HUGE crowds gathered when Apple opened a flagship store in Shanghai yesterday, its second on China's mainland and 295th worldwide.

The maker of the iPhone and iPad opened its first Chinese mainland store in Beijing two years ago.

Thousands of Apple fans lined up before the opening of the 1,500-square-meter store at 10am in the Lujiazui finance and trade zone in the Pudong New Area.

One Apple fan, calling himself "Penguin," flew to Shanghai from the northeastern province of Jilin on Tuesday so he could be first in line for the opening.

"It's such a great shop," he said. "As an Apple fan, I'm satisfied today."

Mei Yongfan, who was at the Apple store on New York's Fifth Avenue in February, said: "The two stores are almost the same, but the after-sale services area is even bigger at the Shanghai store."

The store displays Mac computers, iPods and iPhones for customers to try.

Apple's latest products, the iPhone 4 and iPad, are not yet on sale as they have not officially entered the Chinese market.