Haitan Island

Overview

About

Haitan Island in Pingtan County, Fuzhou, Fujian, is an island in the Taiwan Strait of 267 km², China’s fifth largest, only 68 nautical miles from Hsinchu in Taiwan. Pingtan County has 126 islands and 702 reefs, the “county of a thousand reefs”. The scenic area covers 49 km² of beaches and sea-cut landforms.

It is in the third batch of national parks of China (national scenic areas) named by the State Council in 1994.

Travel tips

Getting there: Haitan Island is Pingtan Island, part of Fuzhou. High-speed trains run from Fuzhou to Pingtan on the Fuping railway, or you can drive across the Pingtan Strait road-rail bridge. A road circles the island.

Getting around: sights are scattered around the coast and buses are infrequent, so most visitors hire a car, rent one or take taxis.

Main sights: beaches such as Tannan Bay and Longfengtou, eroded coastal rocks such as Xianren Well and Shipaiyang, and the stone houses of Beigang village.

Time: two days is comfortable; one day covers a beach or two and some of the rock coast.

Season: May to October suits the sea and beaches. Pingtan is windy; winter winds are cold and spring is often foggy.

Typhoons: summer and autumn are typhoon season, when ferries and the bridge can close; leave slack in the plan.

Where to stay: guesthouses and hotels are concentrated around the county town and the Tannan Bay and Longfengtou beaches; book early at weekends in season.

Note: waves are strong on the reef areas; keep away from wet rock edges. Take sun protection on the beach.

Nearby

Straight-line distances. Search nearby