Lord Mayor claims Shanghai Expo failed to promote Cork

THE Lord Mayor of Cork has criticised the Irish pavilion at the World Expo in Shanghai for failing to promote his city – the only Irish city twinned with the massive Chinese metropolis.

Cllr Dara Murphy, who visited the striking €8 million pavilion in downtown Shanghai last week, said he was disappointed there appeared to be little focus on promoting Cork.

He wrote to the Taoiseach last December asking for assurances the city would feature prominently in the building. Mr Cowen wrote back in January giving those assurances.

The Expo opened last month and, following his visit last week, Mr Murphy said he is disappointed. “Other cities twinned with Shanghai are promoting themselves in their nation’s pavilions,” he said.

“I was disappointed that the Irish pavilion didn’t deliver.

“I was surprised given the fact that Cork is the only Irish city twinned with Shanghai, and given its strong links with China through CIT, and UCC’s Confucius Institute.”

He also pointed to the fact that Yahoo China designated Leeside one of the best in the world to visit just weeks after Lonely Planet named it one of the top 10 in the world. “I don’t want to be negative and it’s still not too late to organise something,” he said.

“Something could be done to promote Cork’s twinning, political, education and business links.”

However, Cork Chamber chief executive Conor Healy said a high-powered delegation from Cork will travel to Shanghai in September to promote the city at the pavilion. Mr Healy, who also visited the pavilion last week, said it appears at this stage, that its focus is on creating an awareness of Ireland as a whole.

But he said a delegation of Chamber, UCC and CIT representatives would promote the city at the pavilion during a week-long visit to the expo in September.

“Over the last number of years, through the twinning process, we have developed strong links with business in Shanghai,” he said.

“The chamber has formal relations with two chambers in Shanghai. The colleges and several primary and post-primary schools in Cork have developed links with Shanghai and we plan to build on those relationships, bring all of that together, and use the pavilion to maximise the promotion of Cork.”

The World Expo opened on a vast site in downtown Shanghai’s waterfront area on May 1 with more than 100 nations represented in their own pavilions.

Almost 350,000 visited the expo yesterday. Up to eight million people have visited since May, with up to 70 million visitors expected before it closes on October 31. An estimated three million are expected to visit the Irish pavilion alone.

The 2,500 square metre structure is designed to symbolise the relationship between urban and rural, man-made and natural.

It has five enclosed but linked galleries featuring contemporary audiovisuals, exhibits, displays, readings, music and performances. There is a large screen introducing the Irish people and their changing cityscape to pavilion visitors.

Visitors also get a feel of Dublin’s famous Liffey River and walk down a re-creation of O’Connell Street. A self-contained 100 square metre suite has been set aside for specific meetings, which the Cork delegation is expected to use in September.

President Mary McAleese is due to attend the pavilion’s national day celebrations on June 17.