China's financial capital, Shanghai is all set to become the host for the seventh World Expo from 1 May - 31 October, 2010.

Themed "Better City, Better Life", the Shanghai World Expo 2010 has attracted participants from more than 200 countries and international organizations. The expo is also expected to draw more than 70 million visitors, a record figure for any expo event.

The Shanghai World Expo 2010 offers a unique opportunity for countries from all over the world to share their knowledge, culture, history, education and technology in order to create a better future for the world; and to explore the full potential of urban life in the 21st century and a significant period in urban evolution.

The Malaysia Pavilion

Malaysia will be participating in the Shanghai World Expo 2010 with its own pavilion. It is located in an area of 3,000 square-meters at Zone B, Pudong which is the dedicated exhibition zone for ASEAN & Oceania countries.

The design of the Malaysia Pavilion is derived from the unique architectural style of the rumah Negeri Sembilan (Negeri Sembilan house), distinguished by their horn-shaped roofs.

The Malaysia Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 offers visitors a fascinating and unforgettable experience of the various colors, tastes, sights and sounds of Malaysia.

The Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, Dato' Sri Dr. Ng Yen Yen, says the main objective of participating at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 was to promote Malaysia to the world.

"I am very confident that the wide publicity and media coverage through the various featured articles, interviews and documentaries, will indeed create an enormous publicity value that would justify our reason to be here at the World Expo," she says.

She added that the turnover of tourist receipts and arrivals to Malaysia from the impact of the World Expo is expected to help Malaysia grow in the global arena of travel and trade.

Themed ‘1Malaysia: Harmonized City Living', which is in line with the World Expo 2010's theme ‘Better City, Better Life', the Malaysia Pavilion will showcase the robust development and various attractions, products and services in the country that make it an excellent destination not only for tourism but also for trade and investment. In brief, it highlights the different facets of Malaysia and enables visitors to understand more about the true essence of the country.

Level One of the Malaysia Pavilion houses exhibits and information on some of the attractions that make Malaysia a top-of-the-mind holiday destination. It includes the country's culture and heritage, city and nature, sandy beaches, golf, Formula 1, as well as fun-filled activities for the whole family.

Through the presentation of visuals and sounds, visitors will get a glimpse of Malaysia's very own UNESCO world heritage cities, namely the historic sites of Melaka and George Town, and the reasons the cities were chosen.

The Malaysia Pavilion also showcases the many fascinating destinations in the country where visitors can enjoy, rest and relax. Here is where the fun begins! Visitors can go for a swing at the golf course. They might even win a mysterious prize. As for those who adore the thrill and excitement of speed, the Formula 1 challenge at the Sepang Circuit awaits them.

Visitors will get a glimpse of the country's rich and diverse nature, as well as various species of plants and animals, as they pass through the rustic countryside and waterfall setting.

Through a multimedia and special effects presentation, visitors will be able to feel the gentle and refreshing breeze of the sea and imagining that they are right there on one of Malaysia's beautiful tropical islands.

The Malaysia Pavilion also features the country's vibrant and colorful metropolitan city, and showcases it as a top-of-the-mind shopping paradise through an interactive presentation.

The second level of the pavilion houses a range of high quality and well designed Malaysian-made products, as well as information on the country's main commodity exports such as rubber, timber and palm oil. On hand to give visitors an introduction to these commodities are the Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation (MATRADE), Malaysian Palm Oil Council (MPOC), Malaysian Rubber Export Promotion Council (MREPC), and Malaysian Timber Council (MTC).

The National Art Gallery of Malaysia will also be there to showcase beautiful art works by Malaysian artists, which are among the most sought-after by collectors. Hence, they are being featured at the pavilion not only for display but also for sale.

With Malaysia's multi-cultural identity and a wide variety of cooking styles and traditions, it is only natural that the Malaysia Pavilion also features cultural dances to entertain visitors, as well as some famous Malaysian dishes at the F&B outlet. Those who are interested to know how to prepare these dishes can learn it from the guest chefs during the scheduled cooking demonstrations.

All these visual sampling and food tasting are merely appetizers to tempt visitors' palates and provoke their interests to visit Malaysia and experience the complete range of the country's cultural diversity and exotic array of delicious cuisines.

Malaysia Pavilion Activities

The Minister of Tourism, Malaysia, Honourable Dato' Dr. Ng Yen Yen will open the Malaysia Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo 2010 on 1st May, 2010.

For the duration of the expo, the Malaysia Pavilion will feature many activities comprising cultural performances, business seminars, visual art exhibition, presentations and talks, cooking demonstrations of authentic cuisines and fusion food, a cultural and creativity exhibition and lucky draws.

Visitors to the Malaysia Pavilion will have the chance to look and buy various Malaysian handicrafts, art products and souvenirs which will be on display throughout the three-month long expo. Among them are hand-woven products (songket and kebaya nyonya,); accessories (high quality Malaysian-made handbags, purse and shoes); food products (white coffee, bird nest and cocoa products); handicraft (pewter, steel jewellery and pottery); woodcraft and various souvenirs (key chains and tee shirts). Some lucky visitors to the pavilion will also receive mystery prizes.

During the month of August and September, visitors to the Malaysia Pavilion will be able to join the celebration of Malaysia's 53rd Independence Day. There will be cultural performances, lucky draws, Truly My Malaysia photo exhibitions, tourism seminars on island attractions, hawker-style cooking featuring Malay, Chinese and Indian food, a showcase of traditional Malaysian games and pastimes. The highlight of the National Day celebration is the gala performance on 12 September 2010.

For more information on the Malaysia Pavilion please refer to:

International Marketing Division
(North Asia & East Asia)
Tourism Malaysia
16th Floor, Menara Dato' Onn
Putra World Trade Centre
45 Jalan Tun Ismail 50480 Kuala Lumpur
(Attn: Ms. Tan Mei Leng, Deputy Director)
Tel : 03 - 2614 8660 Fax : 03 - 2692 4576

Or visit the Malaysia Paviion Website.

Issued by:
Communications & Publicity Division, Tourism Malaysia
Date: 21 April 2010
Daryl Yep/Siti Rahmah Lehan: Tel: 03-2615 8188;
Email: yyldaryl@tourism.gov.my/sitirahmah@tourism.gov.my