【Weekend Fun in Taiwan】Golden Rain Tree Flower Season, Fulong Sand Sculpture Festival, Penghu Fireworks, Donggang Tuna Season

Written / Compiled and reported by the editorial team of MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network

Make the most of your time off and have some fun！Check out great places to play in Taiwan and popular weekend activity destinations！

2014 Penghu Fireworks Festival

The main venue for the fireworks festival is the Xiyin Rainbow Bridge seawall at Guanyin Pavilion Park in Magong City. The event runs from 7:30 PM to 9:20 PM, with fireworks launched between 9:00 PM and 9:20 PM. Both the event and the fireworks display are subject to weather conditions and may be canceled due to bad weather. Fireworks will be launched on 5/12 (Monday), 5/15 (Thursday), 5/19 (Monday), 5/22 (Thursday), 5/26 (Monday), 5/29 (Thursday), 6/2 (Monday), 6/5 (Thursday), 6/9 (Monday), 6/12 (Thursday), 6/16 (Monday), 6/19 (Thursday), plus special additional shows on 5/10 (Saturday) and 5/24 (Saturday), making a total of 22 shows. The special shows take place from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM, with fireworks launched between 9:00 PM and 9:15 PM.

2014 Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival

The sand sculpture festival will feature 71 displays comprising over 80 individual works, divided into three main exhibition areas: the Theme Exhibition Area, the International Competition Area, and the Domestic Competition Area. These include depictions of the “Silk Road,” symbolizing the legendary travels of Marco Polo from Venice to China; adaptations of French literary classics such as “Around the World in 80 Days”; tributes to the pioneers of global seafaring like Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Seas; as well as celestial representations of the “12 Zodiac Signs.”

Most visitors take various levels of Taiwan Railways trains to Fulong Station, with the event site just a 5-minute walk away. For those driving, the Northeast Coast National Scenic Area Administration has designated multiple free parking areas, such as the spaces in front of the Fulong Visitor Center and next to Fulong Elementary School, offering thousands of spots. Free shuttle buses are also available, currently operating on three routes: Route 1: Provincial Highway 2B (in front of the Earth God Temple) – Provincial Highway 2B (Tianliaoyang) – Fulong Visitor Center (round-trip); Route 2: Longmen (Sports Park) – Longmen (Zhaohui Temple) – Sand Sculpture Venue (round-trip); Route 3: Yanliao Beach Park – Fulong Visitor Center (round-trip). Shuttle services run on weekends and holidays during the event period, from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM, approximately every 20 minutes (actual intervals may vary depending on traffic conditions).

2014 Donggang Black Tuna Culture and Tourism Festival

The Black Tuna Festival runs from May 3 to June 30 in Donggang, Pingtung. In addition to showcasing local agricultural and fishery specialties alongside cultural tourism, the event has evolved toward refinement and diversification. Visitors can enjoy local delicacies such as Donggang black tuna, sakura shrimp, and oilfish roe (the “Three Treasures of Donggang”), and choose from one- to three-day tour packages based on their preferences and schedules to explore Pingtung’s beautiful landscapes, enjoying a high-quality cultural tourism experience.

Art and cultural performances are scheduled at Donggang Riverside Park and Overseas Chinese Market on weekends during the event. The 440-meter-long Jinde Bridge is illuminated and, in sync with the Black Tuna Festival, lights up every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 6:30 PM to 10:00 PM. The riverside, music, and light show create the perfect outdoor performance space.

This year, Donggang is truly dazzling. The Tourism and Communications Department has decorated six key sites—Zhenghai Temple, Hai’s Wu, the Donggang River embankment, the Donggang Fishing Port Fishery Products Direct Sales Center (Overseas Chinese Market), the Guangfu Road Japanese-style wooden bridge, and the Safety Island Park—with romantic ambiance. Visitors who take photos at any three of these six sites, compile them into a single image, and upload it to the “i Pingtung ~ Love Pingtung” Facebook fan page with the comment “I Love Pingtung - 2014 Pingtung Black Tuna Culture and Tourism Festival” will be eligible to receive a limited-edition “Love Travels With You” luggage tag (while supplies last).

2014 Starbucks Coffee Experience Special Exhibition Starbucks Coffee Journey

Through this Starbucks Coffee Experience Exhibition, we hope coffee lovers and Starbucks fans can get an up-close look at and experience the process of crafting a Starbucks coffee. They’ll also have the chance to taste espresso samples not usually available in stores, and evaluate the quality of a cup of coffee based on factors like extraction time and technique.

In this unique space, Starbucks partners in black aprons perform professional pour-over coffee demonstrations at various times throughout the day. This is a service exclusive to four Starbucks Reserve locations across Taiwan. Different from the flavor profiles of classic Americano or Daily Picks black coffees, the event showcases several premium “STARBUCKS RESERVE®” coffees. Tasting sessions put the baristas’ pour-over skills to the test, inviting everyone to enjoy a more refined and complete Starbucks coffee experience. There are also exclusive event merchandise items that coffee enthusiasts won’t want to miss.

【Exhibition Information】