Nick Ive (middle), a British editor with China Daily, holds an octopus cultured at the Sanggou Bay Marine Ranch in Weihai, East China's Shandong province, on June 5, 2024. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Their first stop is the Dongchu Island in Rongcheng, a county-level city in Weihai, where the ocean-scented scenery is punctuated by the region's unique seaweed-roofed houses.

"I've never seen a roof made of seaweed, which is incredible to see. We have thatch tiles in England, but they are made of straw," said Nick Ive, a British editor with China Daily.

He was glad to learn that seaweed serves as good insulation to keep the houses cool in the summer and warm in the winter.