The 2010 World Expo has officially opened to the public. Day one access on Saturday was set aside for those with designated tickets.

It was a spectacular scene as hundreds of thousands of eager attendees flocked through the gates.

After eight years of waiting, visitors are finally able to experience the reality of the World Expo.

Warm and sunny weather filled the first day of operations. The Expo staff's service was equally pleasant.

Volunteer form Thailand, World Expo Park, said, "Sawasdee krub (hello in Thai)! I'm a volunteer from Thailand. Welcome to the Thailand Pavilion. Please move in order. Thank you."

This hardworking volunteer kept giving directions the whole morning, and didn't even have time for a drink. Those taking tours are more fortunate, with water fountains available throughout the park.

But they needed to be luckier to obtain reservation tickets for the most popular pavilions. There were nearly 200-thousand visitors at the fairgrounds by noon.