As the Shanghai Expo 2010 approaches, a post online titled Three-Day Tour Tips for Expo Visitors has become popular among millions of netizens.

The tips, which run about 8,000 Chinese characters, answer possible queries from visitors and, more importantly, give detailed advice on visiting the Expo Site, navigating traffic and finding food.

Ni Wenhao (BAIDU.COM)

Ni Wenhao, 23, was the writer. A recent graduate with a bachelor's degree in Exhibition Planning and Management from the School of International Communication at Shanghai Second Polytechnic University, Ni has worked as a volunteer for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the Shanghai Special Olympics; he was named the "top introducer" for the Shanghai Expo in May 2009 by Shanghai's Luwan District Government. Now he is a staff member in the Expo's Urban Best Practice Area (UBPA).

After receiving sudden inspiration one day in January this year, Ni took three nights to write the tour tips based on his two years of experience working for the Expo. He originally posted the tips on a blog for Expo volunteers, but the response from netizens was greater than he expected. In response to popular demand, Ni wrote the Food and Restaurant Guide for the 2010 Shanghai Expo and the Tickets Guide for the 2010 Shanghai Expo in February and March. Ni plans to write two more guides on traffic and booking.

Q&A with Ni Wenhao

Why did you write these tips?

Before the Expo opens, for security reasons, ordinary visitors are not allowed to enter the Expo Site; thus, they come to the visitor center, where I work, to ask about the Expo. The most frequently asked question by visitors and volunteers is how they can visit such a big Expo Park with one ticket. So I began to think about writing down some tips to tell them how to visit the Expo Site in a more effective way.

How did you write these tips?

Because I've been closely following Expo news, I have accumulated all kinds of information about the Expo Site, including the location, configuration and exhibit content of each pavilion.

With a clear outline of the guide, I began to write it on January 11, 2010. I finished it in three nights after working all day, and then blogged it.

Actually, I only went to the Expo Site once in 2008. At that time the construction of most pavilions hadn't been finished, so the information mainly comes from the official website of the 2010 Shanghai Expo and other electronic resources.

Why did you choose a three-day Expo tour?

I chose not to design a one-day trip partly because one day is too short to visit, and partly because some popular pavilions will have long queues.

Moreover, it isn't economical for ordinary visitors to buy 7-day tickets. I think three days is the most appropriate length for visiting the Expo.