The tourism business in Pingtan county has become even more popular following the national college entrance exam, or gaokao.

A beautiful beach in Pingtan county. [Photo/pingtan.gov.cn]

A great many gaokao takers flooded into Pingtan for a break, one they have been waiting nearly a whole year while preparing for one of the most important exams of their life.

More than 150 high-school graduates, some from adjacent provinces, signed up for Pingtan tours in one day, according to a travel agency in Fuzhou.

The most desired tourism destination is Pingtan’s sea islands and beaches.

“If you can’t make it to Harbin to see ice sculptures, then it is not a bad choice to come to Pingtan for sand sculptures,” said Zhong Yinyun, a tourist from neighboring Fuqing county.

As foreign tourists are enticed to explore Pingtan, local people are also showing more interest in travel, too.

Local travel agencies have come up with a variety of tour packages for locals, many of whom have just wrapped up gaokao.

Traveling to Taiwan will become a new point of growth in the tourism industry, as Pingtan and Taiwan have witnessed closer communications over the years, said an employee from Haitan Travel Agency.

A high-school graduate surnamed Liu said he struggled with a lot of stress during preparations for gaokao. And now his family has decided to have a good time in Taiwan.