Pingtan is the fifth largest island in China and the largest in E China’s Fujian province. It consists of 126 islands and islets.

"Tourism is Pingtan's greatest resource, and it must be well preserved to build an international tourism island." This is the ardent expectation of President Xi Jinping when he visited Pingtan in November, 2014,  and serves as a guide to building Pingtan into an international tourism island. On August 8, 2016, the State Council officially approved the "Pingtan International Tourism Island Construction Plan," and Pingtan became China’s second international tourism island after Hainan.

Bird’s-eye view of Pingtan Strait Rail-Road Bridge

Statistics show that in the five years since Pingtan was designated as an international tourism island, economic data has increased by nearly 10 times. Last year, Pingtan Strait Rail-Road Bridge was opened to traffic, connecting Pingtan to the rest of the mainland via a high-speed rail for the first time. It's believed that the next growth pole shall come along following the opening of the bridge. Dalian is the only inhabited satellite island that the bridge connects to.

Dalian Island is located in the northwest of Pingtan, with a total land area of 9.85 square kilometers, a woodland area of 846.7 hectares, and a forest coverage rate of 63.5%, ranking first in Pingtan. It boasts beautiful and pleasant landscapes, nature-made rocks, and flat and spacious beaches. There are more than 10 superior bays with a total area of about 200 hectares.

Proposed blueprint of Dalian

The island has a unique volcanic landform in Pingtan, and volcanic rocks are ubiquitous at many bays. It’s known that Pingtan possesses the largest and most quintessential sea-eroded landform in China’s coastal area. Numerous sea-eroded shores, caves, columns, and grooves constitute natural wonders. The northern part of Dali Island has also been included in the Pingtan National Geopark.

Among the most well-known sea-eroded landforms is a fractured cliff called  "Tongtianmen,"  otherwise "Gate to Paradise." The rocky mid-section of the cliff had long been eroded to reveal a hole resembling a rocky gate. The reef platform at the bottom is covered with pebbles of different sizes and colors, smooth and round. Some black pebbles are inlaid with fine white texture, delicate to behold. 

There is also one of the most stunning bedrock coastal zones in Pingtan, and it’s the longest and most magnificent coastal zone with cliffs that can be accessible on foot. The moist pebbles of different sizes and colors all over the shore are exposed to shine, brimmed with luster. There are countless pictographic rocks, sea-eroded grooves, sea-eroded caves, sea-eroded potholes, dykes and other kinds of peculiar rocks on its steep bank, which is truly a good place for sightseeing.

Dalian Island is surrounded by the sea, and with its strong current brings along plenty of minerals and fish. The residents live off the sea by offshore fishing and aquaculture. The aquacultural oysters, kelp, and clams, as well as the caught grouper , black sea bream, shrimp and crabs are of high quality. 

Sea-eroded rocks on Dalian Island

Dalian Island is at the intersection of the east and west routes of the Maritime Silk Road. With ancient shipwrecks spread in the waters, China's first national underwater archaeological park was proposed.  

To develop the rich natural resources of Dalian Island, the Fujian Provincial Planning and Design Institute helped Dalian make a conceptual plan for its future development. It is proposed to build a coastal geopark area, a cultural experience area featuring maritime silk road, a fisherman-style recreational area, and a themed botanical garden. 

Vehicles can get access to Dalian thanks to Pingtan Strait Rail-Road Bridge 

With the opening of Pingtan Strait Rail-Road Bridge, more and more influential developers are setting sights on Dalian Island. The heavyweight tourism project “Strait Love Island”initiated by Shimao Group covers an area of 86.7 hectares with an estimated input of 8 billion yuan. The project is aimed at building into a world-known resort featuring culture and nature explorations, eco-tourism, medical beauty and health care. It’s expected to receive 2-3 million tourists annually.

As to a getaway, Sanya is to Hainan what Dalian is to Pingtan. 

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