SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1986
BUSY FIRST DAY FOR EXPO PAVILION
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AFTER EIGHT YEARS OF PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION, THE 1986 WORLD EXPOSITION OPENED NEXT TO FALSE CREEK IN VANCOUVER, CANADA YESTERDAY (FRIDAY) AND THE HONG KONG PAVILION WAS ONE OF THE 90 PARTICIPANTS WHICH WELCOMED THE FIRST BATCH OF EXPO VISITORS.
SHORTLY BEFORE THE OPENING TIME AT 10 AM, PEOPLE ALREADY FLOCKED INTO THE SITE THROUGH THE FOUR MAIN ENTRANCES AND THEY STARTED TO SAMPLE THE EXHIBITS THROUGHOUT EXPO WHEN THE CLOCK STRUCK TEN.
AN AVERAGE OF 100 000 VISITORS IS EXPECTED A DAY THROUGHOUT THE 165 DAYS UNTIL EXPO CLOSES ON OCTOBER 13. ACCORDING TO EXPO OFFICIALS, A TOTAL OF 15 MILLION 'VISITS' HAVE ALREADY BEEN SOLD.
IT IS NOW EXPECTED THAT THE TOTAL VISITS TO BE SOLD WOULD BE MORE THAN 20 MILLIONS THROUGH THE SALES OUTLETS IN 39 COUNTRIES.
EXPO EMPLOYS MORE THAN 15 000 PEOPLE TO PROVIDE ENTERTAINMENT, RECREATIONAL AND ON-SITE CATERING FACILITIES AND TO MAN THE PAVILIONS. ANOTHER 15 000 ARE VOLUNTEER WORKERS.
THE FIRST DAY AT EXPO GAVE THEM A TASTE OF HOW BUSY AND ENJOYABLE IT WAS TO LOOK AFTER BATCHES AND BATCHES OF VISITORS.
AT THE HONG KONG PAVILION, THE SIGHT OF VISITORS QUEUEING UP TO GET A GLIMPSE OF LIFE IN HONG KONG SEEMED NEVER TO END.
THE OPENING DAY ALSO PROVED TO BE A BUSY DAY FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF THE HONG KONG PAVILION, MR PETER TSAO, WHO IS IN VANCOUVER TO SEE THAT THE HONG KONG SHOWPIECE IS UP AND RUNNING ACCORDING TO PLAN.
MR AND MRS TSAO ATTENDED THE OFFICIAL OPENING CEREMONY IN THE AFTERNOON AT THE BRITISH COLUMBIA PLACE STADIUM
RIGHT NEXT TO THE EXPO SITE.
THE OPENING CEREMONY, OFFICIATED BY THE PRINCE AND PRINCESS OF WALES, WAS ATTENDED BY 60 000 PEOPLE, INCLUDING ALL COMMISSIONERS GENERAL OF THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES AND VIP GUESTS.
EACH COUNTRY NOMINATED A REPRESENTATIVE TO CARRY ITS NATIONAL FLAG TO MARCH INTO THE STADIUM DURING THE CEREMONY AND A HONG KONG PAVILION HOSTESS, MISS PAT NG, REPRESENTED HONG KONG IN THE PROCESSION.
THE INVITATION