A Grand Festival of Salt and Sand: Tainan’s Spectacular One Sight, Two Sculptures Art Festival

Text by MOOK Travel & Living / Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

While the Fulong International Sand Sculpture Festival is in full swing, Tainan’s 2013 One Sight, Two Sculptures Art Festival has kicked off from now until June 30 at “Qigu Salt Mountain” (salt sculptures) and “Masago Recreation Area” (sand sculptures). The event has invited 40 master sculptors from the United States, Japan, France, Singapore, Taiwan, and China to create 31 salt and sand sculptures with all their might. This year’s themes include One Piece’s Boa Hancock, the Trojan Horse from Greek mythology, Life of Pi, Mario Brothers, and Twilight. Among them, Taiwan’s largest salt sculpture, the 7-meter-high and 9-meter-wide “Dinosaur Battle,” combines lasers, computer beams, and music effects to present a magical audiovisual show.

The “One Sight, Two Sculptures Art Festival” is the only large-scale event in Taiwan that uses “salt” and “sand” as materials. At the “Masago Recreation Area,” 1,000 tons of sand were used to create 13 sand sculptures, including classics from the “Greek Mythology Zone” such as the Trojan Horse, Hercules vs. the Hydra, and Medusa; the “Coastal Adventure Zone” features works like the Love of the White Dolphin, Ancient South Sea Domination, and the Four Heavenly Kings of Good Weather; the “World Wonders Zone” showcases famous historical structures such as the Roman Colosseum and Russia’s St. Basil’s Cathedral; the “Cartoon & Anime Zone” highlights beloved characters for both adults and children, such as One Piece’s Boa Hancock, Naruto’s Orochimaru, and Winnie the Pooh. The largest sand sculpture (300 tons), standing 6 meters high and 18 meters wide, titled “Lee Ang Films,” presents Oscar classics such as Life of Pi, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and The Hulk. On holidays, free DIY sand sculpture activities for families are also offered.

At “Qigu Salt Mountain,” Taiwan Salt Corporation provided 1,000 tons of salt to create 18 salt sculptures, including the “Pride of Taiwan Zone” featuring the Black-faced Spoonbill, Tainan orchids, and the China-Japan Baseball Series; anime characters such as One Piece and Mario Brothers appear in the “Happy Cartoon Zone” at the Taiwan Salt Museum; the “Spooky & Fun Zone” gathers the world’s most terrifying classic characters, such as “Casper the Friendly Ghost,” “Gremlins,” Twilight, the movie Sadako from The Ring, “Texas Chainsaw Massacre’s Leatherface,” alien creatures like the Xenomorph, and “Chucky’s Seed of Chucky,” all crafted with stunning realism. The highlight is the magnificent “Dinosaur Battle,” standing 7 meters high, 9 meters wide, and using 200 tons of salt. It combines lasers, computer beams, LED lights, and specially composed music effects, all precisely controlled by a DMX computer system, presenting a complete magical audiovisual theater-style show. It’s not only unique in Taiwan but even surpasses the ice sculptures of Harbin and monotonous light shows. The light and sound show runs daily from 09:30 to 17:30, with a performance every half hour, and free family DIY salt crafts and salt field experiences are offered on holidays.

In addition, from now until June 30, a special “Good Deals Promotion” is available, including a “Sculpture Voting & Lucky Draw,” receiving small gifts when collecting two stamps with the “Event Brochure”; entry to Masago Recreation Area after 17:30 costs only 50 NTD (original price 120 NTD); the “Taiwan Good Line—Salt Coast Route” offers a one-day transport ticket that comes with a free USB hub and Taiwan Salt cookies, as well as free entry to Qigu Salt Mountain, discounted tickets to the Taiwan Salt Museum, and free entry to Masago Recreation Area after 17:30. The originally scheduled Sand Sculpture Creative Competition at Masago Recreation Area from May 25 to 26 has extended its registration deadline to May 20 and rescheduled the competition to June 1 and 2 to allow more sand sculptors to participate. For more information, please contact 06-7861017 or visit the official website: 2013salt-sandart.swcoast-nsa.gov.tw.

 

 

● More great places to visit in Tainan: Tainan’s Guidan Hot Spring Experience Pool Celebrates Its Opening—Free Entry Until June 30 !

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