Sleepless nights produce miracles

Wu Huilong has not had a proper night of rest since 2004.

He is constantly waking up in the middle of the night scrounging around for a pen and piece of paper so he can jot down the ideas which have inconveniently popped into his head during the wee hours of the morning.

The method of madness, however, has paid off.

Over the past six years, the random process has enabled Wu to produce more than 3,000 slogans and 2,000 brush paintings for the Shanghai Expo.

His adverts, 500 of which have been focused on Haibao, have been distributed by local governments throughout his Longbei community which belongs to Minhang district.

Like many others in the city, the 65-year-old retiree has taken a personal investment in the six-month show to raise awareness about the event that he believes will allow his hometown shine on the world stage come May.

"Just because I'm not a decision-maker for the cultural gala doesn't mean I shouldn't do something meaningful for it," he said.

Wu said he draws inspiration for his work by keeping abreast of the news and uses his work to teach the public simple manners.

In his adverts he asks people to be on their best behavior during the Expo by refraining from pushing in crowded places and spitting on the streets.

Wu described his volunteer work as having morphed into something of a family affair these days. His son helps him scan copies of the pictures he draws into the computer so they can be transmitted electronically.

Meanwhile, Wu is finally glad to have support from his wife.

"She used to complain when I first started, especially when I would wake up after midnight excited about a new idea and disturb her from sleeping," he laughed. "But, now she is used to it."