Prime Minister Wen Jiabao described the fair as "splendid", saying it "truly brought together people around the globe".

Officials say a record 72 million people - most of them from across China - visited pavilions staged by more than 240 countries and organisations.

China has reportedly spent some US$60 billion (£37 billion) preparing for the fair.

The figure - mentioned in Chinese state media - is more than was spent on the Beijing Olympics in 2008.

However, the Shanghai government only confirms that its budget for the fair was US$4.2 billion.