Tickets to the 2010 Shanghai World Expo will be on sale from September 28 at the price of 160 yuan (US$23.3) for a set, the local government said on Wednesday.

"Before we decided on the price of the tickets we take into consideration the financial affordability of people from all walks of life," said Hong Hao, director of the expo coordination bureau, at the conference.

Discounts are available for senior citizens, students, children and servicemen. Tickets to night shows will also be discounted.

Hong said the expo would cost 18 billion yuan to build and another 10.6 billion yuan to operate.

"According to the practice of World Expo and the requirement of Bureau of International Expositions, the expo should be non-profit. So we hope the tickets sales and market development can cover the operation cost," Hong said.

So far, 214 countries and international organizations had confirmed their participation for the event.

An estimated 70 million visitors are expected to attend the expo with the theme of "Better city, better life."

The 184-day expo, running from May 1 to October 31, 2010, will feature five theme pavilions -- "Urbanian," "City as a Form of Life," "Urban Planet," "Urban Future" and "Urban Culture."

(Xinhua News Agency August 14, 2008)