More than 50 families from the Chinese mainland and Taiwan celebrate Christmas together at Taiwan Innovation Park in Pingtan, Fujian province on Dec 24. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Families from the mainland and Taiwan celebrated Christmas together at Taiwan Innovation Park in Pingtan, Fujian province on Dec 24, Pingtan Times reported.

Activities included making toys out of clay, paper cutting and playing various games.

Children were taught to make objects out of clay in various colors, including snowmen, elks, apples, and Christmas trees. Children had the option of allowing a parent to help them with the activities. A clay figurine shaped like Pingtan's scenic spot Shipaiyang (a reef composed of tablet-shaped rocks), made by Zhan Shunrong, really attracted the attention of people at the event.

Zhan, a Taiwan resident, has been in Pingtan for more than a year and currently he runs a business in Aoqian Taiwan Town, formerly known as Pingtan Taiwan Small Commodity Duty-free Market.

"Shipaiyang is a landmark of Pingtan that I dressed to be Santa Claus because I hope it can bring love to all the people of Pingtan, including us," said Zhan, when asked why he had made the figurine.

Zhan claimed that he felt happy to celebrate the festival here with his family and other compatriots.

He also expressed his eagerness to settle in the city and his hopes that all Taiwan residents who are less than 40 years old are able to settle in Pingtan, becoming a part of the cross-Straits homeland.