The sea-farming area of Xiapu seaweed covers more than 2,000 hectares, and during harvest season, scores of farmers work on the shore, creating an image like a traditional Chinese ink painting brought to life. A heavy seaweed scent is infused into the normally salty sea air, and harvested seaweed hangs from bamboo sticks. When gusts of wind pass through, the seaweed begins dancing, and when the sunshine pierces the seaweed’s dark-green skin, it causes sparkling golden rays that spectacularly light up the entire mudflat.

In recent years, Beiqi’s mudflat primarily grows laver, a kind of seaweed. Farmers employ a technique known as “pillaring,” whereby bamboo sticks measuring 10 meters are embedded two meters deep in the soft mud, and nets are hung between them. On the 5-square-meter surface area of each net, farmers spread leaf-shaped laver. Dozens of nets are tied to the bamboo “pillars” and spread across the sea, with spaces for boats to pass through. Sea-farmers cultivate and harvest their crops from the boats, and when one views the tens of thousands of nets and pillars from afar, Beiqi’s mudflat appears as a picturesque amalgamation of squares and dots. The marvelous scene is awe-inspiring for most visitors unfamiliar with such sea gardens.

The most beautiful moments for the mudflats fall on the 1st and 15th of the first lunar month, which bring the year’s biggest tides. Locals stay in tune with the tide’s seasonal rhythm, as it is a large factor in the production of sea products. Pictures are worth a thousand words, but not even the most elegant Chinese painting can replace the images visitors to Xiapu see with their own eyes. Pristine water and skies dotted with fluffy clouds complement glowing sunsets to create a stunningly dynamic picture, with the scene slightly changing with each passing moment. The pure natural elements combined with the local Xiapu people form a marvelous poem too sublime for words.

Tips:

Transportation: To drive to Xiapu, take G15 Shenhai (Shenyang-Haikou) Expressway, which connects many of China’s coastal cities along its 3,710-meter total length. The nearest airports to Xiapu are in Fuzhou and Wenzhou. Another option is an inter-city bus from Xiamen or Ningbo. When you arrive at Xiapu, a taxi or the local bus can take you to the scenic spots.  

Accommodation: There are many hotels in Xiapu. Xiapu Island Grand Hotel is a three-star hotel. A standard room is 188 yuan during most of the year, and 398 yuan in peak travel periods. Internet is available in the room. Next to the bus station is Kaifu Business Hotel, which offers standard, computer-furnished rooms for 158 yuan a night during the non-peak periods and 138 yuan without a computer. Most other ordinary hotels offer rooms for about 100 yuan a night during the off season. 

Food: Xiapu is heaven for seafood lovers. Seawater fish, shrimp, crab, shellfish, squid, and octopus are the main varieties of seafood offered in Xiapu. Visitors can also enjoy seafood from sidewalk snack stands at comparatively low prices.