Day 3 opens with fewer visitors, more facilities

Umbrellas spray mist to cool visitors at the Expo Park May 3, 2010.

Only 111,000 visitors, almost half the figure of this time yesterday, had shown up in the site of World Expo 2010 Shanghai China by 12pm today, the third day of its operation. Queues outside most of the entrances had cleared by 11am.

Temperature is expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius in the Expo Site around noon today and searing weather will continue for another day, the China Meteorological Administration said.

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From today the site will implement further measures to divert visitors to entrances with shorter queues, including issuing reservation tickets of China Pavilion at all gates, Hong Hao, director-general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination, said during a press conference yesterday.

Elders over 70 may enter the site through special accessible channels at any gate and each eligible elder can be accompanied by one younger people while entering the site, Hong said.

Doctors stationed in the park received 82 patients with heat stroke or external wounds yesterday. In addition to the spray systems around the elevated pedestrian ways, the site will install more sun shelters and provide more water and doctors on duty to guard off the heat, Hong said.

Hong also recommended the visitors to enjoy the hourly illuminated music fountain show after 7pm every day. Yesterday 115,000 people watched 58 performances in the site.

Visitors in the Expo site reached 193,300 at peak time yesterday, Hong said. Pavilions of European and American countries in Zone C were among the most popular destinations, while corporate pavilions and UBPA cases in Puxi saw much fewer visitors.