Treasured stone houses become art haven

When she arrived in Pingtan's Beigang village last year, Taiwan backpacker Alice Lin was obsessed with both the beautiful scenery and the unique stone houses in the coastal countryside.

"While staying here, you can get the real meaning of the famous line from the Chinese poet Haizi: 'Facing the sea, with spring blossoms'," she said.

She was impressed by the fortresslike stone houses. According to the history of Pingtan, residents started building stone houses during the mid-Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).