When asked about his first impressions of the city, Ke said: "Pingtan has beautiful coastlines and the food is genuinely delicious."

Taiwan cyclist Zhu Fansin, who came in third place in the men's road cycling elite group, also expressed his fondness for Pingtan.

"It is windy and humid here, which resembles Taiwan very much," he said. "So every time I come to Pingtan, I feel at home."

As a high profile international sports event, which has been held annually in Pingtan for four years, the Ocean Cup is expected to further increase the city's profile across the world as it actively builds itself into an international tourism island.

Taiwan cyclist Zhu Fanxin (right) poses for a group photo with the two other trophy winners in the men’s road cycling elite group race. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]