The First Cross-Haitan Strait Swimming Race was held in Pingtan, Fujian province on July 19. About 600 swimmers took part in the competition.

The 5 km-long swimming race started at the Nianggong Wharf, attracting swimmers, aged 18 to 65, from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and the mainland, including 20 provinces and municipalities.

A 60 year-old swimmer said it was the first time for her to swim in the ocean and that the experience was great. Yang Ke, 66, accompanied his 63-year old wife, Chen Shulan, to make her realize her swimming dream.

"It is really a challenge for me to finish the competition. The waves were rolling towards us and I was almost to give up. But the sea and the environment here are fantastic. It was worth it," said Chen Zhihua, a swimmer from Hong Kong.

The Haitan Strait is wide and has moderate winds favorable for public cross-strait swimming. The organizers aim to develop the annual Cross-Haitan Strait swimming competition into a known swimming race brand in the world.

Edited by Mevlut Katik

A swimmer at the finish line [Photo/ptnet.cn]