the online chat

Chen Jialing

Chen Jialing, an art professor at Shanghai University and a member of the China Artists Association, suggested the mascot of the World Expo 2010 Shanghai should be a mixture of tradition and modernity during an online chat yesterday.

Shanghai has sent out the invitation for designs of the Expo mascot. The deadline for submission is May 31, 2007 and the result is expected to come out by the end of this year.

"If we consider Monkey King a candidate, the Monkey King should also be a modern one," Chen said.

Monkey King, a household name in China, is a creation in one of China's four classics The Journey to the West. The mighty Money is a symbol of justice and is able to defeat evil. It is also very creative, using magic all the time.

"If we choose Monkey King, we can't use it as the Expo mascot without any changes," said Chen. "The World Expo is an international event and should have a mascot recognizable for all people around the world. It needs to be traditional, with Chinese characteristics. But it also needs to be modern."

Besides, Chen underlined the image of the mascot should be auspicious and beautiful. It should reflect a positive attitude towards life. And the easier for people to understand it, the better.