Kites, Sand and... Surprises

On August 2, our trip led us from Toufen to Tongxiao to catch the famous Tongxiao Sand Sculpture Festival (which we have been to previously, blog post HERE). Back at home, the weather had been perfect - bright blue skies, warm sun. Yet when we arrived in Tongxiao, the sky turned ominously dark and it sprinkled rain just as the kite show was about to begin.

Thankfully, after a short shower, the clouds parted and the sky cleared just in time. The kites soared vividly in the crisp light above the towering sand sculptures. 

This summer, Taiwan has suffered unusually heavy rainfall and widespread damage (at least in my 8 years living here). Around late July 2025, torrential rains battered southern Taiwan, forcing over 3,000 residents to evacuate, shuttering businesses, and triggering school closures across Tainan, Chiayi, Kaohsiung, and Pingtung.

Just days earlier, Typhoon Danas struck the west coast in early July, killing two people, injuring more than 500, cutting power to around 660,000 households, and causing over NT$1 billion in damage. Authorities warned of continuing severe flooding and potential landslides across the island.

Right before the kite show we decided to grab some local beef noodle soup. Just a few bites in - a cockroach surfaced in my bowl. I recoiled in disgust. That nightmare presence destroyed my appetite and dampened my mood completely. I had hoped to film some footage of food and the festival, but after that incident, the mood was gone - no vlog, no content (I've a few shorts tho - YouTube).

This isn’t the first time I’ve found something in my food - there have been hairs, strings, or other random items, which I’d usually just take out and continue eating. But I guess a cockroach crosses the line. I’ve even eaten in places where cockroaches or rats were running around and I don’t mean open-air stalls, I mean indoors! But seriously, after eight years here, it feels like things in Taiwan are getting worse, not better. And it’s not just the food hygiene, the traffic is getting out of hand too.

Taiwan has been under scrutiny for recent food safety scandals. Just a few recent examples:

- In Taichung, a Cold Stone Creamery outlet was ordered shut after four people accidentally drank bleach mixed in with their ice cream toppings. 

- At the Breeze Xinyi branch of INPARADISE, 59 people fell ill between January 5–7, 2025. Over 70% had consumed raw fish.

- A popular Tan Zuo Ma Li outlet near the Kaohsiung Museum of Fine Arts was ordered to close for seven days after 22 diners reported gastrointestinal symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

- In mid‑2024, authorities uncovered 11.4 tons of frozen meat—including goose meat that was up to 14 years past its expiration date—being relabelled and sold. 

What began as a promising, sunny travel adventure turned into a cautionary tale of unpredictability - both in the weather and in food safety, the experience left a bitter aftertaste.

Taiwan remains a place of incredible beauty and cultural richness - but current events suggest there's a pressing need for more vigilance in food hygiene and stronger enforcement of safety standards.

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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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Miaoli Travel: Tongxiao Qiumao Garden and Salt Museum

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 first part of this post - 2024 Tongxiao Sand Sculptures Art Festival [LINK]

Qiumao Garden (秋茂園)

Next, we visited an unusual park filled with various clay sculptures, including depictions of people, animals, buildings, and other themes. The park also features pavilions, seats, and other rest facilities. Known as Qiumao Garden, this park was opened in 1975 by Huang Qiumao, who was drawn to the coastline, beaches, and seawater of Tongxiao Town. He built Qiumao Garden to promote local prosperity. Although there’s a small parking area, the main entrance is elsewhere, so many people park along the road for convenience. The park was nearly deserted, and aside from the sculptures and trees, there wasn’t much to see. If it hadn’t been on our route, we probably wouldn’t have visited.

Taiyen Museum - The Way of Salt (臺鹽通霄觀光園區 

 - 臺鹽通霄精鹽廠)

Our final stop was the Salt Museum. The Salt Factory has been operational since its establishment in 1964. In recent years, to boost tourism, the factory has added facilities such as the "Ocean Hot Spring Footbath Stream," "Yo Zong-Susha Statue," and "Exhibition and Sales Center." In 2011, the "Taiyan Tongxiao Tourist Park" was established. The area is quite large, featuring a shop selling local products and a restaurant. It was crowded, and parking was a challenge. I’m not sure why it’s so popular because there isn’t much to see. However, many elderly visitors enjoyed soaking their feet in the water, and kids were playing around. The museum offers insights into salt production and different types of salt.

Finally, we cooled down with some delicious ice cream in Houlong before concluding our adventure.

Address:

1. Qiumao Garden 秋茂園: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮通灣里20-1號

2. Salt Museum: 357苗栗縣通霄鎮內島122號

3. Ice Cream: 35641苗栗縣後龍鎮中山路67號

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Miaoli Travel: 2024 Tongxiao Sand Sculptures Art Festival

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

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