More than 2,000 Pingtan residents took to Tanren Street in the city to attend a grand dinner on July 15, Pingtan Times reported.

Some 2,000 home cooked dishes adorned over 200 tables lining both sides of the street on the night. The event was held to promote greater community engagement and encourage people to get to know their neighbors.

Over 2,000 Pingtan residents take to the city's Tanren Street to have a grand dinner together on the night of July 15. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The diners, most of them from surrounding communities, barely knew one another before, according to Zhou Yuhua, an employee from Pingtan Xihang Industry Group, the event organizer.

"But through the event, people got to know one another quickly by sharing home-made cuisines all together," said Zhou.

A local resident surnamed Lin, took part in the grand dinner with her family. "I made rice dumplings for the dinner today, and made acquaintances with a lot of people living nearby,"Lin said joyfully.