AFTER six months and more than 770,000 visitors to Liverpool’s pavilion, the Shanghai Expo has ended – with the last word going to a man called Lennon.

Huang Yong, who chose Lennon as his English name because of his love of The Beatles, became the Liverpool Pavilion’s 770,044th and final visitor on Sunday.

He was presented with a signed, framed picture of the city’s five football World Cup 2010 finalists – Liverpool FC’s Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina, Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel; and Everton FC’s Johnny Heitinga.

He said: “This is a very beautiful gift. I am a big football fan so I am very lucky to win this prize.”

Lennon, who supports Liverpool FC, visited the Expo with his wife Yuan Xiao and daughter Yumi Juan.

He added: “It was a really big surprise for us and we will be the envy of all our friends and family with such a beautiful gift to remind us our trip to the Liverpool Pavilion and to Expo.”

Organisers had hoped to attract 750,000 visitors in the six months of the Expo and were pleased to surpass that target.

Chris Heyes, Liverpool pavilion technical and operations manager, said: “I feel certain all those who have visited the Liverpool pavilion will have had a memorable experience and hopefully they will come to visit the city itself in years to come.”

Mr Heyes, who presented the prize to Lennon, said: “Our thanks to both football clubs for helping to arrange this unique prize – we could not believe it when the winner told us his name and of his strong interest in football and music. You could not make it up – but so very fitting!”

Liverpool was the only UK city to have its own pavilion at the Shanghai Expo and was on show in the same area as Venice and Cairo.

The six-month presence, including displays on Liverpool’s music and football legends, was intended to promote business, tourism, education and culture.

It attracted criticism for its costs, which totalled around £2.8m. Liverpool Council paid £531,000 toward the Expo and an extra £247,000 for a “Liverpool Day” of concerts and events last month.

The rest of the money came from other private and public sponsors and the North West Development Agency, which contributed £1.25m.

A report at the outset of the project estimated the Expo’s benefit to Merseyside would be between £5.5m and £47.5m over the next 10 years, through increased tourist and student numbers and a rise in exports and direct foreign investment.