“2018 Jibei Yu Beach Carnival” combined beach fun, romantic lifestyle, and Penghu culture in a series of vibrant events that thrilled everyone who loves sea, sun, and sports. A Penghu pearl of summer holiday tourism has revealed itself with flair.
 
From 16-18 August, the Penghu National Scenic Area Administration organized the 2018 Jibei Yu Beach Carnival as part of Taiwan’s 2018 Year of Bay Tourism. Held at and near Jibei’s world-class white sand beaches, the three-day carnival attracted close to a thousand travelers who reveled in the beauty and fun of this unique island.
 
The goal of the event was to help Jibei Island develop a more diversified and romantic tourism offering and image, increase the number of overnight stays on the island, drive its tourism sector forward, and improve the quality of life for the island’s residents.
 
The Penghu National Scenic Area Administration (Penghu NSA) under the Tourism Bureau, MOTC organized the carnival in close collaboration with the Penghu County Government, Baisha Township Office, Jibei Village Office, Jibei Community Development Association, Penghu County Sports Association, Penghu County Beach Volleyball Development Association, Jibei Junior High School, Jibei Elementary School, Penghu County Kite Association, Penghu County Beifan Sustainable Tourism Development Association, and the Penghu Jibei Wusheng Temple.
 
This year, Jibei presented a brand-new version of itself to the world. An international-standard beach volleyball court was completed and opened to host a beach volleyball tournament, which was held August 17-19 and was overseen by Mr. Chinhsien-Chen, Director of Penghu NSA; Mr. Yichung-Hu, chairman of Penghu County Beach Volleyball Development Association; and Mr. Laichun-Cheng, representative of the Chinese Taipei Beach Volleyball Association.
 
The three-day volleyball event featured 54 teams of beach volleyball enthusiasts from all over Taiwan, who competed with fun and fervor. Among the participating teams were national league teams and Group A players fulfilling their alternate service and who had experience playing in the Taiwan Top Volleyball League. National-level volleyball athletes also visited the island and practiced at the newly completed Jibei Shawei Beach Volleyball Court, attracted by the charm of Jibei’s pristine white beaches.
On August 18, a road run was held, being the first mass running event around the island and its beaches. The run included a 3.5K Fun Run Group and a 10K Challenge Group with a total of 807 runners. Special participants included: Mr. Chinhsien-Chen, Director of Penghu NSA; Mr. Chingchiu-Hung, director of the Penghu County Government Tourism Department; Mr. Yungchien-Hsieh, Jibei Village Chief, etc. Besides participants from the Penghu islands, more than half of the participants came from counties and cities all over Taiwan.
 
Within less than one and a half hours, the contestants ran across some of the most stunning scenery of Jibei Island, cheered by passionate locals along the way. Under the moon and the stars of the Penghu night sky, the organizers regaled the athletes to a feast of typical Penghu seafood delicacies, accompanied by a musical program featuring such singing celebrities as Showlen Maya, Tsunghsing-Lin, Huichi-Li, and Tzuhui-Chia. It was a touching, uplifting, and thoroughly entertaining event.
 
Penghu NSA also hosted two Beach Cleanups, on 16 and 19 August, where residents, tourists, and athletes helped collect trash from Jibei’s white beaches inspired by the slogan “Love the Earth, Love the Ocean, Love Your Home.”
 
On August 18 and 19, the Penghu County Kite Association was invited to demonstrate and teach kite flying to interested spectators for free, and enjoy the fun of dancing with nature.
 
Penghu NSA also held a guided tour for people to experience the local tradition of fishing by weirs (fish traps built from rocks). The tour paid homage to the ingenuity of the local forebears that developed this fishing technique, which makes for a beautiful and romantic scenic spots today. Besides these weirs, icons of Penghu culture, Jibei Island offers a wealth of wonderful things to observe, do, and eat — and the carnival was a mouthwatering appetizer for all of that.
 
At the conclusion of the event, Director Chen of the Penghu NSA emotionally thanked “all the agencies and residents for their passion and support that made the 2018 Jibei Yu Beach Carnival the success it was. With this new event we hoped to spotlight Jibei’s charm and draw people’s attention to Jibei’s offering as a holiday destination. The sports events of the carnival redefined the island’s image as an island for fun outdoor holidays that combine culture, nature, sports, and good food. This is a chance to develop Jibei’s tourism in a sustainable way. Let’s make Jibei a shining jewel on the crown of Penghu’s thriving tourism.”
Results of the 2018 Jibei Yu Beach Carnival running event:
3.5K
Champion -1097 Chunlung-Hsu 16mins
Runner-up -1016 Chienyu-Chang 18mins
Third place - 2200 Shumei-Wang 20mins
10K
Champion - A1142 Linhung-Hung 32mins
Runners-up ex aequo A1102 Kuoyin-Chen 54mins /A1045 Hsiaolung-Yang 54mins