Shanghai was preparing for the 2010 World Expo to be held from May 1st to October 31st expected to attract 70 million visitors. Workers were completing construction of pavilions representing different countries around the world at the Expo site in Shanghai, including the UK Pavilion's centerpiece Seed Cathedral structure. Demolition of old buildings in Shanghai was also occurring to spruce up the city for the World Expo.

1. SHANGHAI PREPARES FOR WORLD EXPO 2010

2. In this photo taken Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010, a man labours in front of the Seed Cathedral, formed by thousands of slender acrylic rods - the centrepiece of the UK Pavilion, at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai, China. The expo starts May 1 and runs for six months. It is expected to draw 70 million visitors

3. Workers are seen at the Seed Cathedral, part of the UK Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo site. The 20-meter-high cube-like Seed Cathedral will be covered by 60,000 slim, transparent acrylic rods, which will quiver in the breeze, according to the official website of Shanghai Expo

4. The Chinese pavilion (right) seen from the expo boulevard at the World Expo 2010 site in Shanghai on January 22, 2010

5. A worker takes a break next to the Chinese Pavilion during a ceremony of finishing construction at the Shanghai World Expo site, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010

6. A trumpet-shaped structure designed to soak up the sun's rays to light up galleries and catch rain to water the green areas, at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on January 28, 2010

7. A migrant construction worker cleans the exterior of the "Sunny Valley", a structure to harness solar energy, at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai, in this January 6, 2010 photo

8. Migrant labourers work on a demolished residential site in downtown Shanghai March 10, 2010

9. A security guard sits in front of a closed restaurant looking at customers lining up outside Yang's Fry-Dumpling restaurant next to old buildings being demolished at Wujiang road's street food market in Shanghai, China on February 9, 2010. Yang's is located on one of many renovation sites that mushroomed in Shanghai ahead of the 2010 World Expo. With less than three months to go before Expo 2010, the popular Wujiang Road night market is enjoying its final days as authorities spruce up the mega-city -- sometimes with a wrecking ball

10. Jackhammers chew apart old buildings being demolished at Wujiang road's street food market in Shanghai on February 8, 2010

11. The Cultural Centre is seen under construction at The Shanghai World Expo 2010 site in Shanghai On January 6, 2010

12. A migrant worker collects construction waste at the Polish pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai on January 20, 2010

13. The Sunny Valley and the Chinese Pavilion are seen during a light test at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai January 12, 2010.

14. A construction worker is seen, reflected on the facade of the Australian pavilion as he reads a newspaper at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai January 6, 2010

15. The Australian pavilion at the site of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai on March 12, 2010

16. A worker walks in front of "Joy Street", part of the Dutch Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai March 2, 2010

17. An invited guest looks at the photos on display inside the Chinese Pavilion during a ceremony of finishing construction at the Shanghai World Expo site, Monday, Feb. 8, 2010

18. Two men walk on a sightseeing walkway atop the Chinese pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai January 18, 2010

19. Workers are seen at the Luxembourg Pavilion in the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai on March 2, 2010

20. Workers walk past the Spanish Pavilion under construction at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on March 11, 2010

21. A worker walks in front of the South Korean Pavilion in the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai March 2, 2010

22. A worker scales the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai March 2, 2010

23. A construction worker looks out from the Swiss Pavilion in the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai March 8, 2010

24. Workers are seen atop the French pavilion at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on March 11, 2010

25. Construction workers work on the Israeli Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai on January 6, 2010

26. A worker holds steel rods as others sleep in front of the UK pavilion as they take a break at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on March 11, 2010

27. Inside the nearly-completed Seed Cathedral, part of the UK Pavilion, visitors pose in front of a wall made up of acrylic rods, at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai on March 15, 2010

28. THE END Press ‘Esc’ To Exit