visitors to the Expo site seem impressed with the washroom designs.

"Public facilities are impressive in the venue such as toilets, it's very convenient, clean and with high degree of automation. "

"(Toilets) are clean and everything is fine. So I have no complaint. For me, it makes sense that you have a lot of stations. It's very convenient."

Meanwhile, throughout the expo site, service centers are located every 100 meters. Like many big events such as the Olympic Games or other large cultural festivals, these centers provide services ranging from maps to medical services.

However, the service centers at the Shanghai expo venue are going to provide much than that, including lost and found's, digital copying services and even child-caring. One of the center's staffers, Xie Hongping, showed me around the nursery.

"This is a baby canteen. All the babies can have meals here and even sleep here. We also have a private corner for mothers to have breast breeding. All of services are free of charge. "

Xie told me that there are over 20 nursery centers like this, each of them with complete baby-care facilities.

Also at the venue, free shuttle bus service runs along the main avenue to help visitors save time while trying to cram in stops at different pavilions.

Still, given that the overall expo area is some 5-square kilometers, a full day at the site will be a tiring one, particulary given what temperatures are going to be like this summer in Shanghai.

The Shanghai Expo Bureau considered that in its planning.

A total of 102 drinking fountains are scattered around the site to provide free drinking water for over one thousand visitors at any given time.

Chen Guoqiang is a Senior engineer.

"Every 100 meters there is a fountain. Each fountain has nearly ten taps. The amount of water is enough for 500,000 visitors to drink."

According to Chen, the fountains are designed for everyone, each with eight to 12 water outlets installed at three different heights for adults and children to choose for themselves.

And once your day is done, you may feel a bit worn out, and might not want to take public transit back to your hotel. The Shanghai Expo organizers considered that as well, and have set up a taxi stand.

Xue Jianqiang is a driver with the Shanghai Jinjiang taxi company.

"When you get out of the venue, we will wait for you at a certain point. Our company told us to arrive at the venue to wait for visitors before 3:30 pm. Our cars are specially designed with a broader space. So international visitors who are relatively taller can have a comfortable seat in it; plus, wheel chair can be included at the back seat."

Xue says 4000 specially designed taxis are going to be in service during the expo, and believes their convenience and people-friendly servies will be another highlight for international visitors.

For CRI, I'm Zhang Cheng.