The 18th China (Xiamen) International Stone Fair is held at Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Center on March 6, attracting more than 2,000 enterprises from 56 countries. [Photo/ xmnn.cn]

The 18th China (Xiamen) International Stone Fair took place at Xiamen International Convention and Exhibition Center on March 6 and will last for four days, Xiamen Daily reported on March 6.

With an exhibition area of 180,000 square meters, the stone fair claims to be the largest one of its kind in the world.

Some 9,300 booths are prepared for more than 2,000 exhibitors from 56 countries, including the United States, Germany, Italy, Turkey, India, and Poland, and about 150,000 visitors are expected to come for the fair.

The First Product Design Exhibition, the most anticipated event of the stone fair, was inaugurated on the first day of the fair where nine enterprises from China, Italy, Greece, the United States, Norway and Turkey showed their creative designs.

Beside product exhibition, the fair also acts as a platform for information exchange.

"Stone market trend varies and customers are now showing more interest in creative designs", Xiong Shiwei, deputy general manager of Guangdong-based Universal Marble and Granite Group, said. "It would be of great help to attend stone fairs like the Xiamen International Stone Fair to obtain the latest market information and decide our next research direction."

The stone fair has been hosted for 17 years in Xiamen and is conducive to the stone and related industries' development in Fujian province and also the city's construction of a renowned international MICE city (meeting, incentive, convention and exhibition).