SHANGHAI, March 1 (Xinhua) -- The 29th East China Fair, the largest regional trade fair in China, opened in Shanghai Friday.

More than 3,500 Chinese companies and over 450 overseas companies are taking part in the four-day event.

Over 5,800 booths, arranged under five categories from garments to modern lifestyle, cover an exhibition area of 126,500 square meters.

Customs data showed China's foreign trade grew 9.7 percent year on year to a historic high of 30.51 trillion yuan (4.55 trillion U.S. dollars) in 2018.

The annual fair, established in 1991, is jointly held by nine provinces and cities in east China. It is regarded as an important barometer of China's foreign trade.