SHANGHAI: Construction work on Expo Village, which will house enough living and office space to accommodate almost 10,000 people attending the Shanghai World Expo in 2010, started yesterday.

The construction project, which is located in the northeastern part of the Expo Garden in Pudong New Area, covers 540,000 square meters, 450,000 square meters of which is above ground, the rest below.

It will occupy about 30 hectares of land and is expected to be complete before the end of 2009.

The project comprises hotels, hotel-style apartments and regular apartments, according to the organizer.

Communications services, dining, shopping, information, healthcare and first aid will be available at service outlets distributed evenly throughout the village.

The project is to employ new technology and materials aimed at making the village energy efficient. The project is also expected to respect efforts to protect the country's cultural heritage.

"We will make sure it is a successful event for both organizers and participants by looking out for the needs of each participating country and organization," Zhou Hanmin, deputy director general of Shanghai World Expo Coordination Bureau, said yesterday during a meeting with Canadian representatives.

Canada, one of the earliest to confirm its attendance at the 2010 event, discussed details including pavilions, accommodation, transportation, security and utilities with the organizer yesterday.

"Our discussion went very well," Wayne Scott, a major representative from Canada, said yesterday. "We are glad everything is on a first-come first-serve basis."

So far 100 countries and 14 international organizations have accepted invitations to attend the World Expo 2010 Shanghai. The Czech Republic was the most recent country to confirm.

(China Daily 02/09/2007 page5)