Pingtan Island is home to kind, guileless and diligent inhabitants. Since ancient times, folk customs in Pingtan are of distinctive insular features. Specifically, folk cultures like diet, marriage, birth and upbringing, festivities, socializing, and beliefs have much in common with Han Chinese elsewhere while the locals keep their own uniqueness. Meanwhile, there are slight differences of customs throughout the island, some even varying from islet to islet and from village to village. As an old Chinese saying goes, “Customs differ even in a quite short distance.”

Shifan Music

Shifan Music, also called "Shi Huan", is generally played by a band of 10-20 performers on ten folk music instruments such as erhu, sanxian, xiao, suona, drums, gong and clappers. Shifan Music dates back to Ming Dynasty and came to its heyday in Qing Dynasty. Today, it is still a regular program on big occasions such as weddings, funerals and festivals. Shifan Music wins locals’ hearts for its splendor and strong beats.