Macau pulls a PR rabbit out of the hat at Expo
I found much of the Shanghai Expo interesting, fun, even educational. If you didn't go, you missed a lot. But I must say that, for me at least, if there was one disappointment, it was the Hong Kong pavilion.
Hong Kong is renowned for getting the hardware right. Look at our airport, container terminals, road and rail systems and telecommunications. I thought our pavilion in Shanghai reflected this superbly. The building is eye-catching and gives a strong impression of quality design, materials and workmanship. The basic theme - much of the structure is glass - is transparency.
So far, so good. Inside, however, it was, let's say, nothing special. There are screens, a 3D show and displays about things like our global connections and green spaces. There was a display of old banknotes - everyone seems to be fascinated by old money. But it was hardly memorable. The rooftop, with a lot of vegetation, was supposed to show off our wetlands, and certainly looked very green to those of us who live in urban Hong Kong. But I overheard a mainland visitor who - probably after queuing for four hours - said: 'I have this in my backyard.'
Next door is a giant rabbit. This is the Macau pavilion. Structurally, it is similar to Hong Kong's in that it is largely glass and steel, though slightly curved. But it has something extra: an inflatable rabbit's head, ears and tail have been added on. And it is on wheels, like a children's toy (it's based on a lantern, and lights up brilliantly at night). It might sound strange, but after visiting the Hong Kong pavilion, the Macau one impressed me.
What is so good about it? It is a fun design (the rabbit - at 19.99 metres tall - represents the year of Macau's reunion). More importantly, the content and general feeling inside are personal and warm.
Macau might not have as much to talk about as Hong Kong does. It has history, heritage and some international links, but much of this is colonial, which is potentially awkward as the theme of the pavilion is essentially how life has become better since the handover. It also has gambling, which is even more sensitive. Unlike Hong Kong, Macau cannot really claim to be a city of global business, finance, trade, transport and media.
However, it has life, and that is what the Macau pavilion shows visitors. Thanks to a multi-screen video system, a father, son and niece show you around Macau. They walk you through the city, its past and its present, and show you the sights and, especially, the culture, arts and festivals. You meet people - foreign residents and locally born Portuguese as well as Chinese, from all sorts of backgrounds, young and old, professionals and housewives.
The effect of being personally escorted through all three floors is very effective. Of course, it is public relations and marketing - a glossy tourist pitch - but it has a human touch. You come out of the experience with a real desire to see Macau. The city is portrayed as a place with life and people.
The Hong Kong pavilion shows Hong Kong, correctly, as an advanced and successful place with a lot to be proud of, but in abstract or technical ways. Where are all of us, the people of all sorts of backgrounds who really make Hong Kong what it is?
That's the impression I got after seeing both pavilions (if you were disappointed by the Hong Kong float at last year's National Day parade, you know the feeling). Part of the problem is that the two are right next to each other, so it is impossible not to compare and note the difference.
Our pavilion is highly professional, and you would walk away thinking that. But if you then visit Macau's, you notice it does something that ours doesn't: it actually connects with you.
Bernard Chan is a former member of the executive and legislative councils
