Pingtan travel guide
平潭
Pingtan is Fujian's largest island, with 126 named islands and 702 reefs, and abundant natural scenery. Surging waves crash against the rocks, creating the island's distinctive reef landscapes,…
5 places · In the guidebook: pages 1518–1524
Pingtan, Fujian Province · AI illustration for China Trip
Quick itinerary
Pingtan in 2 days
- Day 1
- Beibuwan Ecological Corridor→
- Haitan Ancient City→
- Houyan Island→
- Tannanwan Resort Area→
- Longshanli Happy Night Market (night tour)
- Day 2
- Donghai Fairyland→
- Beigang Village→
- Dongxiang Island→
- Changjiang'ao→
- Shipaiyang
The feel of the place
- Qianjiao Island County
- Pingtan is Fujian's largest island, with 126 named islands and 702 reefs, and abundant natural scenery. Surging waves crash against the rocks, creating the island's distinctive reef landscapes, dynamic and grand in scale.
- Shitou Cuo (Stone Houses)
- “On Pingtan Island, only stone grows, not grass; sand blows across the ground, and the houses look like fortresses…” The houses on Pingtan are built from locally quarried granite, known as shitou cuo, a crystallization of local wisdom for coping with a harsh environment.
- Aojiu
- Pingtan also observes the custom of “guo jiu” (crossing the nines). Regardless of sex or age, years ending in nine are called “bright nines,” and ages that are multiples of nine are called “hidden nines.” During these years, relatives are invited to eat traditional foods such as Aojiu porridge (or balls) and taiping noodles.
Preparation and Information
Language
Residents commonly speak Eastern Min, but Mandarin is enough to get around without any trouble.
Climate and Best Time to Visit
Pingtan has a warm, humid climate, with long summers and short winters. Summers are cool and winters mild, and frost and snow are rare. The island can be enjoyed year-round: spring for flowers and moonlit views, summer for swimming and boat trips, autumn for fresh seafood, and winter for beautiful sunsets, hiking and sea fishing. Pingtan will surprise you in many ways.
Festivals
Things to see
Donghai Fairyland
The sea cliffs here are steep and precipitous, stretching for miles, grand in form, with raging tides crashing against the shore. It is a rare and magnificent spot for watching the tide. Among them, Immortal's Well (仙人井) is the most alluring spot on the East Coast of Pingtan. The well has an opening on its northeast and another on its southeast at the bottom, both connecting to the sea. Visitors looking down from the mouth see sheer cliffs a thousand feet high surrounding the well, with waves surging below and spray flying like snow. At high tide the thundering waves shake heaven and earth, which is why the old scenic name was “The Roaring Waves of the Immortal's Well.”
¥15
Beigang Village
Beigang Village lies in the northwest of Liushui Town, facing the East China Sea across the water from the Taiwan Strait. Clusters of stone houses (石头厝) nestle against the hills and along the beach, with red bricks, green granite slabs, saddle-shaped firewalls and herringbone roofs. Once a traditional small fishing village, Beigang has attracted many young artists and creatives in recent years and has become a creative village, giving its ancient stone houses new life.
Free
Changjiang'ao
Changjiang'ao Beach has fine, pale sand and clear, deep blue water, with islands and reefs scattered along the coast and a lush protective forest belt behind it. It is also home to Fujian's largest wind farm, where rows of turbines stand against the sea and sky, and the blue ocean, white turbines and clouds together make a breathtaking view.
Free
Longfengtou Beach
The beach has sparkling white sand and reefs scattered like stars. Dense forest rises behind it, and on the sand you can drive or ride along the shore, while the sea offers plenty of fun for swimming and other water activities.
Nature
Tangyu Island
The island has a natural crescent-shaped sheltered beach with clear water, making it a good spot for surfing. On the island stands the giant stone figure Haitan Tianshen (海坛天神), a striking and lifelike formation said to be the largest naturally weathered granite sphere-shaped rock sculpture in the world.
Nature
Getting there & around
Getting There
Pingtan can currently be reached mainly by road and rail. Pingtan Bus Station runs coaches to Fuzhou, Quanzhou, Xiamen and other parts of Fujian.
By Road
By Rail
Pingtan Railway Station has daily high-speed trains to Beijing, Shanghai, the southwest, Shenzhen and Fuzhou, and also serves other Fujian cities along the way.
Getting Around
Buses and taxis are the main options. Apart from Dongxiang Island, Caoyu Island and a few others that require a ferry, most sights can be reached by car, so getting around by bus or taxi is very convenient.
Island Loop Bus
Pingtan's island sightseeing bus departs at 9:00 and ends at 19:30, running every 30 minutes. A single ride costs ¥15 and a full-day ticket costs ¥68. Visitors can buy tickets at the visitor service centre at Longwangtou, or scan a QR code to pay on board. The loop bus reaches most of the main sights.
Blue Tears
“Blue tears” are a fluorescent microorganism in the sea that gives the water a blue glow. From April to July each year, blue tears peak on Pingtan, and the sea shimmers with a serene blue light, as bright as a sky full of stars.
Closest Point to Taiwan
Pingtan is the point on the mainland closest to the island of Taiwan. The island also has a Taiwan Town, which displays and sells Taiwanese specialty goods.
Island Cycling
Pingtan's scenery is beautiful, and the Junshan Houloop is arguably the most scenic cycling route on the island. The seamless blend of blue sea, beaches, windmills, fishing boats and green forest is truly enchanting.
Pingtan Bus Station
By Road- Address:
- Haitan Middle Road
- Phone:
- 0591-24134777
Pingtan Railway Station
By Rail- Address:
- Near Erbu Mountain, Zhonglou Township, Pingtan County, Fuzhou City
Eat & drink
Pingtan has a huge variety of food, but the two ingredients locals cannot do without are seafood and sweet potato. Many of the island's specialty snacks are made from these two.
Local Snacks
Youge
Local SnacksAlso called “Tianchang Dijiu” (Everlasting Love), it has a skin made from sweet potato and sweet potato starch, filled with sweet bean paste or sugared mixed-fruit filling. Shaped like dumplings and deep-fried until golden, it is sweet, fragrant and full of character.
Nuomi Tianfan (Sweet Glutinous Rice)
Local SnacksThis is the staple at Pingtan banquets, and people of all ages love it. Not trying it when you visit Pingtan would be a real regret.
Shilai Yunzhuan (Good Fortune Turns Around)
Local SnacksOn festival days, nearly every household in Pingtan makes a savoury snack called “Shilai Yunzhuan.” The skin is made from sweet potato and its starch, thin, supple and springy. The fillings are typically cabbage, seaweed, lean pork, fresh shrimp, squid or crab meat. It can be boiled or steamed, can serve as a main meal, and is one of the local people's favourite snacks.
Haitan Specialty Snacks
Recommended Food- Address:
- East Road, Tancheng Town
- Phone:
- 0591-24251122
Where to stay
Pingtan County has hotels and guesthouses at every level to suit different needs. Island-style guesthouses, such as stone houses converted into lodgings, are also worth considering, and staying in one is a novel experience.
Qianjiao Island Hotel
Recommended Accommodation- Address:
- No. 101-17 Xihang Road, Tancheng Town
- Phone:
- 0591-23109877
Jiujianwu Stone House Boutique Guesthouse
Recommended Accommodation- Address:
- No. 94 Xinmenqian, Beigang Village
- Phone:
- 18250188820
Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 1518–1524. Translated from the Chinese edition; names and prices follow the guidebook. · Plain text version