Project site

On Pingtan Island, located in the Taiwan Straits, construction is moving ahead on a new cultural tourism project in Matui Village. The "Happy Island" project, centered on Austronesian cultural themes, is expected to be completed and opened in mid-July.

At the project site, the main structure of a large wave pool has already been completed and a children's water play zone has taken shape. Workers are now putting the final touches on a viewing tower and other photo-friendly landmarks, while a commercial street and performance venues are going up alongside them.

"We aim to build an interactive park that integrates Austronesian cultural elements with NPC (non-player character) interactions," said Lin Jianfan, operations director of the Happy Island project. He noted that the core attraction will be an entertainment complex combining a wave pool, live performance zones, and a children's water play area. Staff dressed in Austronesian-style costumes will interact with visitors throughout the park.

Lin added that three themed commercial streets are also in the works around the site, featuring a seaside promenade, a local food street showcasing Pingtan specialties, and a food street featuring flavors from across the Straits.

The project is being developed through a partnership between Matui Village and Zhonghe (Pingtan) Cultural Tourism Development Co., Ltd., aiming to transform Austronesian cultural resources into immersive tourism experiences. The initiative seeks to create new forms of cultural tourism and support rural revitalization through diversified visitor activities.

"Under this partnership, the company handles investment and operations, while the village collective gets a cut of ticket sales," said Lin Tengfeng, a village official in Matui Village. "The project will also create more local employment opportunities and enhance the village's overall tourism offerings."