Santa Claus visits Expo site

Santa Claus traveled all the way from his home in chilly Lapland, northern Finland, to the Expo site Tuesday  to convey his best wishes for the upcoming fair. Santa was mobbed by workers at the site and posed happily for many photos. He told crowds of reporters and cameramen that he loved the China Pavilion because its red color was the same as his clothes.

Santa Claus turns up in front of the China Pavilion.[expo2010.cn]

He was also impressed by the scale of the site, which is "beyond his imagination."

Korvatunturi, the mountain in Finnish Lapland where Santa Claus lives, lies 1000 kilometers north of the capital, Helsinki. He lives there with his wife and hundreds of elves. From the top of Korvatunturi, they can hear the Christmas wishes of all the children in the world.

He glides lightly over the snow in a sleigh drawn by prancing reindeer, with Rudolph in the lead to deliver gifts to children all over the world.

He didn't forget to bring one to Chinese children this time. The present is special, however, because it's intangible. "I hope all parents can spend more time with their kids, and take them to the Expo site, where they can learn about the culture of other countries."

Since the 1950s, Santa Claus has met millions of children in the Arctic Circle near Rovaniemi before Christmas every year. The first Santa Claus Village was built in Lapland. Santa Claus's Post Office receives millions of letters from Christmas fans and kids every year.

Santa said he and his elf assistants handle all the letters. "I also prepare gifts for all the children, of course, it requires some magic," he told reporters.

Now, Santa has a new task - to promote the Expo and the Finland Pavilion to the world.

There's lots of snow in Finnish Lapland from November until late spring – sometimes even until May. The snow crunches beneath people's feet when they walk and the joints of the log houses creak.

Therefore, Santa said that he "was concerned" about the global warming.

Santa lives a peaceful existence at home when not delivering presents or making public speaking appearances. He, Mrs Claus and the elves eat a lot of salmon, porridge and tasty local berries.

Santa will turn up at the Finland Pavilion during the Expo, running through May 1 and October 31.