A night view of Pingtan's Taiwan Town in Fujian province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Once known mainly for its duty-free shopping, Pingtan's Taiwan Town in Fujian province is taking on a broader role after reopening on Feb 10 following a revamp. New retail, dining and cultural offerings are giving visitors more reasons to stay.

The change is reflected in the figures. From Feb 10 to Aug 19, the area received about 558,000 visitors, up 191 percent year-on-year, while sales reached 59.33 million yuan ($8.3 million), up 60 percent.

The 160,000-square-meter area had previously faced limited offerings and weak foot traffic. The revamp retained existing shops while adding cultural and creative spaces, restaurants, and leisure options.

Shops and dining venues at Pingtan's Taiwan Town. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

At least one Taiwan entrepreneur has also benefited from the changes. After venturing to Pingtan 15 years ago, he started with a small shop selling specialty products from across the Taiwan Strait and last year secured about 7,000 square meters of commercial space.

He also brought more than 10 Taiwan entrepreneurs into the project through investment partnerships, later expanding his team from one person to more than 100. “We have built strong bonds while working together, and it feels like a family,” he said.

Today, more than 150 companies operate in Taiwan Town, including 78 Taiwan-funded companies. The area also hosts entrepreneurship salons and business matchmaking events and has launched an internship program for young people from Taiwan.

The revamped area now brings together shopping, leisure, and entrepreneurship, while continuing to support cross-Strait exchanges.