Taking a cue from Beijing's preparations for the 2008 Games, Shanghai has called on 1 million volunteers - many of them retirees - to patrol streets and detect any security hazards.

The combination of professional anti-terrorism forces and the public "forms an effective anti-terrorism module", Wu Heping, the spokesman for the Ministry of Public Security, told a Tuesday news briefing.

"In general, China's security situation is stable," he said.

Yu said the focus in the coming month is the six trial runs which will be staged in and around the Expo site, each involving 500,000 people.

He warned the public that visiting the Expo will not be a picnic because of the expected huge influx of visitors. An average of 400,000 people are expected to visit the Expo daily between May 1 and Oct 31.

More than 15 million visited the Aichi Expo in Japan five years ago, with each pavilion taking up to four hours to visit.

Shanghai has come up with various measures to deal with the crowds expected to flood the Expo on weekends or holidays, Yu said.

For instance, individual visitors are encouraged to join group tours. The Labor Day holiday will also be extended by two days, from April 30 to May 4, Yu said. The measure is designed to help ease the travel crush during the period.

The opening of the Expo will include a 30-minute art performance, Yu said, after which the scene will shift to the Huangpu River - to highlight the identity and location of the host city - where fireworks, fountains, lighting displays and music shows will be staged. The entire ceremony will last for around one-and-half hours.

(China Daily April 1, 2010)