Thousands of tons of refined salt used — Tainan Salt Sculpture Art Festival is truly a sight to behold

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported by Chen Guanxin

 

Wood carvings, sand sculptures, tofu carvings — and now salt sculptures have joined the world of sculptural art. The "One Sight, Two Sculptures Art Festival," organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications’ Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area Administration, will debut on June 2. In addition to the currently popular sand sculptures, the Qigu Salt Mountain will feature the nation’s first large-scale salt sculpture exhibition. The entire series used 1,000 tons of refined salt, with the largest pieces standing 5 meters high and stretching 9 meters wide. Sculpture enthusiasts definitely shouldn’t miss this. Moreover, at today’s press conference, Taiwan Salt Biotech showcased the "Salt as Jade" collection of exquisite salt sculptures. Chairman Hong Xiyao noted that after being shaped using Taiwan’s unique technology, the "Salt as Jade" series achieves a hardness close to 9 on the Mohs scale — second only to diamond — adding even more artistic value to salt, which already carries connotations of warding off evil.

The "2012 One Sight, Two Sculptures Art Festival" runs from June 2 to July 15. This year, artists from the Netherlands, Canada, Japan, Taiwan, and mainland China have been invited to participate in salt sculpture creation at "Qigu Salt Mountain." The total includes one large piece, nine medium-sized pieces, and 11 small pieces. The largest work, "Myths and Legends of Southern Taiwan," stands 5 meters high and 9 meters wide, setting a new record in Taiwan. Furthermore, during nighttime displays, the snow-white appearance of the salt sculptures, enhanced by colorful LED light art technology, creates a dazzling, fantastical scene reminiscent of the "Harbin Ice and Snow World."

The recently renovated "Masago Coastal Recreation Area" in the Jiaxing District, the only legal seaside bathing beach in southern Taiwan, offers activities such as swimming, jet skiing, banana boating, and ATV riding. During the same period, the "Masago Sand Sculpture" event will also be held, using a total of 700 tons of fine sand to create 15 sculptures. These include "Koxinga’s Attack on Taiwan," "The Egyptian Pyramids," "The Grand Canyon," "The Sand Hotel," "The Terracotta Army," "Sea and Land Feast," and characters like "SpongeBob," "Mermaid," and "Angry Birds." The collection includes one large sand sculpture, six medium-sized ones, and eight small ones.