The 48th WorldSkills Competition kicks off in Shanghai

The opening ceremony of the 48th WorldSkills Competition is taking place in Shanghai on Tuesday evening.

From September 23 to 27, nearly 1,400 young professionals from 68 countries and regions will compete in the event.

This year's WorldSkills Competition will set four records in history, for the number of competitions, new events, participating countries and regions, and competitors.

A total of 64 competitions will be held across six fields, with seven new events making their debut, including drone systems, rail vehicle technology, software testing and retail.

Known as the "WorldSkills Olympics," the competition is held every two years. China first participated in 2011 and has won 93 gold medals to date, ranking first in both the gold medal table and overall team standings at the past four editions. This year, China will send 71 competitors from 21 provinces to compete in all 64 events.

For the first time, every competition will feature a hands-on skills experience station, where visitors can watch, interact and try the skills themselves. Admission and all activities are free with advance registration.

The event will also bring together the WorldSkills Competition, WorldSkills Conference and WorldSkills Expo under one event for the first time.