SHANGHAI - Greeting visitors in both Chinese Mandarin and the Shanghai dialect, a group of energetic college students officially opened the USA pavilion at Expo 2010 Shanghai on Monday.

A visitor wears a pair of glasses designed with US and Chinese national flags during the opening of the USA Pavilion on Monday. [Gao Erqiang/China Daily]

Overcoming the challenge of a US law that prohibits public funds being used for the Expo, the country with the world's largest economy did it the hard way, relying on donations and corporate sponsorships to make sure it made a significant presence at Expo 2010 Shanghai.

"It's quite a remarkable achievement," said Jose H. Villarreal, US commissioner-general to the Expo.

The USA Pavilion, centering on the theme of "Rising to the Challenge", tells the story of the American spirit of perseverance, innovation and community in a multi-dimensional presentation.

One of its attractions is a play that relates how a young girl engages her community - a metaphor for the world's community of nations - to turn a derelict wasteland into a flourishing garden.

The story is projected onto five giant screens, with 4D effects like wind and rain adding a sensory dimension, which immerses the audience in an emotional and visually stunning experience.

The attraction of the US to Chinese people was reflected in the large crowd waiting outside the eagle-shaped pavilion on Monday.

"The pavilion was a wonderful experience," said Xu Qingya, 17.

"The play is so realistic, I was even hit by a raindrop," added her companion from neighboring Jiangsu province.

"The show in the pavilion surprised me," said Wang Lei, who waited about 45 minutes before gaining admittance. "I was impressed by the young girl's strong will to fulfill her dream."

Chinese visitors to the pavilion kept busy taking pictures with the student ambassadors - who served as pavilion volunteers - and purchasing souvenirs adorned with US symbols.

Laughter burst out when visitors were treated to a video montage of classic Americana, before NBA star Kobe Bryant welcomed them in Mandarin.

While market research consistently ranked the USA Pavilion as visitors' top attraction after the China Pavilion, it was not on the list of the top 10 most-popular pavilions on the first day of the Expo, though it has been attracting 25,000 visitors a day.

"The maximum number of visitors we can accommodate in one day is 35,000," said Villarreal, who stressed that the Expo will be a success if it helps to deepen understanding between different countries.

President Hu Jintao, who officially opened the Expo on April 30, toured the Expo Garden, including the USA Pavilion.

"It's a stunning achievement for China and a fabulous opportunity for us to be part of it," said Beatrice Camp, US consul-general in Shanghai.

China Daily