China's marine tourism boom transforms coastal economies with innovative aquaculture experiences

Along China's vast coastline, an ancient relationship with the sea is being reimagined — not as extraction alone, but as experience, education, and economy intertwined. From Shandong to Hainan, facilities that once served only fishermen now welcome families, students, and night-time revelers, generating over 11 trillion yuan in ocean-related GDP in 2025. This is not merely a tourism trend but a deliberate national repositioning, one that asks whether the sea can sustain both its harvest and the human longing to witness it.