Experience the Magic of Fulong’s Sand Art Festival – Taiwan’s Premier Sand Sculpture Event 福隆國際沙雕藝術季9/12/2024  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...Read More
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The Jiupeng Desert (aka Jioupeng Desert 九棚大沙漠 or Gangzhi Desert 港仔大沙漠) is a row of sand dunes along the coastline near Jiupeng Village, Manzhou Township, Pingtung County, and are the largest sand dunes in Taiwan. The area is not actually a desert but is formed from strong northeast winds along the coast, creating large dunes of sand despite the fact that Taiwan is a wet, tropical island.
Background: The area around Jiupeng Village was named because of nine villages in the area. The first settlers in the area arrived in the early 1900s during the Japanese era. The population in the area is about half what it was in the 1980s as younger people have moved to big cities for better work opportunities. Even though there are over 300 registered households, only about 100 people regularly live here. The sand dunes have become a popular spot for ATVing and off-roading, however some accidents and liability issues have hampered the industry. Usually you will not see many people here because the area is so remote. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free Where to stay: Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. I have stayed at many hostels and hotels in Pingtung, and even almost bought a house here. Some places that I have stayed at and can recommend are Nanwan Kiki (book on Agoda here, Booking.com here), a B&B next to Nanwan Bay, Kenting's most popular Beach. There are also a few decent hotels near Kenting Street Night Market like Kenting Star Inn 888 (book on Agoda here, Klook here, or Booking.com here), or Kenting Dajianshan Hotel (book on Agoda here or Booking.com here). You will notice that none of these hotels are five star resorts (I do not come to Kenting to waste my time at a resort, but you can still search Agoda, Booking.com, or Klook here for those) but they are in my opinion the above have the best value for the money. Tours and Activities in Pingtung: There are many activities available in Kenting, such as Riding ATVs (four wheeling) on the beach snorkeling, diving, SUPing, surfing, submarine riding, and river tracing. You can find more tours of Kenting on Klook here or KKday here. How to get there: By Bus: You can take bus 304 or 304A to Gangzai Nei station, and the sand dunes are about a half hour walk away. You can book tickets to travel to Pingtung via inter-city bus on Klook here. By Car/Scooter: Take County Highway 200 to Jiupeng in Pingtung. The sand dunes are very big and obvious along the coast. Looking for scooter rental in Pingtung? Click here or here to search for options. 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 search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. Map: See below: 
Longmen is a scenic coastal biking area near Fulong Beach. Here you can also find sand dunes, a camp ground, and a large sports part. It is a great place to go cycling and enjoy the ocean views.
Background: "The total distance of Lingmen bikeway is about 5 kilometers, the scenery along the route is very beautiful with green grass, river, and birds. The sea wave is magnificent, you can stand there to look Bitou Cape, Scenery of Laolan Mountain, and sunrise. The natural scenery such as Pacific Ocean, Shuangxi River, Longmen Park, and Yanliao Park, you can ride a bike with your family members to enjoy the scenery here." 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 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: Free Hours: 24/7 Tours and Activities: There are many activities available here at Longmen such as Windsurfing, SUP /paddle boarding, kayaking, canoeing, sailing, and more on Klook here or KKday here. You can also book tickets to the international Sand Sculpture Art festival on Klook here or KKday here. 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. Fulong sand sculpture season dates: April 19th - August 25th (2019). Hotels in Fulong: 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 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 higway 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: 
Despite Taiwan being a tropical island, it also has a surprising amount of sand dunes. The Guanyin Caota Sand dunes in Taoyuan are Taiwan's longest stretch of sand dunes, over 8 KM in length. They have become a major Instagram selfie location due to being such a unique geological feature so close to Taipei.
Background: The sand dunes at Caota have been forming for thousands of years, thanks to silt being washed into the ocean from the Taoyuan plain from nearby rivers, such as the Shunagxikou River (雙溪口溪). Recently, wicket fences have been placed around the sand dunes to prevent erosion and the spread of sand in unwanted places. Also, in the past few years, many land-based wind farms have been erected here. The dunes are part of Guanyin Coastal Recreation Area, which includes a beach that may or may not ban swimming, but you can wade here, go Stand Up Paddleboarding, or surf. Recently the sand dunes have become a hot spot for Instagrammers, but the area is still usually free of people even on weekends due to the lack of convenient transportation. Hours: 24/7 Price: Free Tours: You can book a tour to the Caota Sand Dunes on KKday here. Hotels near Taoyuan: High end: We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan. Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. Just to let you know, if you book using the links above, we get some commission at no cost to you. How to get there: By Car: Take Expressway 61 South from Taipei and get off at the Cata Exit (33). There is limited parking on a dirt road near the sand dunes. The way to the sand dunes is not clear, but it is a huge area and hard to miss. 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 Scooter: Follow underneath Expressway 61 South from Taipei and get off near the Cata Exit (33). There is limited parking on a dirt road near the sand dunes. The way to the sand dunes is not clear, but it is a huge area and hard to miss. Looking for scooter rental in Taoyuan? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. By MRT/Bus: You can go to Dayuan MRT station, then take a bus to Guanyin or Xin Village Road. The bus ride should take about 20 minutes. Then it is another 20 minute walk to the dunes. You can also book an MRT travel pass on Klook 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: See below: |
Author 作家I am an American expat who has extensive experience living, working, and traveling in Taiwan. In my day, I had to learn many things about Taiwan the hard way. But I have come to learn that Taiwan is one of the best places in the world for Foreigners to live. This blog does not represent the opinions of every foreigner in Taiwan. I am just trying to help others learn more about this beautiful country. Categories
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