The Chinese organisers have chosen “HaiBao” as the mascot and ambassador of EXPO. HaiBao can already be seen all over Shanghai, advertising the event. The blue creature was designed by two artists from China and Taiwan. Modelled on the Chinese character “ren”, which means “person”, HaiBao can mean either “treasure of the four seas” or “treasure of Shanghai”. The EXPO 2010 mascot is thus a homage to the location of the largest world fair ever – the “city above the sea”, which is the literal translation of the characters that make up the name Shanghai.

Selected from among thousands of entries, HaiBao’s shape, based on the character meaning “person”, is intended to convey the significance of the EXPO for humanity.