a plurality of discharge electrodes having transparent electrodes connected to bus electrodes are arranged on the inner side of a front substrate . alternatively , discharge electrodes having transparent electrodes and capable of discharging between their respective neighboring electrodes on both sides are arranged on the inner side of the front substrate . the front substrate is provided on the side of the display surface where discharge - generated light radiates out to the exterior . shielding parts for shielding incident light from the exterior are formed on the transparent electrodes , or along the front substrate . accordingly , the shielding parts reduce the surface reflection to improve the bright room contrast ratio . forming the shielding parts with the same material as that of the bus electrodes prevents fabrication processes from becoming complicated . the areas of the shielding parts can be varied with the luminescent colors of cells , to change the luminescent brightness by the cell .