# Pingtan travel guide (平潭) Fujian Province · East China, China · 5 places Canonical: https://cnatrip.com/en/destinations/fujian/pingtan ## Quick itinerary - **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. ## The feel of the place ### 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 ## 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** — (Haitan Middle Road, 0591-24134777) - **Pingtan Railway Station** — (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** — Also 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)** — This 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)** — On 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** — (East Road, Tancheng Town, 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** — (No. 101-17 Xihang Road, Tancheng Town, 0591-23109877) - **Jiujianwu Stone House Boutique Guesthouse** — (No. 94 Xinmenqian, Beigang Village, 18250188820) ## Things to see - **Donghai Fairyland** (★★★★): Admission ¥15; Opening hours 08:00-17:30 (October to April of the following year); Time needed 1-3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/donghai-fairyland - **Beigang Village** (★★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 1-3 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/beigang-village - **Changjiang'ao** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 1-2 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/changjiang-ao - **Longfengtou Beach** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 3-5 hours — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/longfengtou-beach - **Tangyu Island** (★★★): Admission Free; Opening hours Open all day; Time needed 1-2 days — https://cnatrip.com/en/places/tangyu-island --- Source: China Self-Guided Travel 2025 (《中国自助游》, Tianjin Science & Technology Press, Aug 2024), pp. 1518–1524. Prices, hours and transport details are as printed in the August 2024 edition and may have changed. Always confirm with the venue before you travel.