Shanghai World Expo park opens to public
The Shanghai World Expo formally opened its door to the highly avid public Saturday morning after years of planning and preparation. Visitors, from home and abroad, have thronged to the gates of the Expo park, receiving security checks in long queues. More than 350,000 tickets have been sold or distributed for the opening day, organizers said. Ge Ning, an executive of a sci-tech company in neighboring Jiangsu Province, was among the first to enter the park. "I'm here to see new inventions concerning science, technology, environmental protection, and energy," he said. The United States Pavilion and the exotic pavilions of African countries are also on his list. "I might only be able to visit five pavilions today," he said, wowing the crowds around him. Top Chinese political advisor Jia Qinglin and International Exhibitions Bureau President Jean-Pierre Lafon activated the opening device together at a commencement ceremony. The Expo, carrying a theme of "Bette...