TAIPEI, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- A cross-Strait book fair opened Friday in Taipei, drawing about 300 exhibitors from Taiwan and the Chinese mainland.

The 14th Cross-Strait Book Fair has an 8,000 square meter exhibition area, with more than 180 organizations from the mainland and more than 120 from Taiwan in attendance. About 100,000 books, including periodicals and comics, are being presented at the show.

Besides the main area in Taipei, the event also has other exhibition areas in Taiwan, including Keelung, Taichung, Chiayi, and Pingtung.

"The exhibition is a grand event for the publication circles of the mainland and Taiwan," said Shen Xianyang, with the event's organizer. "It is not only a display of the latest books but also a platform for people across the Strait to get together and communicate."

The book fair has seen a transaction of books worth 420 million yuan (62 million U.S. dollars) since it was launched in 2005. This year's fair will conclude on Aug. 23.?