Pingtan County

History

During the Qing Dynasty, Pingtan Ting (平潭廳) was created. In 1913, Pingtan County was established.

In 2009, Pingtan Country was made a pilot zone for cross-strait integration between Taiwan and mainland China. This included preferential policies in regard to customs, taxes, investment and land use.

On September 27–28, 2016, Typhoon Megi brought torrential rains across Pingtan. Bus lines resumed normal operations on September 29.

Geography

Pingtan County has a total land area of 371 km2, comprising 126 islands, and covers 6064 km2 of sea. The main island, Haitan Island, covers an area of 267 km2, |script-title=zh:平潭 - 气象数据-中国天气网 |access-date = 2011-12-21 or 72% of the county's land area, and is the largest island in all of Fujian. Niushan Island is located in the eastern part of the county. To the east is the Taiwan Strait. The area is the closest place in mainland China (PRC) to the main island of Taiwan.

Climate

Pingtan, by virtue of its maritime location, has a moderated climate, with high humidity and minimal diurnal temperature variation. Under the Köppen climate classification, it has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa), with mild winters and hot, humid summers, though much cooler than inland places. The monthly daily average temperature ranges from 11.5 °C in February to 28.1 °C in July. The bulk of the rainfall annually occurs in spring and early summer, while autumn and early winter is the driest time of the year. The area experiences windy weather, with an average wind speed of 17.3 km/h, and wind directions are consistent. Freezing temperatures have never been recorded here. Record extremes in Pingtan have ranged from 0.9 °C on January 31, 1977 to 37.4 °C in August 1966.

| Jan record high C = 26.4 | Jan record low C = 0.9 | Feb record high C = 27.9 | Feb record low C = 2.2 | Mar record high C = 28.6 | Mar record low C = 3.2 | Apr record high C = 30.3 | Apr record low C = 5.4 | May record high C = 31.7 | May record low C = 11.2 | Jun record high C = 34.4 | Jun record low C = 16.1 | Jul record high C = 35.9 | Jul record low C = 20.5 | Aug record high C = 37.4 | Aug record low C = 21.7 | Sep record high C = 36.3 | Sep record low C = 16.8 | Oct record high C = 32.7 | Oct record low C = 13.5 | Nov record high C = 29.3 | Nov record low C = 8.5 | Dec record high C = 26.7 | Dec record low C = 3.0 Jul, Aug and Sep Record highs{{cite web | script-title=zh:35.9℃！创平潭67年来7月最高温 | access-date = 3 January 2026}}{{cite web | script-title=zh:平潭发布2022年气候公报 并对2023年气候趋势进行预测 | access-date = 3 January 2026}}

Administrative divisions

The county executive, legislature and judiciary is in Tancheng Town, colloquially called Pingtan, together with the CPC and PSB branches. The county administers 7 towns and 8 townships, accounting for 200 neighbourhood and village committees.

Towns

• Tancheng ({{linktext|潭城|镇}}) Tàng-siàng Déng
• Su'ao (Su-ao; {{linktext|苏澳|镇}}) Sŭ-ó̤ Déng
• Liushui (Liu-shui; {{linktext|流水|镇}}) Làu-cuōi Déng
• Aoqian ({{linktext|澳前|镇}}) Ó̤-sèng Déng
• Beicuo ({{linktext|北厝|镇}}) Báe̤k-chió Déng
• Pingyuan ({{linktext|平原|镇}}) Bìng-nguòng Déng
• Aodong ({{linktext|敖东|镇}}) Ngò̤-dĕ̤ng Déng

Townships

• Baiqing ({{linktext|白青|乡}}) Băh-chăng Hiŏng
• Yutou ({{linktext|屿头|乡}}) Sê̤ṳ-tàu Hiŏng
• Dalian ({{linktext|大练|乡}}) Duâi-liêng Hiŏng
• Luyang ({{linktext|芦洋|乡}}) Lù-iòng Hiŏng
• Zhonglou ({{linktext|中楼|乡}}) Dṳ̆ng-làu Hiŏng
• Dongxiang ({{linktext|东庠|乡}}) Dĕ̤ng-siòng Hiŏng
• Lancheng ({{linktext|岚城|乡}}) Làng-siàng Hiŏng
• Nanhai ({{linktext|南海|乡}}) Nàng-hāi Hiŏng

Economy

Agricultural products include sweet potatoes and peanuts among others. To the east of the county is the Niushan fishery which produces yellow fish (黄鱼) and cutlassfish in abundance among others. Tangyu zicai (塘屿紫菜) is a local speciality. Mineral resources include coal, iron, and quartz. Industries include mining, salt making, fishery processing, seafood processing, machinery, and shipbuilding. Handicrafts include scrimshaw.

References

References

1. "About Pingtan".
2. Zhuang, Sylvie. (13 January 2025). "Mainland China ramps up integration push with local Taiwan affairs offices in Fujian". [[South China Morning Post]].
3. (30 September 2016). "Pingtan experiences typhoon Megi".
4. (9 February 2014). "FEATURE: China woos Taiwan with offshore 'common homeland'".
5. "有一种冷叫冷到自动关机!25日平潭破低温记录".
6. link. [[China Meteorological Administration]]
7. link. (16 June 2015). zh-hans. 1996年，平潭县陆地面积321.4平方千米，{...}2000年，撤销平原乡，设立平原镇；撤销敖东乡，设立敖东镇。2000年第五次人口普查，平潭县常住总人口371922人，。{...}2010年第六次人口普查，平潭县常住总人口357760人，其中：潭城镇111447人，苏澳镇17834人，流水镇41001人，澳前镇42856人，北厝镇21915人，平原镇15041人，敖东镇20453人，白青乡12271人，屿头乡13852人，大练乡4505人，芦洋乡3786人，中楼乡16333人，东庠乡6391人，岚城乡23741人，南海乡6334人。
8. link. [[National Bureau of Statistics of the People's Republic of China]]. (2019). zh-hans. 统计用区划代码 名称 350128100000 潭城镇 350128101000 苏澳镇 350128102000 流水镇 350128103000 澳前镇 350128104000 北厝镇 350128105000 平原镇 350128106000 敖东镇 350128200000 白青乡 350128201000 屿头乡 350128202000 大练乡 350128203000 芦洋乡 350128204000 中楼乡 350128205000 东庠乡 350128206000 岚城乡 350128207000 南海乡
9. (September 2009). [[Shanghai Lexicographical Publishing House]].