Chasing Sand Dreams: A Sneak Peek at the 2025 Miaoli Tongxiao Art Festival

Travel date: 2025/06/28

The sun beat down as we hopped on our scooter, a 45-minute journey ahead of us with a singular mission: to witness the early stages of the much-anticipated 2025 Miaoli Tongxiao Art Festival’s sand sculpture exhibition. The promise of impressive sandy creations lured us out into the scorching heat.

Our journey began with a brief detour to the famed Baishatun Mazu Temple. As expected, the temple grounds were teeming with devotees—a vibrant wave of people making their offerings. While I had hoped to peek inside and experience its revered atmosphere, the sheer volume of the crowd made it a task for another day. “Next time,” I promised myself, as we hopped back on our scooter.

Continuing our ride toward Tongxiao, the landscape unfolded before us. Excitement bubbled as we knew we were getting closer to our sandy destination. With the official festival still about two weeks away (kicking off on July 12th), we were curious to see the progress of the monumental sand sculptures.

Upon arriving at Tongxiao Beach, we were greeted by a fascinating scene. Several impressive sand structures were already taking shape, their intricate details hinting at the artistry to come. However, it was clear that the artists were still hard at work, with a few sculptures yet to reach their final form. It felt like a privileged sneak peek—witnessing the birth of these temporary masterpieces.

One of the highlights of the upcoming festival is the ambitious 70-meter-long, 5-meter-tall continuous sculpture—a first for Taiwan—created by a collective of eight international sand sculptors. The sheer scale of this project was awe-inspiring. In total, 22 works are expected to grace the beach this year, all under the theme of “Carefree Sand City,” promoting messages of sustainability and peace. The festival will run from July 12th until September 14th.

An unexpected perk of visiting before the official opening was the distinct lack of crowds. Last year, we were among bustling beachgoers during the festival. While perhaps not as widely known as the sand sculptures at Fulong Beach, the Tongxiao festival boasts a significant advantage: it’s completely free! We also noted the ample parking space, making it easily accessible by car. For those relying on public transport, Tongxiao even has a train station, adding to its convenience.

Of course, being at the seaside, we couldn’t resist a short walk along the beach. The sand was warm—or rather hot—beneath our feet, and we dipped our toes into the water, a welcome respite from the midday heat. However, with the sun directly overhead, the lack of shade encouraged us to seek out our next objective: lunch!

Our quest for food led us to a familiar spot from a previous visit. The taste was just as good as we remembered. Despite the small size of Tongxiao town and its limited dining options, this particular place was buzzing with locals and visitors alike—a sure sign of its popularity.

With our stomachs happily filled, we considered visiting the nearby Japanese shrine. However, we learned that it’s currently undergoing renovations, so we decided to save that for a future trip once it’s fully restored.

We took a short scooter ride uphill, seeking panoramic ocean views. There’s a small park to explore—perhaps not offering the most spectacular scenery, but it does provide a 360-degree panoramic view of Tongxiao.

As the day began to wind down, we started our journey back home to Toufen. We made a quick stop once more at Baishatun, this time simply to admire the vast expanse of the ocean. The sun was so strong it hurt my eyes, though. Before finally heading home, we made one last beach stop in Zhunan, enjoying the coastal breeze before concluding our day trip.

Our early expedition to Tongxiao Beach offered an exciting glimpse into the 2025 Miaoli Tongxiao Art Festival. With the festival being free and easily accessible, it’s definitely worth marking your calendars for a visit between July 12th and early September. We, for one, are looking forward to seeing the finished masterpieces and experiencing the full vibrancy of the festival!

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Our Son Finished First Grade in Taiwan – What Do I Think About the School System?

I can’t believe it - our son has officially finished first grade in Taiwan! It’s been quite a year, full of challenges, surprises, and (let’s be honest) a lot of homework. As a parent who grew up in Poland, I can say one thing with confidence: the workload in Taiwanese schools is definitely heavier than in Poland. A lot heavier!

Our son started first grade at the age of six, which is pretty common here. In Poland, kids usually begin school at seven - first attending a preparatory year called "zerówka" (Class 0). It’s similar to kindergarten but more focused on getting ready for school. In Taiwan, kindergarten can start as early as age 3, and since most kids stay there for two or three years, by the time they’re six, they’re considered ready for first grade.

Interestingly, in Poland, this earlier start is becoming more common in the cities, but in the countryside, many kindergartens still only accept children five and older - or don’t exist at all. When I was little, I started school at five, and I was the only one in my class that young. I had to join a group of kids one year older than me - good memories, but I still remember the struggle. 😅

Class Size and Pace

Back in my elementary school in Poland, we had just 10 students in our class - 8 by the end of it! But here in Taiwan, classes usually have around 25 kids, and there are often several classes per grade. In my son’s school, there are four first-grade classes. That alone shows how different the scale of education is here.

What surprised me most is the speed of learning. Within two to three months, the kids finished learning Bopomofo (the Taiwanese phonetic alphabet), and quickly moved on to reading full Chinese words. And by the end of the school year, if your child still used Bopomofo instead of the correct character, even if the answer was technically right - it was marked as wrong. That was really frustrating, especially for a child who only started learning Chinese a couple of years ago (in the kindergarten).

Grading and Testing

The grading system is quite different too. In Poland, we grade from 1 to 6, where 5 is usually the best you get, and 6 means you went above and beyond the curriculum. In Taiwan, everything is scored in percentages, with 100% being perfect - and every little mistake reduces your score.

There are so many tests. Little ones, big ones, monthly ones, semester-end exams… Our son brought home a pile of tests. It’s like they’re always being tested. The most important subjects are Chinese, Math, and "Living"—a kind of social studies subject that teaches behavior, rules, and how to be a "good child." I sometimes feel that creativity is discouraged in favor of picking the "correct" answer that aligns with what society expects. That's a hard adjustment for me as a parent.

Summer Homework (Yes, There Is Homework in Summer!)

No, summer break doesn’t mean rest. There’s a 64-page homework book filled with Chinese and math exercises. On top of that, kids have to write two full-page stories about their summer experiences and are encouraged to read one book a day (!). And the funniest part? A reminder to exercise! Which is ironic, because during the school year, there’s very little time or opportunity for physical activity.

Take football, for example. Kids' training starts at 8 PM, which means they finish by 9, come home, shower, and probably fall asleep around 10 or later. But school starts early - most kids have to be up by 6:30 AM. That’s a long day for a six-year-old.

Summer Camps and Extra Classes

At the end of the school year, each child received a list of summer camps and extra classes - some paid, some free. There’s a limit of two activities per child, so at most, two weeks of the vacation can be filled this way. We chose football (which lasted two weeks) and badminton. Each class lasts four hours, so it’s actually a fun way for kids to play and socialize, rather than just stay home and do homework all summer.

One thing I find frustrating is the language policy. English isn’t formally taught until third grade. Instead, first graders get one hour of Taiwanese language per week—and yes, it’s graded too. But let me be honest: it feels quite useless, especially since we live in a Hakka-speaking area where barely anyone uses Taiwanese. 🤣

Our son is already juggling four languages: English, which I’ve taught him since birth, Polish, Mandarin Chinese starting in kindergarten and now at school and Taiwanese. That’s a lot for a seven-year-old! I’d be much happier if they started teaching English earlier - especially since I have no idea how to teach him to write. Not to mention, there’s so little time left in the day: he’s at school from 7:30 AM to 5 PM, and we often go out to play football around 7 PM, then come back, shower, and go straight to bed.

I can’t help but feel that the system is a bit too intense, especially for such young children.

There’s so much focus on performance, testing, and rule-following. Creativity and individuality can easily get lost in the process. I still think about how school was back in Poland - slower-paced, fewer tests, more playtime. But I also recognize that each system has its pros and cons.

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