The rendering of the second phase of the Island Research Center (IRC) of State Oceanic Administration in Pingtan, Fujian province. [Photo/ptnet.cn]

Construction began on the second-phase project of the Island Research Center (IRC) of the State Oceanic Administration in Pingtan, Fujian province on Nov 7.

Covering an area of 107,000 square meters, the second-phase project has a total investment of 800 million yuan ($126 million) and will be completed in two stages. The first stage includes a 5,000-square-meter academic exchange center and a 7,000-square-meter experimental pavilion for island protection, while the second stage will consist of an experimental pavilion for island ecological rehabilitation, an island science museum, facilities for entertainment, sports and tourism, and an underground aquarium.

The first phase of the project was opened in 2014 and has become a calling card of Pingtan, said a local official.

The center is expected to be a platform for exchange of international island science research and enrich Pingtan's scientific and cultural tourism resources, thus helping the county develop into an international tourism island, said Cai Feng, director of the center.

Cai added that they plan to transform the center into a park that integrates scientific research, tourism and exhibitions.

The center, a national-level scientific institution, was built under a cooperation agreement signed by the Fujian provincial government and the State Oceanic Administration in Oct 2012. It is dedicated to research into the exploitation and protection of China’s islands, in addition to providing a service for island administration and economic development.