Haibao, Shanghai’s Expo Mascot
China’s next big event, which is receiving enough attention here to possibly be the second coming in disguise, is the Shanghai 2010 World Expo. Last year, statues of a cartoony blue guy started cropping up in different cities, Changzhou included, but I didn’t realize he was the official mascot for the expo until I went to Shanghai and saw the craze firsthand.
His name is Haibao, which means “treasure of the sea,” and, like the Fuwa from the Beijing Olympics, his likeness is being exploited throughout several official mascot merchandise stores. Seriously, they can fill up an entire store with just this guy. He comes in all sizes, from a small keychain to an enormous blow-up doll. Don’t get any ideas, now.
On Nanjing Road in Shanghai, many people have started selling knock-off Haibao dolls at a fourth of the price. All of these vendors come across as very nervous and fidgety, though, and will flee at the slightest hint of police presence. I guess the Shanghai government wants to crack down on the knock-off market. But wait a minute. At the same time on the same street, there are hundreds of nonchalant vendors pushing DVDs, watches, purses, bags, marijuana, and even prostitutes. Haibao dolls, though? That’s going too far.
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