Sculptor crafts a sand Li Ang, cradling 'Life of Pi' and holding an Oscar — Crowd: "Uncanny!"

▲ The sand sculpture artist rendered the renowned director Li Ang’s facial features with astonishing accuracy, achieving a 100% likeness.

Reported by Chen Zi-Yin / Fulong

The 2013 Fulong Sand Sculpture Art Festival commenced enthusiastically today (4th), with a massive influx of visitors on the opening day. Surrounded by finely crafted sand sculptures, people of all ages enjoyed a nostalgic return to childhood at Fulong Beach. The event featured talented sand sculptors from ten countries who displayed imaginative works on the sands of Fulong. Among them, the “sand sculpture of Li Ang” was so lifelike it even captured his bashful expression, stunning everyone present.

This year’s Fulong Sand Sculpture Festival is themed “Awakening the Childlike Heart,” featuring a record-breaking 77 sculptures, the largest in the festival’s history. The pieces in the thematic exhibition area depict quintessential Taiwanese childhood memories, including the 1950s toy “rattle drum,” the collective memory of “Taiwan’s old streets,” and the iconic 1960s comic “Old Master Q.” The film-themed section includes popular movies such as “The Dull Ice Flower” and “Star Wars.” Most astonishing of all is the incredibly lifelike “Director Li Ang,” surrounded by film reels, cradling “Life of Pi” on one side and holding an Academy Award “Oscar” statuette on the other, with “Hulk” and the “Brokeback Mountain” lead actor nearby. Visitors couldn’t help but exclaim, “It looks super real!”

▲ The “sand director” appears alongside the film characters he created, as if “Li Ang’s cinematic universe” has been transported to Fulong.


▲ The Fulong Sand Sculpture Art Festival opened in great style, with both kids and adults having a blast.

 
▲ This year’s international competition gold award winner, *Dear, I Brought the Dinosaur to the Real World!* Left: A vividly realistic dragon, with intricate scale details. Right: The front depicts a child painting.


▲ *Dear, I Brought the Dinosaur to the Real World!* portrays author Jonathan Bouchard’s childhood passion for doodling, drawing everything he wished for. This piece showcases the power of “imagination becoming reality.”


▲ Childhood favorite *Sesame Street English* also makes an appearance, with iconic characters Big Bird, Elmo, Cookie Monster, and Oscar gathered together.

On weekends, many parents bring their kids to Fulong to see these unique sculptures. People take off their shoes, and whether with toddlers or friends and family, they play in the sand beside these whimsical creations without fear of getting dirty. Thanks to the sand sculpture art festival, Fulong Beach lets both young and old rediscover their “inner child.”


▲ % At this spot, friends won’t easily part ways, amid charming and amusing displays. [br]

2013 Fulong Sand Sculpture Art Festival
Event dates: May 4 (Saturday) to June 30 (Sunday), 2013
Visiting hours: Daily from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM
Venue: Fulong Beach
Ticket information: General admission NT$100, group ticket NT$90 (for groups of 20 or more), concession ticket NT$80 (seniors 65+ and students), child ticket NT$10 (for children under 110 cm tall)