Department of Information and Tourism, Taipei City Government

The organizers of the 2010 Shanghai World Exposition began trial operations on April 20. The total number of visitor was limited to 200,000 per day during this period.
Despite the rainy weather at the Bund, the Taipei Pavilion has attracted 3,000 visitors by 5PM on the first day. Visitor numbers were expected to hit 4,000 by closing time at 7:30PM.
The center lobby and the interactive zone on the first floor were open to the public on the first day of the trails. However, two major facilities inside the pavilion – the “3D movie theater” and the “future theater” – remained closed, giving film director Hou Hsiao-hsien time to put the finishing touch on his work.
In terms of the progress of preparations, exhibition curator Chen Ching-an indicated that initial examination on the four major exhibition halls has been carried out. In addition, 150 staff members working at the pavilion have also completed their training program.
After watching the introductory film on Taipei and trying out the interactive devices, a large number of visitors show great interest in the city. The staff encountered inquires ranging from “How high is Taipei 101?”, “How much is the airfare to Taipei?” to “How long is the Tamsui River?” Many of them said they will make a trip to Taipei if they have chance.

The first-floor LED monitor screening the welcome message video is 5.382 meters wide and 3.2 meters tall. The device boasts the highest resolution compared to other monitors of the same level, making it an effective facility to attract more turnouts.