Pingtan Island

The island of the mainland closest to Taiwan, with stone houses at Beigang, a windmill coast, the Fairy Well and Tannan Bay beach. Chances to see the "blue tears" in spring and summer, just 1 hour by high-speed train from Fuzhou.

Pingtan Island (the main island is Haitan Island) lies in the Taiwan Strait southeast of Fuzhou, Fujian Province. It is Fujian's largest island and the fifth largest in China. Houyan Island, at its southeast, is only about 68 nautical miles from Hsinchu in Taiwan, the closest point on the mainland to Taiwan, and the island is now the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone. The island is known for its granite sea-eroded landforms and fine-sand beaches, and local homes are stone houses built of granite. The sights fall into three areas. In the south are Tannan Bay, Haitan Ancient City, Jiangjun Mountain, Sanshiliujiao Lake and the Nanzhai Mountain stone forest. In the east and southeast are the Longfengtou seaside, the Houyan Island "68 Nautical Miles" scenic area, Aoqian Taiwan Town and the East Sea Fairyland (Fairy Well). In the north are the Northern Ecological Corridor, the Changjiang'ao windmill field, Beigang Village, Junshan, Shipaiyang and the Keqiutou Site Museum; the north is best linked by car or bike. The climate is subtropical maritime. From Apr to Jun the sea can glow with "blue tears" at night, Jul–Sep is good for swimming but watch for typhoons, and winter brings strong northeasterly winds. Getting there: from Fuzhou, take the high-speed train across the Pingtan Strait Road-Rail Bridge to Pingtan Station in about 1 hour; driving via Changle is also convenient. Sights on the island are spread out, so we recommend a self-drive, a chartered car or a rented e-bike. Plan 2–3 days: Day 1 the southern beaches and the ancient city, Day 2 the northern windmills and stone houses, Day 3 the Fairy Well and Houyan Island in the east. Note: blue tears depend on weather and tides and are not guaranteed; during typhoon season, flights, ferries and some scenic areas may close; do not go near the waves on the rocky shore.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries