The Pingtan Keqiutou Site Museum. [Photo by Ye Dexiong/fj.sen]

Construction on the Pingtan Keqiutou Site Museum has now largely been completed, with an anticipated opening around this year's National Day.

As a center of research on the origin and diffusion of the Austronesian peoples, Pingtan has been continuously deepening its academic research and delving into the cultural significance of the Austronesian peoples. By integrating various resources, such as agriculture, culture and tourism, Pingtan has been creating distinctive landmarks such as the Keqiutou Site Museum and the Austronesian National Botanical Touring Garden.

The Keqiutou Site Museum is set to feature three exhibition halls spanning a total area of 3,800 square meters, including the Pingtan prehistoric culture exhibition hall, the Austronesian cultural exhibition hall, and a temporary exhibition hall.

Moving forward, Pingtan will collaborate closely with esteemed global cultural institutions such as the Bowers Museum to enhance the museum's exhibition design and deepen people’s understanding of Austronesian culture. This initiative aims to boost Pingtan's cultural influence and foster international cultural exchanges.

Meanwhile, leveraging its island attributes, Pingtan is developing the Austronesian National Botanical Touring Garden in combination with the comprehensive utilization of saline-alkali land. The project will feature unique plants from Austronesian countries, integrate cultural elements, and offer diverse tourist routes showcasing Austronesian culture, plant tours, and research activities. By exploring the fusion of Austronesian culture with tourism attractions, Pingtan seeks to showcase the charm of Austronesian heritage.

Furthermore, Pingtan is set to host the 16th Straits Forum· Austronesian Cultural Academic Forum in June, bringing together experts and scholars for in-depth discussions on Austronesian culture.

Austronesian culture is one of Pingtan’s main attractions, and Pingtan will take advantage of the Neolithic Keqiutou site complex making the list of China's top 10 archaeological discoveries in 2023 to continue enhancing the allure of Austronesian culture.