A road linking downtown Pingtan in Fujian province to its countryside has been renovated after 50 days of work.

The improved Longshan Road, stretching 755 meters and connecting the urban district in Pingtan to Aoqian town, resumed operation on July 8. The project cost the local road authorities more than 1 million yuan ($163,000).

Compared with its old look, which was a muddy, bumpy inconvenient path, the road now is a delightful presence paved with concrete and flanked by trees

In addition, two culverts and gutterways were built alongside the road in a bid to reduce the risk of flooding during rain. The local road bureau has pledged to perform road maintenance on a regular basis.

The operation of Longshan Road provides a third option besides Huandao (Island Ring) Road and Wanbaodong Road for those who plan to go to Aoqian town.

Aoqian town is of great importance to Pingtan's strategic development. It is home to a passenger terminal where the Haixia, a high-speed passenger ferry, sets out on voyages to Taichung in Taiwan every day. A petty trade market opening up to Taiwan and a large fishing port are also under construction.

Edited by Chen Zhilin and Micheal Thai