30 day countdown to Shanghai World Expo

There are just 30 days left to go before the grand opening of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. A countdown extravaganza was held in Shanghai Tuesday night to mark the occasion.

The party in Shanghai attracted loads of big names in entertainment circles, such as Russian pop singer Vitas, who's known for his flowing high-pitched sound.

A countdown extravaganza was held in Shanghai Tuesday night to mark the occasion.

At the press conference prior to the event, he said he would perform a popular tune "The Tibetan Plateau" in Chinese.

Adding to the party atmosphere was jazz vocalist Laura Fygi, who teased the crowd with a sample of her planned Chinese rendition of the famous folk song "Moon Represents My Heart".

Among the other performers were South Korean artist Rain, the Burundi National Drum Troupe, and the Bollywood Song and Dance Troupe, just to name a few.

Apart from the main stage in Shanghai, there were five parallel venues echoing the theme of the 30-day countdown. The branch venues were tailored on the banks of five renowned rivers around the world, namely the Danube in Austria, the Ganges in India, the Nile in Egypt, the Hudson in the United States, and the Amazon in Brazil.

The music-packed party featured a special session with thousands of people performing simultaneously at both the Shanghai main stage and five parallel venues for the song "Ode to Joy".