Thirty-one roller hockey teams from Guangzhou, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are competing in the a roller-skating carnival which kicked off in Guangzhou on Monday. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Twenty roller hockey teams from middle and primary schools across Taiwan will compete with 11 counterparts from Guangzhou, Hong Kong and Macao during a special roller-skating carnival which kicked off in Guangdong's provincial capital Guangzhou on Monday.

The participating teams are divided into three age groups - U12, U14 and U18 - to compete in the campus of Guangzhou Foreign Language School in Nansha district, located at the mouth of the Pearl River, during the event that runs till Saturday.

Meanwhile organizers will organize interactive activities, including movie parties and contestant nights for young people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait to expand exchanges and mutual learning.

Meanwhile a trip will be organiszed for the young roller hockey enthusiasts to visit the Lingnan Cultural and Intangible Cultural Heritage Exhibition Sites in Guangzhou, the Cross Strait Exchange Base and multiple landmark architectures in Guangzhou to better understand and get closer to the southern metropolis through immersive experiences.

Thirty-one roller hockey teams from Guangzhou, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao are competing in the a roller-skating carnival which kicked off in Guangzhou on Monday. [Photo by Zheng Erqi/chinadaily.com.cn]

Wang Shitong, a member of the standing committee of Guangzhou Committee of Communist Party of China, said his city government has always upheld the concept of "one family on both sides of the Taiwan Strait" and tried to build a better stage for Taiwan's youth to pursue and fulfill their dreams in Guangzhou.

"Now Guangzhou is actively promoting the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the development and opening up of Nansha, aiming to play a leading role in the country's high-quality development and Chinese path to modernization," Wang made the remarks at the opening ceremony.

"Guangzhou is now striving to build a modern international metropolis with global influence, and an open and inclusive investment environment full of vitality, with a myriad of opportunities providing unlimited opportunities for Taiwan's youth to develop their careers in the city," he said.

About 350 officials, entrepreneurs and roller hockey athletes from both sides of Taiwan Strait will participate in the event.