Location
Pingtan, Fuzhou, Fujian
From April to August, the coast of Pingtan glo...
From April to August, the coast of Pingtan glows after dark — "blue tears" of bioluminescent plankton surge with the waves, and every footstep on the sand ripples with light, as if the Milky Way had fallen into the sea. Pingtan is the largest island of Fujian and the closest point on the Chinese mainland to the main island of Taiwan (about 68 nautical miles). Stone villages, wind- and wave-carved landforms and luminous shores make this an island where wonders can be met.
The "blue tears" are caused chiefly by luminous plankton such as Noctiluca scintillans and sea-fireflies: when the water is disturbed, luciferin in their bodies reacts with luciferase and releases blue light. When sea temperatures turn mild between April and August, the blue tears ride the tide onto the beaches of Tannan Bay, Longwangtou and Changjiang'ao, turning the wave line into ribbons of light that scatter sparks underfoot. "Tear chasers" study tide tables and wind directions by night — this serendipitous rendezvous with nature is the most romantic ritual of island travel.
Pingtan ranks among the windiest places in China, so the early settlers built wind-resistant stone houses: granite walls, tiles weighed down with stones and roofs netted over. The colorful stone houses of Beigang village climb the hillside facing the sea, now reborn as creative workshops and guesthouses. The folk saying "the stones of Pingtan can sing" refers to the different pitches sounded when the walls of different stone houses are struck — stone is the memory-bearer of this island.
沧海月明珠有泪，蓝田日暖玉生烟。 — The bright moon over the sea: pearls bear their tears; the sun warms Blue Field, and jade gives off a misty glow.—— Li Shangyin, "The Ornate Zither" (Tang dynasty)
Pingtan was anciently called "Lan" (mist). The Haitan Strait was a key leg of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, and the many shipwreck porcelains recovered by underwater archaeology attest to the sails of former centuries. Today Pingtan is a comprehensive experimental zone; the strait bridges carry both road and rail, and direct "Lan–Taiwan" ferries make it the nearest mainland point to Taiwan. The mists of Junshan, the sea cliffs of Jiangjunshan and the S-shaped sand spit of Xiangbi Bay are all masterpieces of geology and waves.