Pingtan’s remarkable efforts of natural preservation and urban construction have left a deep impression on Zhang Junkuo, deputy director of the development and research center of the State Council, who visited Pingtan on Feb 14 to study its development situation.

“The sand is very fine,” said Zhang while strolling along Tannan Bay, which is an important part of Pingtan’s ambitious plan to become an international tourist destination.

To achieve the goal, Pingtan should enhance its infrastructure level by adding more entertainment, shopping and leisure choices in order to appeal to more tourists from home and abroad, he added.

He noted that Haitan Ancient City, a large tourist complex, set a perfect example by making good use of the underground space. The 8.6-billion-yuan ($1.4 billion) project will consist of at least 150 old-style buildings, most of them two- or three-stories high to hold restaurants, snack bars, five-star hotels and souvenir stores. Zhang also suggested it serve as a cross-Straits cultural communication base.

Zhang also inspected the road network of Pingtan, which he spoke highly of. He praised a utility pipeline trench under Tanxi Boulevard, saying it had a high standard.