Pingtan Island Travel Guide: A Dreamlike Island of Waves and Blue Tears

Pingtan Island Travel Guide: A Dreamlike Island of Waves and Blue Tears🌊 Destination Overview Pingtan Island, Fujian's largest island, is known as the "Oriental Maldives"✨! It features magical blue tears💧, Asia's largest windmill field🎡, thousand-year-old stone house villages🏘️, and the Mirror Sand Black Reef Beach where you can capture "sky mirror" photos. When the salty sea breeze sweeps across the Taiwan Strait 68 nautical miles away, you'll understand why National Geographic calls this "the place closest to romance"💘! Transportation Guide 1. Self-driving: 1.5 hours direct from Fuzhou; on the island, rent an electric scooter (80 yuan/day) to ride along the coast🛵 2. High-speed rail: Take the train to "Pingtan Station," then take a yueba (similar to a bus, 5 yuan) or taxi to scenic spots 3. Ferry: Want to visit offshore islands? Take a boat from "Dong'ao Pier" to Dongxiang Island (filming location for "Dad, Where Are We Going?"), tickets 20 yuan⛴️ Must-Do List Blue Tears Festival 🌌 Peak season: April-June during south winds, at night during high tide 📍 Best viewing spots: - North: Changjiang'ao Windmill Field (fewer people, wilder scenery) - South: Tannan Bay (stronger phenomenon, easier to photograph) 📸 Photography tips: Turn off flash! Use long exposure on your camera + cover lens with red plastic bag for sci-fi glowing sea effect Windmills Dancing with the Sunset 🌅 Changjiang'ao Beach: Hundreds of giant white windmills standing in the sea; arrive 1 hour before sunset to see windmill silhouettes intertwined with the evening glow 🚴 Hidden activity: Ride beach motorcycles through the windmill array at low tide for a "Fast and Furious" experience Step into a "Grave Robbers' Chronicles" Scene 🗿 Mirror Sand Black Reef Beach: Volcanic rocks sculpted by waves into alien-like terrain; perfect for dark-themed photos on cloudy days; be careful during high tide! 🧭 Location: Navigate to "Mirror Sand Holy Land," follow the small path down after seeing the red lighthouse Visit the 68 Nautical Miles Landmark 🇨🇳 Houyan Island: The closest point to Taiwan (only 68 nautical miles), featuring a red S-curve road + unique rock formations + lighthouse, entrance fee 35 yuan 💡 Energy-saving tip: Take the scenic electric cart (10 yuan) to the farthest point, then tour in reverse to avoid crowds Culinary Storm - Shilai Yunzhuan: Sweet potato skin wrapped with seafood filling, savory and soft (15 yuan/bowl) - Tianchangdijiu: Fried peanut and sugar filled dumplings, a sweet explosion💥 (10 yuan/6 pieces) - Eight Treasures Fried Cake: Squid + oysters + shrimp stir-fried with sweet potato starch, full of wok flavor🔥 (30 yuan/portion) - Night food king: Stadium Road night market (opens at 21:00), recommended oyster pancakes + ice rice, average 20 yuan per person until you're stuffed Accommodation Guide 🌊 Sea view lovers: Choose guesthouses near the northern ecological corridor, wake up to windmill sea views (average price 500+ yuan, book 1 month in advance) 🎨 Artistic types: Beigang Village stone house guesthouses, listen to "Piano by the Sea" at night🎹 (200-300 yuan/night) 💰 Budget option: Hanting/Home Inn in the county town, 10-minute walk to Longwangtou Beach, convenient for blue tears viewing (150 yuan/night) Hard-Learned Lessons 1. Sunscreen! Sunscreen! Sunscreen!🌞 UV rays are strong enough to cause peeling in half an hour, use both physical protection and sunscreen 2. Severe traffic jams during blue tears season🚗, avoid driving to popular spots in the evening, opt for electric scooters or shared bikes instead 3. Want fresh seafood? Go to "Flowing Water Pier" at 5 AM to catch the fish market🦀, prices are half those in restaurants 4. Black reef beaches are slippery and easy to fall on👟, wear non-slip shoes! Don't take risks in rainy weather 5. Less seafood available during the May-August fishing ban period, lower your expectations or head straight to the night market As your electric scooter speeds along the island road, with the azure sea on your right and golden wheat waves on your left, windmill clusters slowly rotate in the distance. When night falls, walk barefoot through glowing blue waves and watch the Milky Way embrace the fluorescent sea in darkness—this island, which uses up all the blue colors in the world, might just be the East China Sea's love letter to humanity💌!