Less than 100 days before the World Expo opens in Shanghai, armies of migrant workers wearing hard-hats are buzzing around a huge muddy site where the pavilions are far from finished
But officials say preparations are on track for the massive six-month event, which is due to bring at least 70 million visitors streaming into China's biggest city from May 1
Less than two years after China successfully hosted the Beijing Olympics, Expo 2010 will offer the Asian giant a new opportunity to impress the world
China has also allocated 14 billion dollars for new highways, subway lines, road repairs and the renovation of many districts in Shanghai - a figure that does not even include the expansion of the city's Pudong airport
China's Expo performance centre, which looks like a flying saucer, can house an audience of up to 18,000 people
On the as-yet-unfinished "Expo Boulevard," huge trumpet-shaped structures will soak up the sun's rays to light up galleries and catch the rain to water the green areas
The biggest of the national pavilions is China's - a large, red inverted pyramid that can be seen from far away and which Xu says represents "wisdom, wealth and harmony"
The British pavilion looks like a giant ball of acrylic rods...
..During the day, each of these 7.5-metre long rods will act like fibre optic filaments, drawing on daylight to illuminate the interior...
...At night, light sources at the interior end of each rod will allow the whole structure to glow
The Australian pavilion has curving walls and red ochre exterior remniscent of Uluru
The Romanian pavilion is in the shape of a green apple and is called Greenopolis
Poland's construction brings to mind intricately cut paper
The Dutch pavilion, known as Happy Street, comprises 26 small elevated houses and a giant yellow tulip
Cirque du Soleil created the concept design for the Canadian pavilion and the building will host regular performances by the world famous circus group
Switzerland's pavilion will see visitors ride chair lifts on the building's grassy roof
Israel's pavilion is in the shape of a seashell, or like two clasped hands, one made of stone, the other of glass
The architect of Germany's pavilion said the highlight will be a cone-shaped structure housing a revolving metal sphere, three metres in diameter and covered with 30,000 LEDs, which will be activated by the noise and movement of spectators
The Russian pavilion features 12 white towers inspired by traditional Russian women's costume
Japan, meanwhile, has chosen a kind of purple turtle
The Belgian pavilion will be a 5,250-square-metre rectangle with a huge "brain cell" as the centrepiece. Visitors will enter the pavilion via a vein of the "brain"
At the Irish pavilion, visitors will get a feel of Dublin's Liffey River and walk down a re-creation of O'Connell Street, a landmark of the Irish capital
The Danish pavilion, called "Welfairytales" - a blend of the words "welfare" and "fairy tales" - will feature a salt water pool filled with water from the Copenhagen harbour - and the Little Mermaid statue
France's national pavilion is cloaked in a concrete fishnet and will have a huge garden inside. It will be surrounded by water so that it appears to float
Mexico has chosen not a building, but a "Kite Forest" - a green slope with 135 kites being flown over it
Luxembourg's pavilion resembles an ancient castle and is one of the smallest national pavilions
The USA pavilion is built around the theme "Better Cities and Better Lives" and will have an urban farm on its roof
The Norwegian pavilion is made of wood and bamboo with 15 model trees
The Austrian pavilion will take visitors on a journey through snow-capped mountains, forests, flowing rivers and urban landscapes
