The preliminary design plans for the China Pavilion at Shanghai World Expo 2010 have been selected from a star-studded international architectural field.

The showcase area will host exhibitions based on the theme "Chinese wisdom in urban development," organizers told a meeting of the China Pavilion's preparation committee in Beijing yesterday.

The design for the China Pavilion was chosen from 344 entries submitted from all over the world and will be based on traditional Chinese style, the organizers said.

However, the winning designer's name was not released.

Construction of the pavilion, regarded as one of the most important venues in the Expo site, will begin next month.

While the Chinese organizers are fast-tracking preparations, more than 350 Expo delegates are in Shanghai for the second annual participants' meeting to hear a progress report and step up their own plans.

Shanghai Expo now has 180 countries and international organizations officially signed up for the 184-day event, which begins on May 1, 2010.

Organizers will try and fill another 20 positions to achieve their goal of attracting more than 200 participants, making the event the biggest on record.

Five new entrants have already signed participation contracts and more are expected during the two-day annual meeting in Shanghai.

More than 40 countries have chosen to design and build their own national pavilions, said Zhou Hanmin, deputy director general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.

So far, four countries - Britain, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Spain - have unveiled design plans for their national pavilions to the public.

The key to attracting international participation this year has been guaranteeing better services, organizers said.

A trial area to provide more specific construction information for participants is near completion and ready for delegates to inspect.

The model area has everything from pavilions and elevated pedestrian ways to landscaping and toilets so organizers can pinpoint any problems builders may face.

Among the Expo's highlights will be the Urban Best Practices Area which will feature more than 30 cities from a field of 100-plus candidates.

The Expo mascot and its related products, which are under the intellectual protection rights registration process, will be unveiled next month.

China is going all out to promote the event. Organizers launched the World Expo tour exhibition in Shanghai to mark the 1,000-day countdown to the opening of the event on August 5.

The exhibition, showcasing Shanghai Expo preparations and the history of World Expo, has attracted more than 350,000 visitors in Shanghai, Beijing, Nanjing and Hangzhou.

Now the show is making a seven-day stop in Chongqing, one of the four municipalities of China.

(Shanghai Daily November 25, 2007)