Behind the scenes of the spectacular World Expo 2010 in Shanghai, a horde of volunteers will help keep the wheels of the huge machine turning.

All in all, some 70,000 volunteers will be working inside the Expo site and another 100,000 will be making sure that the service centers located all over the city are properly staffed, the official Expo website states.

There are naturally different requirements for all the different types of volunteer work during the World Exposition. And in the case of some, beauty and good manners represent particularly important assets.

Among the most pretty and gracious volunteers at the fair will be the official Shanghai Expo Girls, who have already begun their training for the big event. Their task is to assist and guide the many VIPs visiting Shanghai and its environs between the start of the Expo in May and the closing day at the end of October.

People's choice

Radio86 spoke with one of the Expo Girls to find out a bit more about these glamorous ladies.

Her name is Julia Sun. She is 19 years old and will graduate from high school this spring.

Knowing how to walk and stand graciously is essential for the Expo Girls. (Image: Courtesy of Julia Sun.)Julia lives in Denmark, but has visited Shanghai frequently while growing up. As the daughter of a Danish father and a Chinese mother, she knows both cultures well and speaks both languages fluently.

Julia explains that the Expo Girl selection process was quite long and complicated.

“I read about it on the Internet. You could upload a picture and write about yourself. Then the people in China voted on who they wanted to see take part in the competition."

Julia got into the competition and was thrilled when they contacted her from China to tell her that she had enough votes to go there. After some final screenings in China, she could proudly present herself as an official Expo Girl.

Center of attention

When Radio86 had her on the phone, Julia was in the beautiful city of Hangzhou, not far from the Expo city of Shanghai. Here, she, and a bunch of other Expo beauties participated in the first official Chinese press conference promoting the event at the end of January.

“I was standing outside to welcome the important persons. And then we, the Expo Girls, had to go on the stage to present ourselves, and then heard some speeches from the VIPs,"  she says, unable to hide her enthusiasm.

At the press meeting Julia and the other girls were surrounded by flashing cameras and curious journalists, and the next day they saw themselves on the front page of a local Chinese newspaper.

“I have never experienced this kind of media circus before,"  Julia laughs.

Tall tea servers

Julia is half Chinese, half Danish. (Image: Courtesy of Julia Sun.)Clad in long white dresses with golden flowers snaking up their sleek figures, the 24 beauties are quite a vision. Standing in line, Julia's queen-like hairdo is almost at the same level with the other girls.

With her 174 cm tall frame, Julia is used to feeling like a beanstalk amongst the Chinese. But all of the Expo Girls are at least 170 cm tall and not very wide.

“I am the heaviest of them all, and I weigh 59 kg,"  Julia explains and adds:

“All the Chinese girls are like real models!"

Apart from the desired physical attributes, there are also some other qualification criteria that each Shanghai Expo Girl should meet. To mention a few; she has to speak Chinese very well and have a great amount of knowledge about the Expo events.

Furthermore, Julia and the other girls have to take part in training sessions, the next of which will take place in China in March. Here they will learn how to walk and stand in a gracious manner. Also the the art of serving Chinese tea correctly and beautifully, will be part of the curriculum.

“Some of the girls have already been official Olympic Girls. They will train us,"  Julia explains.

Shortly after the press conference in Hangzhou, Julia had to hurry home, since she still has classes and school assignments to take care of. But when school lets out in the summer, Julia will jump more or less directly on the first plane to Shanghai, put on her fancy dress and show the visitors at the World Exposition what a true Expo Girl is made of!