Blick auf die fast abgeschlossenen Nationalen Ausstellung und Konferenz Zentrum in der Hongqiao district, Shanghai, China, 30. Juni 2014. Shanghai Beamten ein
View of the nearly completed National Exhibition and Conference Centre in the Hongqiao district, Shanghai, China, 30 June 2014. Shanghai officials are confident the glitzy new exhibition hall currently taking shape will cement the citys status as the mainlands commercial hub - and prove Shanghais determination to become one of the worlds leading cities. But concerns of a possible oversupply of exhibition space have stoked fears that the stunning new complex will become a white elephant. The National Exhibition and Conference Centre, with it is 500, 000 square metres of exhibition space, will give Shanghai yet another first. When it opens in October it will be the worlds largest commercial complex for trade shows and business meetings. It is a new source of pride for officials who are convinced huge infrastructure projects will help rebrand the city. Shanghai regards the exhibition hall, located in the Hongqiao district, as a symbol of its rise as an international trading centre - the latest title the city is chasing, after transforming itself into a financial and shipping hub. The final bill for the expo centre is expected to be 23 billion yuan (HK$29 billion), 30 per cent less than the Shanghai Disney amusement park slated to open next year.
