Pingtan Island
The Largest Island In Fujian, Known For Its Stone Villages And Blue Tear Bioluminescence · Pingtan, Fujian
The largest island in Fujian and the closest point in mainland China to Taiwan, a windswept place of granite headlands, long sandy bays and villages of stone houses built to stand up to the typhoons. Pingtan's stone dwellings - blocks of grey and honey-coloured granite with tiled roofs weighted down against the wind - climb the slopes above the sea, and at Beigang on the north coast a cluster of them has been restored as guesthouses, cafés and craft studios, with murals and sea views. The island became famous across China for its blue tears: in the warmer months a bloom of bioluminescent plankton can light the surf electric blue, glowing where waves break or a hand trails through the water. Sightings peak between April and June and cannot be guaranteed, depending on tide, wind and sky. Beyond the glow there are the sea-stack arches of Sail Rock, the beaches of Longwangtou and Tannan Bay, windsurfing, seafood and the Strait Olympic Sports Centre, and since 2020 a rail bridge has carried trains from Fuzhou across the water, making the island an easy trip from the city.
Pingtan Island, Pingtan County, Fuzhou, Pingtan, Fujian, China
Island, beaches and stone villages open at all hours and mostly free; blue tears are seen at night in season, typically about 20:00 to midnight, and are never guaranteed.