Travel Date: 2024/07/13
Once again, we found ourselves in Tongxiao, ready to explore a few notable spots along the way, including Tongxiao Beach, Qiumao Garden, and the Salt Museum, as well as some delectable local food in town.
Check out second part of the post - Qiumao Garden & Salt Museum [LINK]
Tongxiao Beach: Sand Sculptures Art Festival (通霄海水浴場)
Despite the blazing heat, we made our way to Tongxiao Beach to attend the inaugural Sand Sculptures Art Festival, which has just begun and will continue until early September. This festival is attracting visitors to Miaoli’s seaside, showcasing 15 grand sculptures that celebrate Miaoli culture through local myths and legends. Notable works include an impressive traditional Hakka mansion, a dragon climbing a bridge, statues of the Goddess Matsu, and the Door Gods Qianliyan and Shunfeng’er. At night, the sculptures come to life with a vibrant multi-colored light show, creating perfect photo moments. Tungshiau Beach, the largest seaside park in Taiwan, boasts smooth, pristine white sand that contrasts beautifully with the deep blue sea, providing breathtaking sunrises and sunsets.
The beach isn't the only attraction—there’s also a shaded park and a playground for children. We even encountered an elderly man with a horse, though capturing a photo was tricky as the horse kept moving.
This year's theme, "Children of the Mountains Meet the Sea," features large-scale sand sculptures that highlight Hakka culture. The festival includes interactive installations, weekend markets, cultural performances, and workshops for all ages. Renowned sand sculptors from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan, including world champions, will showcase their exceptional skills. Visitors can observe the creative process and support the artists. Plus, the sea offers a refreshing respite, and the sculptures provide endless photo opportunities.
Foods
Around noon, we searched for food in town using Google Maps, which revealed many tempting options in Tongxiao. At 通霄幸福食堂 we tried a unique beef noodle soup with a Sichuan pepper flavor that I haven’t encountered elsewhere—it was delicious! Conversely, the lu rou fan was quite bland, so unless you prefer mild flavors, I wouldn’t recommend it. We also sampled stinky tofu 廟口阿嬷臭豆腐, which is very popular here with over 2000 reviews. Unfortunately, it wasn’t to my taste. The flavor was similar to what we had in Taichung with garlic soy sauce, but I prefer the super crispy deep-fried stinky tofu.
Despite keeping hydrated, I still managed to get sunburned quickly. After marveling at the sculptures, we headed back north, making a few interesting stops along the way. We stumbled upon a Totoro sculpture, which was a surprise!
Address:
1. Tongxiao Beach: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮海濱路41-1號
2. Beef Noodles 通霄幸福食堂: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮中正路69號
3. Stinky Tofu 廟口阿嬷臭豆腐: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮中正路20號
4. Totoro 龍貓公車站: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮龍貓公車站
0 komentarze:
Post a Comment