The tourism industry in the Pingtan Comprehensive Pilot Zone continued to thrive in the first half of this year as more than 744,000 people traveled here, an increase of 7.6 percent from the same period last year.

To the northwest of Pingtan Island and along the more than 500-meter sea surface in the west of Kan’ao village stands a disc-shaped reef that holds two tablet-shaped rocks. The combination of these rocks is like a big ship with two sails, riding on the crest of waves. This is the most famous natural scenic spot in Pingtan – Shi Pai Yang, also known as the "Double-Sail Rock." Photo provided to China Daily

Among them, about 350,000 were visiting in group tours, a year-on-year growth of 4.5 percent, said the local tourism department.

An island city in East China’s Fujian province, Pingtan has cooler weather in the summer and boasts many wonderful oceanfront landscapes.

One of the most intriguing scenes goes to the “Blue Tears,” which refers to a kind of luminous ostracod that makes the beach appear to glow at night like a mini Milky Way.

The Taiwan Food Court and Taiwan Commodity Market are also new popular tourism destinations in Pingtan, where people can have a taste of authentic Taiwan delicacies and buy Taiwan specialties.

Students who are on summer vacation account for a large part of Pingtan’s tourism boom. Most of them choose group tours, according to local travel agencies.

To add fuel to the sizzling tourism market, Pingtan’s tourism authority cooperated with Xiamen Satellite Television to make a reality show that records the adventure of six first-time tourists in Pingtan.

The tourism department is also hosting a photography exhibition capturing Pingtan’s beautiful sceneries. It invited 10 famous bloggers in tourism to travel Pingtan and promote its brand.

Pingtan has recently become the City of Honor for the 10th Strait Travel Fair, which is slated to be held Sept 6-11 in Xiamen city. All of its tourism resources and enormous market prospects will be highlighted at the event, pushing for a bigger success.