TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Hualien’s Sinchen Township will hold a month-long international stone stacking and arts festival at Qixingtan Beach beginning on July 6.

Six foreign artists from Canada and Switzerland have been invited to participate, arriving on Monday (June 24) to begin creating artistic works from pebbles and stones from the beach. 

Stone stacking is a popular activity at this Hualien County beach, and the event is expected to boost tourism, which has dropped dramatically since the devastating April 3 earthquake. Many popular attractions such as Taroko National Park remain closed or inaccessible to the public.

For tourists visiting Hualien's many beaches stone stacking is a fun and relaxing activity. "The flatter stones with a large base area are easier to stack," said one recent visitor to Qixingtan Beach, per FTV. Some also find it meditative and stress relieving. 

But for some who practice stone stacking at a more advanced level, the activity can also be competitive. This year’s event offers a top prize of NT$15,000 (US$463) and similar cash prizes for the top five entries. In addition to inviting foreign artists, 15 entry spots will be available to the general public.

Sinchen Township Agricultural Department Director Lai Chih-ming (賴志明) said planning for the event began one year ago. In addition to the stone stacking competition, other activities such as an art exhibition, an open-air market, and a picnic activity are also planned, per CNA.

The focus of the festival will be stone stacking. "Foreign artists will enter the site to create works starting on June 24, and we hope that all visitors can respect the artists' creations and not damage them. We hope it can become a national tourist attraction," said Lai.

Lai admits that this year’s competition will be more challenging than previous years as aftershocks continue to be felt in the Hualien area. This means that many of the stone stacks must be able to withstand some shaking as part of their design and execution.

The public is invited to watch the artists create their works from a trail area on the beach. However, visitors are encouraged to be respectful of the artists and not interact with the works or touch the stone stacks, which will be available for viewing from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 6 to Aug. 4.

For more detailed information, please visit the Sinchen Township website.