Visitors look at stone-made products at the 22nd China Xiamen International Stone Fair in Xiamen. [Photo/WeChat account: xiamen_swj]

The 22nd China Xiamen International Stone Fair kicked off in Xiamen on July 30 and will last until Aug 2.

Themed on "Connecting in a broad circle", the fair covers an area of 16.2 hectares and has attracted over 1,100 quality companies from home and abroad, which showcases the current development and future development potential of the stone industry.

"We have been anticipating this fair for a long time as many domestic and foreign stone industry exhibitions have been canceled," said Liu Liang, president of Yingliang Group, a large-scale comprehensive stone company.

The stone fair has become a platform for the integration and docking of upstream and downstream resources in the industrial chain, Liu said.

Yingliang Group received over 130 merchants during the opening day of the fair, 50 percent of which were regular customers, and many of them attended the fair to further discuss making deals with the group.

The fair also includes supportive activities such as the Habitat Interior Design Exhibition, which is intended to bring more inspiration to the stone industry, according to Zhou Yangcai, vice-general manager of Xiamen Jinhongxin Exhibition Co.

The four-day fair is also expected to increase consumption in other industries such as the hotel and catering sectors.