Wu Jianmin, president of the International Bureau of Expositions, stressed the importance of protecting Shanghai's historic architecture during his speech to the First Participants Meeting of World Expo 2010 Shanghai today.

"The old architecture shows the history of the city and that is part of the civilisation that World Expos hope to display," said Wu. "People also share a common value in preserving old things."

Wu added that World Expo 2010 would make full use of old factories standing in the planned Expo site. Many of them would be turned into pavilions. Other plants which had a special cultural meaning, like the Jiangnan Shipyard, would serve as museums to let people commemorate their history.

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