PARIS: The Executive Committee for the Expo 2010 Shanghai formally unveiled the online version of the Expo to the 146th General Assembly of the Bureau of International Exhibition (BIE), inviting worldwide English speakers to visit the virtual site in January.

By using internet technologies, the online version of Expo 2010 Shanghai features a combination of virtual presentation and reality, presenting a virtual park corresponding to the 5.28 square kilometers Expo site, including virtual pavilions and exhibitions of all participants.

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The Chinese version of Shanghai Expo Online was launched on November 13 and the English version will be finalized by next January, said Zhu Yonglei, deputy director of the bureau of Shanghai world Expo coordination.

To date, 217 countries and organizations have confirmed to participate in the online Expo, which is regarded as "a revolutionary innovation in the history of Expos" by BIE.

As an extension of the physical Expo, the unprecedented online version will provide netizens not only a virtual journey around the Expo site and pavilions but also tour guide, education and interactive experiences.

The Shanghai Expo Online will be updated in line with the progress of the real construction on the site and the exhibition part of the online version will be remained as a digital museum even after the physical Expo is ended.

The Shanghai Expo, with its theme of "Better City, Better Life, " will be held from May through October next year, with a total of more than 70 million people, half of them foreigners, expected to attend.