Walking down colorful memory lanes of Zone C
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Zone C is the most diverse sector in the Expo Park, with 58 pavilions exhibiting culture and technologies from more than 140 countries and organizations.
Most pavilion staff are natives of their countries, some have stayed in China for a while and are familiar with the culture, while others recruited from back home are seeing it all for the first time, with fresh eyes.
Over the past six months, they have thrown themselves into their work, many getting only one day off a week and some getting only single-digit resting days through the entire event.
Most of them can't help feeling relieved, some overjoyed, as the crowded fair, now having reached its estimated 70 million visitors, is drawing to the end.
However, they also tell Shanghai Daily they will miss the busy days, the curious Chinese visitors and fascinating culture in Shanghai. Some are staying on, some are returning home.
Each has seen a different Expo and a Shanghai, due to their distinct experiences with the event and the city.
Shanghai Daily interviews six people from five pavilions about their personal experiences at the event that has broken every record in World Expo history.
Spending half a year in the Expo site, as the Cameroon Pavilion director in the Africa Joint Pavilion, Chi Zephyrinus Fru has watched the Expo unfold and attract more than 70 million visitors.
"I will hold the precious memory deep inside my heart for a long time," he tells Shanghai Daily.
As for Motomby, the Commissioner General, although he didn't stay for as long as Chi, the "huge and impressive" Expo also had a great impact on him.
"The visitor volume in the single Africa Joint Pavilion, around 20 million, exceeded the entire number of visitors to the Aichi Expo five years ago," he says. "That's amazing."
The two encountered many different kinds of visitors and what shocked them was that many Chinese people knew nothing about Africa before they came to the pavilion.
"When they visited, they didn't know where they were," says Chi.
Fortunately, the Expo afforded people an opportunity at least to learn that Africa is a continent rather than a country. The Cameroon venue near the Joint Pavilion entrance received a huge number of guests.
"Many visitors only wanted a stamp, but some of them closely observed our exhibits and showed interest in the materials we gave them," says Chi.
"We're glad to see them and hope they can visit Cameroon one day."
Getting their exhibits to the Expo posed problems because of long procedures and complicated logistics. When it's time to leave they hope the difficulties are sorted out.
"I hope the logistics policies can be more flexible," says Chi.
Because of their heavy workload, both men stayed in Pudong for almost the entire Expo, though they did visit Suzhou and Zhoushan cities briefly for pavilion activities.
Now that the Expo is winding down, they hope to visit the other side of the Huangpu River and see the rest of the city. If the packing up goes well, they should have time for some sightseeing.
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