Brief Introduction of World Expo Shanghai
World Expositions are galleries of human inspiration s and thoughts. Since 1851 when the Great Exhibition of Industries of All Nations was held in London, the World Expositions have attained increasing prominence as grand events for economic, scientific, technological and cultural exchanges, serving as an important platform for displaying historical experience, exchanging innovative ideas, demonstrating esprit de corps and looking to the future.
With a long civilization, China favors international exchange and loves world peace. China owes its successful bid for the World Exposition in 2010 to the international community's support for and confidence in its reform and opening-up. The Exposition will be the first registered World Exposition in a developing country, which gives expression to the expectations the world's people place on China's future development.
So what will Expo 2010 Shanghai China deliver to the world? There is no doubt the Chinese people will present to the world a successful, splendid and unforgettable exposition.
Expo 2010 Shanghai China will be a great event to explore the full potential of urban life in the 21st century and a significant period in urban evolution. Fifty-five percent of the world population is expected to live in cities by the year 2010. The prospect of future urban life, a subject of global interest, concerns all nations, developed or less developed, and their people. Being the first World Exposition on the theme of city, Exposition 2010 will attract governments and people from across the world, focusing on the theme "Better City, Better Life." For its 184 days, participants will display urban civilization to the full extent, exchange their experiences of urban development, disseminate advanced notions on cities and explore new approaches to human habitat, lifestyle and working conditions in the new century. They will learn how to create an eco-friendly society and maintain the sustainable development of human beings.
Expo 2010 Shanghai China will centre on innovation and interaction. Innovation is the soul, while cultural interaction is an important mission of the World Expositions. In the new era, Expo 2010 Shanghai China will contribute to human-centered development, scientific and technological innovation, cultural diversity and win-win cooperation for a better future, thus composing a melody with the key notes of highlighting innovation and interaction in the new century.
Expo 2010 Shanghai China will also be a grand international gathering. On the one hand, we shall endeavor to attract about 200 nations and international organizations to take part in the exhibition as well as 70 million visitors from home and abroad, ensuring the widest possible participation in the history of the World Expositions. On the other hand, we will put Expo 2010 Shanghai China in a global perspective and do our best to encourage the participation and gain the understanding and support of various countries and peoples, in order to turn Expo 2010 Shanghai China into a happy reunion of people from all over the world.
In addition, Expo 2010 Shanghai China will offer a wonderful opportunity for cross-culture dialogues. Before the conclusion of the Exposition, a "Shanghai Declaration" will be issued. This
declaration, hopefully a milestone in the history of the World Expositions, will epitomize the insights to be offered by the participants and embody people's ideas for future cooperation and development and extensive common aspirations, thereby leaving a rich spiritual legacy of urban development to people throughout the world.
The Chinese Government will go to great lengths to make Expo 2010 Shanghai China a special event that carries on traditions and opens a new vista into the future. Our motto is: "Keeping in mind the next 60 years' development while preparing for the six months' Exposition." We count on the continuing attention, support and participation of all the peace-loving countries.
Theme
The theme of Expo 2010 is "Better City, Better Life," representing the common wish of the whole humankind for a better living in future urban environments. This theme represents a central concern of the international community for future policymaking, urban strategies and sustainable development. In 1800, 2% of the global population lived in cities. In 1950, the figure raised to 29%, in 2000, almost half the world population moved into cities, and by 2010, as estimated by the United Nations, the urban population will account for 55% of the total human population.
The quest for a better life has run through the urban history of humankind. Through different sub-themes, Expo 2010 will create blueprints for future cities and harmonious urban life styles, providing an extraordinary educational and entertaining platform for visitors of all nations:
●Blending of diverse cultures in the city
●Economic prosperity in the city
●Innovations of science and technology in the city
●Remodeling of communities in the city
●Interactions between urban and rural areas
Better City Better Life
作词：昆西·琼斯席依达·盖瑞特作曲：谭盾昆西·琼斯（Quincy Delight Jones）演唱：席依达·盖瑞特（Siedah Garrett）、乔纳森·巴可（Jonathan Buck）
We‘re gonna see the world together
Ala nong,nong,nong-better city
Gonna heal the world together
Ala nong,nong,nong-better life
We‘re gonna teach the world together
Ala nong,nong,nong-better city
gonna bring the world together
La nong,nong,nong-better life
Oh, ee-bu, ee-bu, ee-bu
We all can rise –better city better life
Oh,ee-bu,ee-bu,ee-bu
We‘re gonna see the world together
ala nong,nong,nong-better city
Gonna heal the world together
Ala nong, nong, nong
Better city better life
上海世博会主题歌
我们一起看世界
（沪语[下同]：我们和你们）更美的城市我们一起拯救世界
（我们和你们）更好的生活
我们一起教育世界
（我们和你们）更美的城市
我们将世界汇聚在一起
（我们和你们）更好的生活
我们所有的梦想都将成真
如果我和你共同努力
和一个人的力量相比
共同的力量将创造更多
我们将地球变得更绿
讲水变得更清澈
一步一步
我们将有所提升
城市让生活更美好
每天教育我们的孩子
他们将找到更好的方式
教育是关键
帮助我们从历史中学到更多
一步一步
每天教育我们的孩子
他们将找到更好的方式
教育是关键
帮助我们从历史中学到更多
我们一起看世界
（我们和你们）更美的的城市
我们一起拯救世界
（我们和你们）
城市让生活更美好
Expo Emblem
The emblem, depict ing the image of three people-you, me, him/her holding hands together, symbolizes the big family of humankind. Inspired by the shape of the Chinese character"世"(meaning the world), the design conveys the organizers' wish to host an Expo which is of global scale and which showcase s the diversified urban cultures of the world.
Expo Mascot
Created from the Chinese character "," which means people, the mascot embodies the character of Chinese culture and echoes with the designing concept of the emblem of World Expo Shanghai. Using the Chinese character as the mascot of an international event is an innovation.
Hair: the hair of the mascot is like the wave of the sea, which represents its open character and stated the character of its birth place Shanghai.
Face: its cartoon expression shows its confidence and friendly character.
Eye: big, round eyes show his anticipation of the city.
Blue: the color shows its latitude and imagination, which represents the rising and potential China.
Body: its round body represents a well-off life, which is also lovely and cute.
Fist: he thumbs up to show the appreciation and warm welcome to the friends from all over the world.
Big feet: he stands steadily on the big feet and embrace s the world with big arms, which shows China have the ability and faith to host a successful Expo.
The structure of Chinese character , in which two stroke s support each other, manifest s the concept that a good life should be created by all the people. The world should be supported by "people," and people should have harmonious relationships with nature and society, so that the life in cities would be better.
The name of the mascot of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China is Hai Bao, which means the treasure of the sea. The name of Hai Bao is easy to remember, echoes with the color of its body and is a typical lucky name in Chinese tradition. Hai Bai is the good well ambassador of Shanghai Expo. He is embrac ing friends from all over the world with his arms and confident smile.
―有机音乐不光以我们生活中的自然物质为基础，更体现了外自然与内心灵的共通。我相信，任何物质都可以互相对话，纸同小提琴、水同树、月亮同鸟……总之，宇宙万物中任何一个微小的物质都有自己的生命和灵魂。正如我们祖先所曰：?天地与我为一‘。‖
——谭盾
世界媒体对《纸乐》的评论
演出现场，三个从天花板垂落至舞台的巨大纸轴俨然成了打击乐器，在打击乐手的敲击下，翻滚、跃动的纸轴营造出一场惊天动地的暴风雨。舞台上，引人入胜的音乐竟都出自各种各样的纸制品：用硬纸板做成的纸桶、纸箱、啦啦队的纸制绒球、纸袋、纸伞……谭盾的这部作品（《纸乐》）向我们证明了一点，传统而又缺乏变化的古典音乐，其实还具有许多实验的可能，还蕴藏着突破的巨大能量。
新加坡海峡日报，2007年6月4日
A rattling tempest was churned up as the percussionists drummed three huge scrolls of paper which cascaded fro m the ceiling t o the stage floor, while intriguing sounds were created with all manner of paper products, fro m cardboard tubes and boxes to pompoms, paper bags and a paper umbrella...Tan had conveyed that classical music, rather than being static and traditional, is a form that still has room for experi mentation and the power to celebrate.
--The Straits Ti mes, Singapore, June 4, 2007
作曲家谭盾通过其独树一帜的创新和发明，让我们生活中最常见、最普通的物质生发出新的活力；在舞台上，这些物质超越了以往的平凡，体现出其自然的本源。
悉尼先驱晨报，澳大利亚，2006年2月4日
Chinese composer Tan Dun has a way of enlivening such things with ingenuity and inventiveness, so that t hey appear elemental rather than simplistic, tapping into something basic in the fabric of our lives.
--The Sydney Morning Herald, Australia, February 4, 2006
《纸乐》结构紧凑，犹如一场神奇的音乐典礼。谭盾似乎永远都不会缺乏新意，他总能用生活中的普通物质作出令人陶醉的音乐。这部《纸乐》可与谭盾的前一部《水乐》成为相互辉映的姐妹作品。
洛山矶时报，美国，2005年4月30日
…Musically tightened, the now non-narrative concerto has become a magical ceremony…Tan never seems at a loss for new ways to make entrancing music fro m these materials…and Paper Concerto makes a fine co mpanion piece to his Water Co ncerto.
-- Los Angeles Times, USA, April 30, 2005
《水乐》
世界媒体对《水乐》的评论
在Masur（前纽约爱乐指挥）的演绎下，谭盾的《水乐》，宛如一场令人愉悦的神圣洗礼。作品既轻松、活泼又不失深奥的内涵，令观众无法不爱上这场聚集了各类奇妙声音的演出。曲终时，大家都不由自主地起立鼓掌。
——波士顿先驱报，美国，2006年1月7日
Masur presented the joyous baptism that is Tan Dun‘s playful and profound Water Concerto…the combination of playfulness and p rofundity
in the strange combinations of sounds was impossible not to love. And the audience stood and cheered heartily at the end.
-- Boston Herald, USA, January 7, 2006
在《水乐》的演出过程中，高潮迭起，令人窒息的精彩画面频频出现。演出结束时，当打击乐独奏家Thomas Sherwood将一个水漏沉进一个透明的大水盆中，进而突然伸展双臂、高高举起水漏，刹那间呈现出一座小型瀑布，观众立即为此起立报以热烈欢呼。在长达20分钟的演出中，这段表演构成了最引人注目的剧场视觉效果，可谓是这部独特而又令人着迷的作品中的画龙点睛之笔，这场演出把协奏曲、剧场表演、视觉空间、和音乐欣赏融合起来，以此改变了观众对音乐欣赏的传统认知。
——亚特兰大宪报，美国，2005年3月11日
At the breathless, racing climax of Tan Dun‘s Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra–an instant before the Sy mphony Hall audience gave a cheering, standing ovation–soloist Thomas Sherwood plunged a colander into a big bowl of water and lifted it high. Arms outstretched, he produced a rainstorm in miniature. It was a spectacular flourish to cap a uniquely enchanting piece. It was also the most blatantly theatrical image in a 20-minute work that blurred the perceptions of concertos, theatre, space and even music itself.
--Atlanta Journal Constitution, USA, March 11, 2005
《水乐》是我听过的作品中最震撼人心的作品之一。根据童年对水声的音乐记忆，谭盾以其独特的方式来表现自然的水声，创作出一部非凡的佳作。为了实现他的《水乐》理念，谭盾把几个巨大透明的水盆改造成乐器，并以此为核心独创了一系列水乐器。乐手用手或
玻璃器皿击打水面，把锣和碗浸没于水盆中有节奏地晃动拉奏，对水管、水瓶、水铃和水摇器的使用，让这部作品更加出彩。交响乐团
独特而又和谐的伴奏与水乐打击乐的完美组合，体现了谭盾对东西方不同音乐表现传统的融合。
——澳洲时报，澳大利亚，2003年8月25日
…This work [Concerto for Water Percussion and Orchestra] was one of the most astonishing pieces of music that I‘ve ever heard. Fro m his childhood memories o f the musicality of the sounds of water, Dun has composed an extraordinary piece that explores these sounds in a unique way. To realise his concept, Dun has built a range of water-based instruments, centred around the use of several large clear water basins. The water is drummed by hand or with glasses; gongs and bowls are immersed in the basins and then struck or bowed; and additional water tubes, shakers, bottles and bells add further embellishment to this aqueous soundscape. The distinctive orchestral accompaniment, reflecting Dun‘s personal combination of Chinese and Western musical traditions, is carefully interwoven and combined with the water percussion.
--The Australian, Australia, August 25, 2003
谭盾的音乐始于―水乐‖。他从小居住在浏阳河畔，从在河边洗衣、淘米的―堂客们‖手中的洗衣棒、洗衣板的敲动中，听到了水的节奏和韵律。谭盾说：―水天天和人们在一起，特别熟悉，变成音乐后非常新奇。贴在妻子的肚子上聆听生命的起源，羊水运动的声音对我的启发很大。水是乐器，如果想像水是琴弦的话，那么水是全世界最长的弦——把世世代代的人、全世界的水连在一起。‖
2001年的北京国际音乐节上，谭盾的―永恒的水‖给全场观众带来全新的视觉与听觉冲击。演出时，台上全是水，水即独奏乐器。谭盾为此专门做了50多种有关水的装置，它们可以让水发出各种不同的声音。
《水乐》是纽约爱乐乐团的作品，在乐团首演时引起极大轰动，被认为是谭盾最具前卫实验性色彩的作品。它将与人们生活息息相关的―水‖作为重要乐器，通过半球型透明水盆、水管、
摇水器、水锣、水音琴以及漂浮在水中的木制碗等50多种有关水的装置，以及控制水流速度等多种手段，让水发出各种不同的声音，演奏出丰富美妙的旋律。创作《水乐》的目的并非制造稀奇古怪的声音，而是通过―水‖的音乐使人获得内心的自由，并希望人们提高环保意识。