More than 70 million people are expected to visit the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai, many lining up for hours in searing heat. KATE CHAPMAN of NZPA looks at the expo, and what it could mean for New Zealand.

Shanghai, China, July 11 NZPA - For young Kiwi lad James To the World Expo was a chance to live his dream, as he works as one of 24 attendants on the New Zealand pavilion at the massive event.

Born in Christchurch to parents from Hong Kong, he has always been interested in China, recently completing his PhD thesis at Canterbury University on Chinese people who moved overseas.

Now he's working in the turmoil of the expo, where his ability to speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese is helping New Zealand promote itself in Asia.

Almost all of the 30,000 who go through the New Zealand pavilion each day have been Chinese, he told NZPA.

The expo, which has been averaging 350,000 to 400,000 visitors daily, and was geographically huge, he said.

"That's the whole of Christchurch in one little theme park really," he told NZPA.

While countries from all over the world were in Shanghai to tap into the massive Chinese market, New Zealand's pavilion was a "breath of fresh air" because its information was largely visual.

A bonus was its location, next door to the Chinese pavilion -- a prime spot.

Outside a kapa haka group performs for crowds waiting to get in, while at the door is a two tonne piece of greenstone people can touch.

Inside, people walk through a active display of videos, pictures and sound showing life in New Zealand.

The walk culminates on the roof garden, where the greenery provides a welcome break from the hustle and bustle of Shanghai.

The World Expo is basically an opportunity to show off, with technology its theme.

The expo, which used to be called the World Fair, has been held since 1851 in different forms.

In Paris, the iconic Eiffel Tower was constructed as a gate for the 1889 World's Fair. In Shanghai, some countries live up to their stereotypes with what they chose to put in their pavilions.

Japan has intelligent robot that plays the violin to visitors and another that can hold conversations with people, while United States pavilion is focused on movies with a 4-D show, and the French display resembles the Versailles gardens.

In the Singapore pavilion people jump on mini trampolines to make music together.

You don't have to be big to have a pavilion -- Madagascar has one, so does Sierra Leone, in fact, you don't have to be a country at all -- there's a pavilion for oil, another for information communication technology and soft drink giant Coca-Cola has one.

As well as the interactive displays and information there are performances and events and you can line up for hours to get into just one pavilion -- unsurprisingly, China's was one of the most popular.

With temperatures above 30degC and humidity high waiting in line can be tiring, so organisers are employing a system called Star Cooler which sprays a fine water mist into the air in a bid to cool the air.

Prime Minister John Key, who visited on New Zealand's allocated national day on Friday, said it the pavilion was predominately being used to market tourism opportunities, knowledge areas of the economy and the promote New Zealand food and culture.

It would give visitors a sense of the flavour of the country, he said.

"It's the opportunity for someone to get a virtual experience of visiting New Zealand."

While New Zealand had invested $30 million in the expo, he seemed to consider it would prove of worthwhile investment.

While it was hard to put a number on the economic value of the pavilion it was likely to be hundreds of millions of dollars, he said.

The pavilion did New Zealand proud, Mr Key said.

"It's a nice snapshot of a day in the life of a New Zealand family."

For Mr To it was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

"I can put my skills to good use -- I can use all my languages every day, and have fun meeting and greeting people from all over the world," he told NZPA.

He was out to ensure visitors had a pleasant experience.

"I do my best to make sure they leave our Pavilion with a smile."

(Kate Chapman travelled to China with the help of funding from the Asia New Zealand Foundation)