The International Research Center for Austronesian Archaeology was launched last November in Pingtan. And now, the Keqiutou Park for reproducing the life of Austronesian is to be engineered as well. The park will further drive the tourism of Pingtan Island and attract more worldwide tourists to the pretty island for the enjoyment of seductive seafood and splendid beaches in Pingtan.

What's more, another park for exhibiting antiques under the sea of Haitan Straits will be built for you guys likewise in the future. According to relevant officials, they plan to design an undersea museum in the park.

(Six cultural stratums on the spot of archaeological excavation on Mount Gui / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

Fan Xuechun, Deputy Director from the Archaeological Research Department of Fujian Museum announced twenty-five sites found in the excavation of the ruins on Mount Gui, among which the sixth cultural stratum was dug out.

(Stoneware and fragments of earthenware were found in twenty-six prehistoric sites of Guishan Ruins. / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

Categories of cultural stratums are usually determined in accordance with the property and color of the soil as well as its contents. The division in this way helps determine the era of the layers for archaeologists according to Mr. Fan. He told us the layer of the potteries uncovered for the moment was from about 1600 BC to 221 BC, but the stratum of the Neolithic Age hadn't been dug out yet. Furthermore, some fragments of ancient stone resonators had been discovered as well, proving that people were good at music and regarded it as an entertainment then.

(The stone houses in the Research Center for Austronesian Studies / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

(The Research Center for Austronesian Studies / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

The location of the island is unique enough for the preservation of those relics, though many people lived there at that time. That is the reason why so many relics have been found in Pingtan. Believe it or not, Mr. Fan had discovered over ten prehistoric relics on the island from 2015 to 2016 while another sixteen prehistoric ones were found by the March of 2017.

(The exhibits at the Exhibition Center / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

As is introduced, four major areas of the research center will be built by the end of September. Also, thirty-one traditional stone-houses will be designed for scientific research, exhibition, daily services and education in the center.

(The direction board at the entrance of the research center / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

Archaeologists could do some scientific research and discussions in the Center for Science. On the contrary, the Center for Exhibition is for tourists to read the project plans of Keqiutou Park, enjoying the folkways, agricultural and fishery culture as well as the treasures from the Marine Silk Road.

(Chopsticks tube of Austronesian / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

The culture of Pingtan originates from the civilization of Keqiutou. Fishermen have been fishing here since thousands of years ago on the island. The antiquities displayed in the Exhibition Center of Folkways manifest the real life of Pingtan Island during the past thousand years.

(Stone mortar / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

The photo taken in the past depicting the scene that an aged fisherman was mending fishing nets as well as the exhibition of sculptures reproduces the life of Pingtan in the past.

The reconstruction and maintenance of the stone-houses including six exhibition halls and other infrastructures, have been fulfilled presently and all of the projects in the center will be launched until this September. "We'll hold international forums for archaeology here to offer opportunities to experts in exploring and working out the relationship between the civilization of the southeastern Fujian and the Pacific Ocean", a staff from the Bureau of Public Utilities in Pingtan added. To him, it will make for the development of the tourism for Pingtan.

(Antiquities on display at an exhibition hall / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

The research center for archeology is just part of the Keqiutou Park. Six areas altogether for the dissemination of the Austronesian culture will be built then.

(One of the exhibition halls / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

Fan suggested that some cultural elements of the aboriginal regions on the Pacific islands shall be introduced to the park, thus providing various activities to tourists. The Relics of Keqiutou is to promote the research on cultural relationships between Chinese Taiwan and Fujian, she said, more preservation will be performed in the meantime of excavations to build some archaeological areas for students to explore.

(The historic wooden cooker at the exhibition hall / Photo: Weng Wucai ©Ptnet.cn)

Archaeology helps people see how things were changing in the past, treasure present time and plan for their future. As for Mr. Fan, Pingtan is an important city in the sea-route of the Marine Silk Road. The culture of Pingtan is a precious treasure that benefits the influence of its international tourist island. So, one of the ecological ways of developing Pingtan is to support its tourism on cultures for sustainable development.