Sand sculptures are quickly becoming an international contemporary art with a surge in popularity in Taiwan. Every year, it draws many artists from home and abroad to participate in the festival by creating unique sand sculptures. Here in Fulong, there is a 3-km stretch of beach with soft golden sand. This beach has been deemed the best beach in Taiwan for sand sculpting by the World Sand Sculpting Association. More and more people visit Fulong each summer to look at beach art or just spend a fun-filled day on the beach.
Types of Sculptures
About 80 sculptures are created by the best international sand artists, including unusual upside-down and underground works of art. The upside-down sculptures are built on top of other sculptures which are shaped like cities. Such artwork creates an interesting mirage effect. The underground sculptures are executed about 3 feet (1 m) below the ground. After the sand sculptures are finished, they are sprayed with a special non-toxic glue to keep them safe from the wind and precipitation.
Festival Theme
Every year, the festival has a different theme that inspires the artists. Childhood Memories, The World of Flowers, and Disney were featured as themes in the previous years. This year is all about LINE Friends, original characters from LINE, a messenger mainly used in Japan, Thailand, and, of course, Taiwan. You'll have a chance to witness your BT21, Joguman, Dinotaeng, and many more replicated in the sand. Before the actual festival, artists participate in a competition describing their projects and providing their ideas.
Schedule
The exhibition is open from 8 am to 6 pm on all days of the festival season. You'll have plenty of time to explore the festival, take beautiful snapshots of the sculptures and enjoy a relaxing day out at the beach.
Location
The festival entirely takes place at Fulong beach in Gongliao District all throughout the summer and up into the middle of fall, end of May to October. The beach is located at the ocean side of the Pacific Ocean, which makes for a picturesque scenery. The sands are known for being golden, a rarity in Taiwan.
At the end of the festival, the sand used to create the sculptures is returned to the beach and leveled down so that the site is not damaged by such a significant mass event. If you'd like to camp out at the site, feel free to do so at Longmen camping grounds right near the beach.
