Haibao (海宝) is the mascot for the upcoming 2010 World Expo being held in Shanghai, and he is plastered all over the city. There are posters and billboards of him in front of construction sites, boulevards, in almost every metro station, and several statues of him in all of his thumbs-up giving glory.

He’s supposed to be some sort of a ‘wave’ that looks like 人, the Chinese character for person (but nothing like Gumby) and his name means ‘treasure of the sea’. It apparently took “1,500-plus designing companies, 800-plus advertising companies, 1,000-plus animation companies and 200-plus colleges” to help bring Haibao to life. I think we can all agree it was time and effort well spent.

I assume he has some sort of a bio or backstory somewhere, but I can’t find it. What I do know:

- He is obsessed with posing in front of insignificant residential property, usually in Pudong
- He enjoys posing in front of foreign children, often dressed in their culture’s traditional clothes
- He likes hip-hop
- He “… is confident, lovely, happy, witty and lively. Its hair is like the wave of the sea; its motion shows his generosity and hospitality; he thumbs up to show the appreciation and warm welcome to the friends from all over the world. “

Step aside 2008 Olympic fuwa “Friendlies“, it’s Haibao’s turn for the spotlight.