Fulong International Sand Sculpture Art Festival is the premiere sand art display in Taiwan. It is easily accessible by public transportation (TRA Gongliao Station), and at the beach, you can find beautiful golden sand, a large shallow swimming area, and tons of food options within walking distance. It is definitely worth a trip this summer.
Background:
Since 2008, the first “Fulong Sand Sculpture Art Festival” has been held here, attracting large crowds each year. Fulong is a three-kilometer-long stretch of golden sandy beach. The sand, made of quartz, is soft, fine, and smooth to the touch. It has great cohesion when wet, making it ideal for sand sculpting, and it has been certified by the World Sand Sculpting Association. This area is recognized as the best location in Taiwan for sand sculptures. The festival is held at Fulong Beach, where visitors can also enjoy water activities such as Windsurfing, SUP /paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, and sailing. The festival is usually sponsored by Fullon Hotel.
You may be wondering how the sand sculptures are made so perfectly and don’t fall apart even in the rain. The reason for this is that the sculptors use a rubber-based glue to fix the sand sculptures in place. Every year, interest groups file complaints against the event because they fear that the glue will not be able to decompose into the environment and pose a threat to the ecosystem. However, the event founders claim that the glue is SGS certified, and is eco-friendly glue, and as such the use of glue to fix the sand castles in place is allowed to continue.
Fulong Beach lies next to Fulong Village in Gongliao District of New Taipei, at the mouth of the Shuang River. It is special in Taiwan for its rare golden color.
The beach has been a popular swimming destination since the Japanese occupation of Taiwan. In 1959, the TRA created public showers and a bridge that goes to the other side of the sandbar that you see today.
The Fullon Hotel Resort sits in front of the paid beach and is a popular destination for Taipei residents.
Taiwan’s fourth nuclear reactor lies in the background of the beach, but it has never been operational and likely never will be due to the anti-nuclear power movement in Taiwan.
Near the beach, one can go camping at Longmen campground or biking on the Caoling Bicycle Loop.
Price:
220 NT per person (ages 13-64)
Discount Ticket: 145 TWD/person (children ages 3-12)
Senior Ticket: 110 TWD/person (ages 65 and above)
You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here or KKday here.
Hours:
2024 Event Dates:
May 31 (Fri) – October 13 (Sun)
Visiting Hours:
Monday to Friday: 08:00 – 19:00 (Last entry at 18:00)
Saturday to Sunday: 08:00 – 19:30 (Last entry at 18:30)
Times are subject to change according to weather conditions.
You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here or KKday here.
Event Rules:
- The venue may be temporarily closed in case of sudden weather changes or emergencies.
- Swimming is strictly prohibited outside of designated hours and areas, and visitors are responsible for any consequences.
- Alcohol consumption and carrying prohibited items or weapons are not allowed.
- No fires or camping within the park.
- Do not litter glass bottles, metal cans, or waste.
- Only authorized vehicles are allowed on the beach.
- Climbing lifeguard towers or interfering with lifeguards is prohibited.
- Do not tamper with lifesaving equipment.
- In case of emergencies or other incidents, please follow the instructions of lifeguards and on-site staff. Ignoring their advice and causing accidents will be the individual’s responsibility.
When to go:
May to October when the weather is nice and the water is warm.
Winter on the northeast coast is cold and windy.
2024 Fulong sand sculpture season dates: May 31st to October 13th, 2024.
You can also book tickets to the International Sand Sculpture Art Festival for a discount on Klook here or KKday here.
Other Tours and Activities:
There are many activities available at Fulong such as Windsurfing, SUP /paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and more on Klook here or KKday here.
Where to Stay:
We recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here).
We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of hotels and accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
How to get there:
By Train
Take the TRA train to Fulong Station. Walk straight from the station down to the beach! Book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter:
Take Provincial Highway 2 from Qidu in Keelung through the mountains past Shifen and Shuangxi until you reach Gongliao on the coast. The beach is right in front of the train station, and there is free parking in front of Dongxing Temple.
Looking for scooter rental in Keelung? Search KKday here for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bicycle:
Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike bike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here.
Map:
Please see below:
