Shanghai starts one-year countdown to the largest expo ever

SHANGHAI: Shanghai is preparing for the biggest and most extravagant World Expo in history, with billions of dollars allocated and an army of thousands of workers deployed for next year's event.

Authorities have set aside an area twice the size of Monaco for the expo, which is expected to attract 70 million visitors - 95 percent of them domestic - to the bustling financial center starting May 1 next year.

That is 20 times the size of the site used for the last expo in Zaragoza, Spain, and the mainland is hoping the event will again provide it with an opportunity to shine on the global stage, following last year's Beijing Olympics.