Fulong International Sand Sculpture Festival 2017 (福隆國際沙雕藝術節) - Fulong pientang [Travel in Taiwan 170708: A Midsummer Night's Dream Part 7]

Fulong International Sand Sculpture Festival. It never gets old. First timers and loyal patrons were all excited to see the 10th year of the festivity. The sand bar, the sculptures, and the sunny weather created a place just perfect for summer. 

Sunbathing with a werewolf

The Hero Stories by Craig Mutch of Canada

A giant King Kong

Exposed under the harmful rays of the sun, the sand sculptures kept their forms even at the harshest conditions on a rainy day. Visiting Fulong Beach during spring in May is a hit and miss because the rain could ruin your trip. But on a hot summer day, going to the festival is a nice way to spend your vacation in Taiwan. 

Fulong Station

 My girlfriend was too excited to see the famous coastline of Gongliao District of New Taipei. It took us one hour to reach Fulong Station from Nangang Station and we were hungry when we get off from the train. Restaurants and bike rental shops line up the street facing the station but there is one store that gets the attention of the arriving passengers. 

Pientang! The Taiwanese are known for this kind of affordable lunch box meal that you can eat inside a TRA train. I was quick to follow the queue together with the hundreds of beach goers. For a price of NTD 60 for one pientang, I bought two boxes.  One piece of boiled egg, side dishes and the rice of course. But the most important food inside was the pork chop. It was so tasty. My girlfriend told me that it was probably homemade. Something that you would not find in any convenience store in Taiwan in which the food is packed with preservatives.

Fulong Beach gate

Fullon Hotel

With our stomachs full, we went to the sand bar under the scorching heat of the sun. Tickets cost NTD 200 and the sales go to Fullon Hotel which manages the Fulong Beach in a public-private partnership with the government. If you have been to Tamsui then you already have an idea on how the Fullon Hotel looks like. Its castle-like appearance makes me wonder on how much it costs to stay there just for one night.

King Sejong by Jihoon Choi of South Korea

The carriage and flying horses.  This horse pulls the carriage below.

The zombie and the vampire

The angel and demon

The angel and demon

A paradise of heroes

Hydra (three-headed dragon)

Charles Darwin by Rachel Clara Stubbs of United Kingdom

Hero of Transcendental Meditation by Paul Hoggard of Ireland

Huli Jing (fox-spirit)

Bull Demon King

The Sand Republic. My post in 2016 was a successful one. Just like last year, local and international sand sculptures had been invited to showcase their talents in Taiwan. But the 2017 edition is grander, better and bigger! It became more magical with an angel and a demon sitting on the opposite side the exhibit area. Blood-thirsty vampires, mighty King Kong and the dark knight Batman were also there. They were made in great detail. With my years of experience in visiting the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Festival, I can say that this is the best batch of sand artworks that I have ever seen. 

Fulong Golden Sand - a glory of a decade

Every year there is a centerpiece sand sculpture that highlights all the aspirations and the hard work of the men and women who made the festival possible. This year it was a tall sand castle. The highest in Fulong Beach's history! At its height of 13 meters, you are a fool if you haven’t noticed it.

It was so hot in Fulong Beach and I knew of one place that can neutralize this summer weather. Yilan! There is a spring water there that can beat the heat of the blazing sun. It is not a hot sulfuric spring but a cold carbonic one. Rising above its bubbles is the town of Su'ao. My girlfriend and I did not waste any time. We walked back to Fulong Station and boarded a train going to Su'ao Station. (To be continued...)

THINGS TO DO IN TAIPEI

Sakura Series - Taiwan

2026 Forecast

Taipei 101 first flowers

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Taipei Flower Test Center

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Broadwood Park

Sunshine Sports Park kawazu sakura

Wuling Farm (武陵農場)

SYS kawazu sakura

Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village

CKS Memorial Hall

Shibafen Yoshino Sakura

Hope River

Dongfang Temple

Tianyuan Palace

Neicou Stream Trail

Orange Garden Cafe

Yangming Park Visitor Information Center

Yangming Park Service Center Bus Stop

Huashan Road

Qianshan Park

Zhongshan Hall Entrance

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Flower Test Center Shōwa Sakura

Neihu Creek Trail

Shulin Land Office

Xióng Kōng Cherry Blossom Forest

Lung Yen Sakura Forest

Yangming Park cherry stream

Yangming Park fountain

CKS Memorial Hall Tairyō sakura

Wugu District Tianyi Road

CKS Memorial Hall yaesakura

Loving Farm

Yong Long Farm

Zhongbaling Sakura Road

Sun Link Sea

Tai'an Police Station

Cherry Hill Slope

Hsinchu Park

Taipei 101

Kāng Gào Kēng Creek

New Garden City

Broadwood Park

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Alishan Ranger Station

Alishan House

Alishan Police Station

Alishan Forest Railway

Alishan Station

Alishan Entrance

Alishan Gou Hotel

Alishan Magnolia Garden

Wulai tour

Wun Chang Elementary School

Bishanyan

Sanzhi Sansheng Trail

Sakura Series - Taiwan

Nei Cuo Stream

Orange Garden Cafe

Sansheng Trail

Tenglong Sakura Farm

Yangming Park Cherry Stream

Yangming Park Fountain

Flower Test Center

Broadwood Park

New Garden City

Yinghua Park

Pingjing St. Lane 42

Yangmingshan Visitor Center

Taipei 101

Tianyuan Palace backyard

Sakura Series - Japan

Kamonyama Park

Near the Nippon Maru Memorial Park

Shinko Park

Minato-mirai 21 area

Tokyo Tech Suzukakedai Campus

Onda River

Tenryuji

Byodoin

Kiyomizudera

Himuro shrine and Yakushi-ji Temple

Hōryū-ji Temple

Nara Park attractions

Tokyo Tech Ookayama Campus

Sumida River

Tsuruma Park

Gion

Maple Series

Taipei Aowanda

Shimen Dam

Alishan

Aowanda

Shanlinxi

Taoyuan Valley Garden

Fushoushan Farm

Yehliu to Jiufen? Yehliu to Shifen? Cheaper than yellow taxis

The "Taipei kong mahal" (My beloved Taipei)

Always in my heart

MRT birdman

Valentine's Day

Tulips Festival

2018 Taipei Lantern Festival

City of Azaleas

Linji Huguo Temple

Nanjichang Night Market

Gudetama Chef restaurant

Dalongdong Bao'an Temple

Shilin hollyhocks

Ningxia Night Market

Ximending graffiti

Discovery Center of Taipei

Chunghwa Postal Museum

Double-Decker Bus

Shilin Cold Balls

Jingimoo

GomanMango

mud volcanic ice

Fire and Ice Dumpling

Opium Fen-Yuan

Ichiran Ramen

Liu Shandong Beef Noodles

hydrangea flowers

National Palace Museum

Other attractions in Taipei

Taipei on a budget

Japanese buildings

Dāoxiāomiàn beef noodles

Presidential Office Building

Yongkang St. and Elephant Mountain

CKS and SYS Hall

City tour

Beitou ramen

MRT Monopoly Game

Winter city tour

Zhicheng Park

Shilin Plum Blossom

Art museums

Shopping in Taipei

Summer desserts

Qingtiangang

Qixingshan hiking

2015 Calla lily

2016 Calla lily

Beitou tour

Beitou-Zhuzihu tour

NTU

Confucius Temple

2015 Dadaocheng Festival

Puppet Museum

Fantasy Ice World

2016 Bread Show

Strawberry picking

2015 Rose Garden

Modern Toilet

Shilin Night Market

NASA Exhibit

Raohe Night Market

Longshan Temple

2013 Taipei Zoo

Maokong Gondola

Lupin flowers

Taipei 101 day visit

Taipei 101 night visit

Tiger Mountain

Din Tai Fung

Taipei Story House

2014 Flower Show

Chrysanthemum Show

Miramar Ferris wheel

Miniatures Museum

Archery

1600 Pandas

Wulaoguo hot pot

Upside Down House

2016 101 Fireworks

New Taipei

Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

Elephant Rock SUP/kayaking

Meteor Garden school

Tamsui Pumpkin Tunnel

Shifen Waterfall

2017 Sand Sculpture

Dragon Caves

New Taipei tour

2016 Kite Festival

Pingxi Crags

Bitou Cape

2016 Sand Sculpture

2015 Christmasland

Juming - Jinshan

Houtong - Pingxi

Sandiaoling Waterfall

Jiufen foodtrip

Guanyinshan hike

Yehliu Ocean World

2014 Kite Festival

Pingxi Rail tour

Jinguashi tour

Vigor Kobo Pineapple

British Consulate

Yehliu Geopark

2014 Sand Sculpture

Paragliding

2014 Christmasland

2014 Pingxi Lantern

firefly watching

Yingge Ceramics Street

Jiufen tour