The World Expo mascot sets off on a city roadshow
Haibao, the Shanghai Expo mascot, has “landed” at Bologna G.Marconi Airport. The cute inflatable puppet, who made his debut in the city in December, has set off on a roadshow around Bologna. Haibao will stay in the city until the end of the World Expo in Shanghai, where Bologna is taking part as an example of a “liveable city” in the Urban Best Practices Area.
The mascot’s name, meaning “the treasure of the sea”, is a typical lucky name in Chinese tradition. The imaginary character was created by the Expo organisers based on the Chinese symbol for “people”. The underlying concept is that the protagonists of Expo 2010 should be the people: people who are able to work together to create a “better city for a better life”, as in the Expo claim. The mascot’s blue colour represents water, bringing to mind Shanghai’s location as a coastal city. His smile bids a warm welcome to the Expo 2010.
