Fishing town cashes in on first rays of New Year

Staying on

Chen Bin, 46, was among the first arrivals to strike gold. He visited Shitang in 2014, and decided to stay and operate a homestay.

There were 19 homestays as of 2017, and the number rose to 39 within a year.

Yang Biao, 56, used to be a fisherman like his father and grandfather. But he gave up his fishing boat and started a hospitality business in 2016.

"Fishing is dangerous and tough. Some of my neighbors even lost their lives. I felt bad and wanted a safe, stable life," he said. "I used to live on the untamed sea. Now I rely on the sunshine."

All of his rooms for the last day of 2019 and the upcoming Chinese New Year are booked out. During the peak season from July to September, the occupancy rate of his homestay is around 70 percent.

The local seafood industry has also benefited from the boom.

Zheng Jie, 30, grew up in a fishing family, but thanks to the rising popularity of Shitang and its delicious seafood, she started her e-commerce business in 2017.

"When tourists come to enjoy the sunshine, they usually take some local seafood when they leave. Some of them have become my regular customers and place orders on WeChat," she said.

She plans to establish a cooperative to bring in more fishermen to the business.

Xinhua