Shanghai prepares for Expo 2010

Construction workers and organizers in Shanghai, China are busily completing tasks ahead of the planned opening of the 2010 World Expo on May 1st - planned to be the largest World Expo in history. The theme of the Expo is "Better City, Better Life", and is scheduled to run until October 31, 2010. In recent months, large construction and renovation projects have dominated much of Shanghai, in preparation for becoming the World's stage on May 1st. Up to 800,000 visitors are expected each day - a total of 70 million visitors in all visiting exhibitions from nearly 200 participants around the world. Collected here are several recent photos from Shanghai as construction nears completion for the Expo 2010. (31 photos total)

In this photo taken Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010, a man labors in front of the Seed Cathedral, formed by thousands of slender acrylic rods - the centerpiece 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. (AP Photo)

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. (REUTERS/China Daily) #

The Chinese pavilion (right) seen from the expo boulevard at the World Expo 2010 site in Shanghai on January 22, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

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. (AP Photo) #

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. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

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. (REUTERS/Nir Elias) #

Migrant laborers work on a demolished residential site in downtown Shanghai March 10, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

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. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

Jackhammers chew apart old buildings being demolished at Wujiang road's street food market in Shanghai on February 8, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

A Chinese worker piles up debris from old houses being destroyed in Shanghai on February 3, 2010 to make way for modern buildings at one of the many renovation sites that mushroomed in the city ahead of the Shanghai's 2010 World Expo. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

The Cultural Center is seen under construction at The Shanghai World Expo 2010 site in Shanghai January 6, 2010. (REUTERS/Nir Elias) #

A migrant worker collects construction waste at the Polish pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai on January 20, 2010. (REUTERS/Nir Elias (CHINABUSINESS CONSTRUCTION EMPLOYMENT) #

The Sunny Valley and the Chinese Pavilion are seen during a light test at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai January 12, 2010. (REUTERS/China Daily) #

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. (REUTERS/Nir Elias) #

The Australian pavilion at the site of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, seen on March 12, 2010. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images) #

A worker walks on a roof covered by solar panels at the Theme Pavilion of Shanghai World Expo 2010 in Shanghai February 3, 2010. (REUTERS/China Daily) #

A worker walks in front of "Joy Street", part of the Dutch Pavilion at the Shanghai World Expo site in Shanghai March 2, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

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. (AP Photo) #

Two men walk on a sightseeing walkway atop the Chinese pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai January 18, 2010. (REUTERS/China Daily) #

Workers are seen at the Luxemburger Pavilion in the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai on March 2, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

A construction worker paints inside the German Pavilion in the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai March 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

Workers walk past the Spanish Pavilion under construction at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on March 11, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

A worker carries a construction material in front of the Spanish Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site Monday, March 8, 2010 in Shanghai. (AP Photo/Eugene Hoshiko) #

A worker walks in front of the South Korean Pavilion in the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai March 2, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

A worker scales the United Arab Emirates Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai March 2, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

A construction worker looks out from the Swiss Pavilion in the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai March 8, 2010. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #

Workers are seen atop the French pavilion at the site of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai on March 11, 2010. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

Construction workers work on the Israeli Pavilion at the 2010 World Expo site in Shanghai on January 6, 2010. (REUTERS/Nir Elias) #

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. (PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) #

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. (STR/AFP/Getty Images) #

Inside the UK's Seed Cathedral, seeds are seen, encased in the ends of acrylic poles used for the facade of the structure on March 15, 2010. The 20-meter-high cube-like Seed Cathedral is covered by 60,000 slim, transparent acrylic rods, which will quiver in the breeze, according to the official website of Shanghai Expo. (REUTERS/Aly Song) #