The World Expo， much like the Olympics and the World Cup， is a top global event bringing together countries from the farthest regions of the world.

In November 2007， Yeosu， a beautiful maritime city on the southern coast of Korea， was selected by the General Assembly Bureau of International Exhibitions (BIE) as the host of the World Expo 2012. The Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea is the second BIE-approved exhibition to be held in Korea， following the 1993 Daejeon Expo.

Opening on May 12， 2012 under the theme “The Living Ocean and Coast，” the Expo 2012 Yeosu Korea offers a wide range of events and exhibits celebrating a powerful force that unites all mankind — the ocean. It will continue until August 12.

The fair involves 104 countries， 10 international organizations and numerous companies， with an emphasis on sustainable resource development， preservation and creative maritime activities. At the Expo， people from around the world will pledge and enhance their cooperation to protect the ocean for the future survival of the world.

The expo site has the geographical edge that comes from being adjacent to the ocean， and thus， is ideal for realizing the Expo theme，“The Living Ocean and Coast.” The site overlooks Hallyeosudo Marine National Park and Odong Island， and is surrounded by 317 jewel-like islets， having the perfect natural conditions to make the Expo’s theme come alive.

It consists of an exhibition area of 250，000 m2 and auxiliary facilities， including Expo Town， Transit Parking Lots， parks， green areas， etc. Following are some of the best attractions of the exposition.

Highlights of the expo

During the two-month duration of the Expo， the Big-O will be the centerpiece of a diverse array of multimedia shows with special effects using water， fire， lights， and lasers. Unlike common indoor performance stages， the Big-O is a cultural space that allows for performances to unfold right above the water. The circular structure， which at first glance resembles a Ferris wheel， is equipped with 56 lights， five lasers， 24 water jets， 24 flame outlets， and six projection systems.

The Sky Tower is the highest structure at the Expo and offers panoramic views of event grounds as well as the coast from its observation deck. The official name of the structure， ‘Vox Maris，’ means ‘sound of the sea.’ Living up to its name， the sounds produced by the giant organ can be heard from as far as 6 kilometers away， a feat which has earned Sky Tower a place in the Guinness World Records as the world’s loudest pipe organ.

Visitors can “play” the organ through their own smart devices， and three to five performances will be held daily at Sky Tower. Internationally renowned artists， including a symphony orchestra， a Korean traditional folk ensemble， and K-pop stars， are also set to perform on the stage at Sky Tower.

Stretching from Yeosu Expo Station to the main street of the Expo site， Expo Digital Gallery is the world’s first marine culture and arts gallery. The gallery incorporates light technology and a large 30-by-218-meter canopy made of LED screens to create a threedimensional underwater experience.

Video images projected onto the screen will bring fairy tales and other stories to life. Several of the digital marine animals have been designed to respond to cues such as text messages and loud cheers from visitors. The Expo Digital Gallery is unique among the Expo facilities in that it gives visitors an interactive experience.

Popular exhibits

The aquarium is the most popular exhibit at the 2012 Yeosu Expo， according to the organizers of the event. 6，000 tons of water fills the Expo’s supersized aquarium， which houses over 34，000 marine creatures representing over 300 different species， including the rare Baikal seal and the hippocampus and leafy sea dragons. The facility also integrates IT technology to enhance the viewing experience.

The second most frequented exhibit is the Theme Pavilion， the world’s first offshore pavilion. The main multimedia show depicting the adventures of a boy and a Dugong rediscovering sea life is a particular attraction.

The Korea Pavilion is the third most frequently attraction. It shows videos on the world’s largest dome screen， which is 15 m tall and 30 m wide.

The Daewoo Shipping and Marine Engineering Marine Robot Pavilion has drawn 13，827 spectators， especially children. It features Korea’s tallest robot， which is 6.5 m tall， and a fish robot that swims in a tank. The Climate and Environment Pavilion， Marine Life Pavilion， Marine Industrial and Technology Pavilion， and Marine Civilization Pavilion followed.

The China Pavilion

Covering an area of about 1，200 square meters， the China Pavilion is the biggest foreign pavilion at the Yeosu Expo. A total of 11 Chinese coastal provinces participated in the Yeosu Expo.

To echo the expo’s theme， the China Pavilion displays three aspects of the ocean. They are preservation and sustainable development， technology， and creative marine activities.

The China Pavilion stages a series of ocean-themed exhibitions， handicraft demonstrations and cultural performances featuring Peking Opera， martial arts， acrobatics， dragon dance and more.

Since its official opening on May 12， the China Pavilion has been receiving around 4，000 visitors daily， and 7，800 on peak days， according to Zhang Qian， media officer of the pavilion.

Scheduled to run for 93 days from May to mid August， the Yeosu Expo is expected to attract more than 11 million visitors all around the world.

South Korean President Lee Myung-bak said he believes the Yeosu Expo will help to promote the host city with its picturesque coast and rich historical and cultural legacies as one of the world’s best tourist destinations. It will also present a new paradigm for encouraging the preservation and sustainable development of the vulnerable marine ecosystem.