The sand sculpture zone in Pingtan county reopened on Monday night, after a three-day break due to the passage of Typhoon Soulik.

Visitors swarmed into the zone at Pingtan Longfengtou Bathing Beach, which was illuminated by the lights decorating the sculptures.

"The sea in Pingtan is so beautiful, and so are the sand sculptures," said Chen Yuanli, who was visiting from Shangrao in neighboring Jiangxi province. She came to Pingtan with a tour group last week, but the group had to interrupt their sightseeing until the passage of Soulik, the strongest typhoon to hit the Chinese mainland this year.

The sand-sliding zone and a sand sculpture theater remained closed due to cleanup work, and are expected to reopen in a day or two, according to workers.

The sand sculpture zone is part of the 2013 Cross-Straits Beach Culture Festival in Pingtan, which will last until October.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Niva Whyman