Enjoy the sea view at dinner outdoors [Photo by Jiang Xinheng from Pingtan CMC]

At Baisha Village of Pingtan, a "big ship" floats against the bellowing blast of winds and the spectacular breadth of the sea. Sitting by the hillside is a vision of simple charm- Courtyard Seaview Restaurant. Come here to witness the prelude of a mesmerizing sunset while tucking in a seafood spread on the "deck of the ship."

The ascending slope makes up the "hull" of this two-story white architecture laced with orange-amber details. A placard on the wall reads: A gust of wind sweeps in from the ocean. A courtyard is camouflaged from the waves of life. The wind sends gentle whispers into the ears, welcoming all to stop and smell the roses.

Ascending the flight of stairs and to the left of the first floor, wooden chairs and tropical verdure shimmers under the sunlight. The island has long entered winter, yet everything about this place screams summer.  

In mid-April this year, Zheng Cun, the restaurant owner, visited the Northern Ecological Corridor with his friends and came across the stone house. "I used to be in real estate. When I saw this place, the vision of opening a restaurant popped up. I promised to preserve this rare beauty." Zheng added that after “falling in love at first sight” with this stone house, he immediately got down to search for the owner. With the help of the neighbor, Zheng contacted the owner.

Dining area inside the restaurant

After four months of meticulous renovation, the restaurant finally opened for business in August this year.

"After a nice dinner, you can treat yourself to a decadent fuchsia sunset. The moment descends like a veil of bliss," said Ms. Huang at dinner.  

“Even on a hot summer day, quite a few customers still prefer to dine outdoors on the first floor. This is probably the charm of Pingtan’s sea view,” said Zheng.

Steamed Eel with Black Bean Sauce [Photo provided by the interviewee]

Simmered Crab in Earthen Pot [Photo provided by the interviewee]

Zheng is a native of Pingtan Island and a seafood lover. He had made up his mind to open a seafood restaurant for himself. "We get our seafood selection from nearby fishing ports to keep our taste authentic. Two of our chefs are locals with 20 years of culinary experience. We've received plenty of compliments for our dishes from locals and tourists," said Zheng.  

Since opening his restaurant, Zheng Cun has made many friends in Baisha Village. Most of them are from out of Pingtan and run homestays in the village. In their free time, entrepreneurs often talk with each other. “The beautiful scenery of Pingtan brings us together,” said A Xing, a homestay owner of Baisha Village.

Courtyard Seaview Restaurant

“Pingtan has clear-cut tourism seasons. There are plenty of homestays in the Northern Ecological Corridor, but restaurants are scarce. So, I decide not to take a break in winter. Otherwise, winter tourists would be left to tackle the problem of getting a decent meal during their holiday," said Zheng.

Spotted a mistake or want to add something? All rights reserved. Do not reproduce our content without permission–you can contact us directly on our Twitter mailbox. Follow @pingtanchina (Twitter)