Homestays create fresh harmony on the island of singing stones

A tourism boom is raising living standards for residents of a granite outcrop off the coast of Southeast China. Zhang Yi reports from Pingtan, Fujian provinces.

"The island grows no grass, but stones. Sand is everywhere. Houses look like forts."

This ancient folk saying from Pingtan, an island county in Fujian province, bears witness to the area's desolate state in days gone by.

Haitan, the largest of the 126 islands that form the county, which lies off Fujian's coast, is a granite outcrop. In the past, local fishermen used the stone to build sturdy homes that would keep the strong winds at bay, forming several unique stone house complexes in the process.

Now, the old saying that speaks of the island as a land of stone is being turned on its head as locals and newcomers inject fresh vitality into the ancient houses.

Beigang, or "North Harbor", village lies in a bay in the northeast of Haitan, China's fifth-largest island. Rows of gray stone houses stand on a small hill facing the sea, with their backs nestled against the slopes of a heavily forested mountain.

The two-story houses are made from large stones - some rectangular, others irregular - and have very small windows. Rocks have been placed on each of the red roof tiles to stop the wind from blowing them away.

The formerly abandoned buildings have been upgraded into homestay hotels, handicraft workshops and small restaurants that cater for visitors who come to experience the island's history and lifestyle.

Visitors to a small artistic community called "Singing Stones" can hear the melodies created by people hitting different-sized stones with hammers, causing them to produce musical notes.

The stones are laid out on a wooden table in front of the homestay. Each stone is marked with a musical note and a score has been pinned to the back of the table so visitors can play Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.