Starting on June 25 the Taipei City Government is inviting sunbathers to pull up a beach chair and relax — right by Taipei City Hall.
The city government is creating a 400m² beach with white sand, umbrellas, beach chairs and palm trees at the southeast plaza of Taipei City Hall.
“Beachgoers” may need a little imagination, though, to enjoy the one missing ingredient: the sea.
The NT$1.07 million (US$35,000) project, which will be open until November, is intended to attract Taipei residents yearning for a bit of beach relaxation, city officials said, but the government will also use the beach to sell advertising space.
“The idea to set up an artificial beach downtown is meant to create a beautiful spot in Taipei and a relaxing atmosphere where residents can hang out,” Emile Sheng (盛治仁), commissioner of Taipei City’s Research, Development and Evaluation Commission, told reporters at Taipei City Hall yesterday.
If this year’s beach debut is a hit, the city government hopes to make the white sands an annual summer feature.
The commission proposed the idea last July, seeking a way to make better use of the plaza. The concept, Sheng said, was borrowed from Germany and France, which have created such beaches in various locations to provide getaways from the urban grind right at the heart of a city.
“Hopefully the artificial beach will become a place where residents and visitors can go to enjoy sunshine and take a short break as people do in other countries,” he said.
Sheng said some members of the public had expressed concerns about the environmental impact of the project. In response, the commissioner said the city government had asked meteorologists whether wind could blow the sand out of the beach area.
Sheng said a 24m² spot would be reserved for private companies to buy advertising space. Companies will also be invited to bid for the right to name the beach.
The city’s Parks and Street Lights Office said the beach would have seven palms, large beach umbrellas, a wooden patio and sinks to wash off sand.
As many Taiwanese are averse to getting a tan, however, the umbrellas may be the key to the beach’s success.
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