China's National Beach Volleyball Tournament, which also serves as the qualifiers for the 13th National Games of China in North China's Tianjin later this year, kicked off in Pingtan, Fujian province on May 18.

China's National Beach Volleyball Tournament kicks off in Pingtan, Fujian province on May 18. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A total of 56 professional teams from across the country shall compete on Longfengtou Beach, the largest natural bathing beach in China.

As the second stop of the tour, this is the first time for Pingtan to hold such a high-profile national game, and starting from this year, the game will be held in the city for five years in a row.

Pingtan’s beaches are flat and soft, which are ideal places for the beach sports including beach volleyball, according to Xie Xiutong, a member of the Party working committee of Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone.

He also revealed that, in a bid to enable spectators to experience the glamor of beach volleyball, 100 of them would have the chance to interact with professional athletes and cheerleaders on special beach volleyball courts from May 18 to 21.