Using thousands of tons of refined salt, the Tainan Salt Sculpture Art Festival "definitely" has something to see

By MOOK Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin, compiled and reported

 

Wood carving, sand carving, tofu carving—now salt carving joins the ranks of sculptural art. The "One Sight, Two Sculptures Art Festival," organized by the Yunlin, Chiayi, and Tainan Coastal National Scenic Area Administration under the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, will kick off on June 2. At that time, in addition to the currently popular sand sculptures, the Seven Color Salt Mountain will feature the first-ever large-scale salt sculptures exhibited nationwide. The entire series used 1,000 tons of refined salt, with the largest pieces standing 5 meters high and 9 meters wide. Art lovers should not miss this. In addition, at today’s press conference, Taiwan Salt Biotech displayed the "Salt Like Jade" salt sculpture art collection. Chairman Hong Xiyao stated that after being shaped using Taiwan’s unique technology, the "Salt Like Jade" series has a hardness close to 9 on the Mohs scale—just below diamond—adding 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 the Seven Color Salt Mountain. A total of 1 large, 9 medium, and 11 small sculptures will be displayed, including the largest piece, "Myths and Legends of Southern Taiwan," which stands 5 meters high and 9 meters wide, setting a new record in Taiwan. Moreover, during nighttime displays, thanks to the snow-white appearance of the salt sculptures and colorful LED light sculpting technology, the evening works will create a dazzling and fantastical scene, similar to the effect of the "Harbin Ice and Snow World."

The recently refurbished "Masago Coastal Recreation Area" in the Jiaoxi District, the only legal beach in southern Taiwan, offers water activities such as swimming, jet skiing, banana boat rides, and dune buggy adventures. During the same period, the "Masago Sand Sculpture" event will also take place, using a total of 700 tons of fine sand for 15 sculptures. These include "Koxinga Attacks Taiwan," "The Egyptian Pyramids," "The Grand Canyon of the USA," "Sand Hotel," "Terracotta Army," "Sea and Land Feast," and characters like "SpongeBob, Mermaid, and Angry Birds," consisting of 1 large, 6 medium, and 8 small sand sculptures.