Stone houses built adjacent to the sea on Pingtan Island [File photo]

China's state broadcaster CCTV-10 recently aired a three-day series on the island of Pingtan as part of its docu-series Geography China. The program showcased the unique charm of Pingtan's island stone houses, as well as the island's natural wonders, such as its sea-eroded landforms, peculiar rocks, and shell mounds sites. Through the eyes of the research team, the program offered a vivid portrayal of the enthralling interplay between the island's early inhabitants and the mighty forces of nature.

Curiosity piqued, the expedition team embarked on a journey of discovery, driven by a mission to uncover the mystery of the mass concentration of stone dwellings in Pingtan, a rarity along the extensive coastline of Fujian. The program treated audiences to breathtaking aerial footage showcasing Pingtan's picturesque landscapes, where verdant mountains meet the azure sea, and pristine white sand complements the undulating rooflines of the stone houses.

Meandering along the intertidal zone near Pingtan's Shipaiyang scenic area, a fascinating sight greeted them - over a dozen elliptical "stone eggs." With smooth surfaces, these stones displayed concentric circles spiraling in a mesmerizing equidistant helical formation. These "thousand-layer stone eggs" are also known locally as "heaven and earth eggs."

According to Wei Yong, a senior engineer from the Fujian Provincial Geological Survey and Research Institute, the formation of "thousand-layer stone eggs" is a result of the enduring battle between granite and the erosive force of the sea over time. The outcome? The formation is subjected to a geological phenomenon - rhombic jointing, the process where rocks rupture, fragmenting them into a mosaic of splintered beauty. Over time, the rhythmic cadence of thermal expansion and contraction conspired to forge a geological spectacle - layer upon layer of stacked rock formations.

Geology experts hailed Pingtan's unique weathered coastal landforms. Isolated beyond the coastline, with low-lying terrain and unobstructed surroundings - naturally, the island became the convergence point of ocean currents. The geographical setup shapes the ubiquitous coastal landforms and blesses the island with rich marine resources.

Geography China is a popular science television program that uses geological fieldwork as a clue and aims to popularize geography knowledge, introducing new discoveries, achievements, and explorations in geology, and showcasing the new, strange, special, and beautiful aspects of geological landforms.

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