12-meter giant "Apache" helicopter appears on Fulong Beach

▲ The "Apache helicopter" makes an appearance at the Fulong Sand Sculpture Festival. (Photo provided by Farglory Hotel)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive Report

The "2015 Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival" is set to open on Saturday, May 2nd. This year, 27 sand sculptors from 13 countries, including the UK, USA, France, Canada, and Belgium, will create 66 sand sculptures. Among them, one particularly "eye-catching" piece turns out to be the recently popular "Apache helicopter."

The theme of this year’s Fulong Sand Sculpture Festival is "Toy United Nations." Currently, the sculptors are putting the final touches on their creations. This "Apache helicopter" was crafted by the sculptor based on a toy model. The sculptor explained, "Creating a helicopter in sand is very challenging. This 12-meter-long sculpture took a full 12 days to complete. During that time, we faced heavy rain and strong sunlight. Too much rain can ruin the fine details, while intense sun dries out the moisture in the sand, making it impossible to hold its shape and requiring constant repairs. Other parts, such as the helicopter’s rotor blades and landing gear, couldn’t be sculpted because there was no supporting sand underneath."

This year’s event runs through July 12th. In addition to the Apache helicopter, other sculptures include the 1930s "shuttlecock game," the 1940s "girl dolls" popularized by Barbie, the traditional Taiwanese [puppet show], the 1960s computer-famous "Snake" game, the widely known 1970s interactive game "Monopoly," the well-known Western model "toy soldiers," Denmark’s "building blocks," and even the recently popular mobile app game "Candy Crush," among others. Additionally, the organizers are offering a promotion: the first 1,000 visitors who enter before 8:30 AM on May 2nd will be exempt from the 100 NT$ admission fee.

2015 Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival
Event Duration: May 2 (Sat) – July 12 (Sun), 73 days in total
Opening Hours: 8:30 AM – 6:00 PM (last ticket sales at 5:30 PM)
Venue: Fulong Beach