Olympic torch defender Jin Jing 'protects' Expo garden
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Jin Jing, an "ambassador" of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo, was spotted by Xinhua picking up beverage cans thrown away by visitors silently and put them into a nearby waste bin in the Shanghai World Expo park on her crutches.
"You said it's not easy for me to stoop down to pick these cans up. It's right, but I assume it is everybody's responsibility to keep the park tidy and clean. I should also do my bit for that commitment," the well-known Chinese girl told Xinhua.
Jin, praised as "the prettiest torch bearer", has been widely known for her bravery in protecting the Olympic torch with her own body in the Paris leg of Beijing 2008 Olympic torch relay when facing an attack. Now she was making the Expo park cleaner with her own hands.
"The Expo is not only a stage for different nations and organizations to showcase themselves, but also a chance for our Chinese to play host and let visitors both from home and abroad have a pleasant environment and stay here, " She added.
The Expo, which opened to the public Saturday, is the largest world exhibition ever and is expected to attract 70 million visitors from home and abroad.
"There are so many visitors each day, so everybody should be a role model. If everybody throws his or her beverage cans randomly, the park would be in awful conditions," said the Paralympic athlete in an orange coat.
A total of 204,000 people visited the Expo on Saturday, and 221,800 visitors toured the park Sunday, said Hong Hao, director-general of the Bureau of Shanghai World Expo Coordination.
Although the 29-year-old fencing athlete was modest about her act, she was advocating the awareness of keeping the environment clean and against littering in the park through her own deeds.
"If everybody can carry a plastic bag with him or her, it would be conducive to keeping a clean park," Jin said.
More than 700 tonnes of garbage was collected Saturday in the park, according to Hong.
Jin is also seen in a series of public service advertisements to promote the expo and attract volunteers and serves as a pavilion tour guide at the Expo.
"The park is our home, so we should devote ourselves to making it a nice place," she added.
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