Coastal mudflats usually appear in sheltered bays along the intertidal area, where sediment is deposited by tides, so the area is usually submerged and exposed on a daily basis. In Xiapu County, Fujian Province, a long and narrow mudflat has been dubbed the most beautiful in China.

Xiapu’s coastline is flanked by low granite hills, which create a perfect natural viewing deck for the celebrated mudflat. Hills on the Xiapu shore range from 100 to 300 meters high, with soft slopes, so they’re easily scalable by foot. Because of the granite, there are few trees to obstruct the view, which ensures visitors a breathtaking panorama and helps Fujian’s largest mudflat stand out from other Chinese coastlines.

The Xiapu mudflat is primarily composed of sand and mud, and because it is underwater for about half of each day, admirers can only appreciate its beauty when the tide is low. The constant tidal washing creates a surface design akin to a tiger-skin pattern. When the tide first begins to recede, lines in the mudflat gradually become visible through the seawater, and as time passes, the exposed area increases while the tiger-skin pattern becomes deeper and clearer. As its marine cover dissipates, the mudflat awakes to reveal a mysterious world from under the sea. At first, an isolated “island” appears, still surrounded by water, but gradually the island grows until it unites with the surrounding mudflat.

Xiapu’s plentiful breathtaking scenery already attracts plentiful visitors. Tourists can watch the sun set over the sea in Xiaohao and Dongbi, and see it rise again from the marine horizon in Beidou. Additional popular activities include beachcombing in Beiqi, seaweed collecting in Shajiang, clam hunting in Qidu, and visiting the boat people in Yantian and Dong’an. Even the local lifestyle seems an irreplaceable piece of the natural environment.

The most famous Xiapu products are several varieties of seaweed and pickled mustard tuber. Late April to early May is the harvest season for seaweed, a cold-water alga that tends to rot when temperatures rise above 25 degrees Celsius. In Xiapu, the seawater will usually exceed that threshold by late June, so any harvesting of seaweed must happen earlier. Xiapu is located far away from areas that suffer industrial pollution, and its border areas are devoted to agriculture, so the water is clean and rich with nutrients. Seaweed from Xiapu is blessed with unique shape, texture, and nutritional value.