Dear Steemit friends :
Yehliu Geopark is like another world.
There are so many reasons to visit the Formosan Island also known as Taiwan, and Yehliu Geopark is often near the top of the list of reasons. Geological formations resulting from thousands of years of attrition and erosion have gifted us with an unworldly composition of rocks. Perhaps the most iconic of these is the Queens Head, but aside from that one, there are also many other rocks in all sorts of shapes and sizes - many with their own nick names, describing their uncanny resemblances to worldly objects in the backdrop of alien landscapes. Therefore, a trip to Yehliu Geopark is like visiting another world, one with very appealing and unique geography.
The Queens Head is so iconic that it is often used as the unofficial emblem of the local town of Wanli. It, amongst other rock formations have stood against the geological forces overtime, contributing to their appearance today. It is however, a matter of time before these rocks lose their shapes forever as continuous natural geological forces erode them away.
Even though nature has it's way of going full circle, if you wish to see these natural rock formations in their mystical forms, it's definitely a good idea to visit sooner rather than later. I once visited the Azure Window in Malta, only to hear it had collapsed a year later. Nature works in mysterious ways, the beauty before us can come and then go, just like the tides from whence they were born.
Yehliu Geopark is part of the Wanli town and district, North East of Taipei along the coast. It is about 90 minutes via coach from Taipei Main Station, or about 1 hour via shuttle bus. My personal recommendation is to book a shuttle bus as they will come pick you up from your residence and drop you back as well. A common route is to pass by Keelung City on the way back. The vibrant bustling night markets there are a delight and draw visitors from all around.
From this aerial photo, you can see the 1,700 meters long cape of Yehliu Geopark, protruding out into the sea. This macro geological movement as a result of the Datun Mountains being forced out into the ocean as tectonic plates shifted.
The soft rocks here form a honeycomb like window lattice. Because of the monsoon season, the rocks are subjected to many months of hard battering under humid conditions. Uneven erosion under these severe weather conditions lead to the many holes. It's really as if the holes were created by creatures who live inside. (thankfully not!)
There is pretty much just one path that leads you all the way from the entrance of the park, right to the end of the cape, where you will climb several hundred meters up a fairly steep hill. At the top, there is a lighthouse.
Even though there are beautiful rocks everywhere you look, the attention is focused squarely on the Queens Head, the most recognisable and iconic rock formation of the park.
In the distance, you can see a little path with more people standing further away in the background. That is where the Queen's head is, as well as all the other Mushroom rocks.
In fact, all of the rocks were once spherical in shape. The thin pillars that we can now see supporting them are the result of faster erosion. This is due to more contact with seawater, and also because of the type of rock being more susceptible to erosion being the lower layer.
The result of this differential erosion is that we are left with the top rock layer containing more calcium, eroding slower than the lower rock layer.
There are three main types of these mushroom rocks. And they are all defined by the thickness of their 'necks' : Thin, thick, and neckless.
As time goes by, we will see the rocks cycle through neckless, thick and then thin necks as they continuously erode.
Lets take a look at some more of these amazing rocks below. Time to use your imagination and see if you can identify any of them!
A collapsed arch, a mini version of the azure window.
In the distance, you can see the cape of Yehliu, the lighthouse, and just below it, the 24 filial piety hill.
This rock has been given it's own name. You might have guessed that it is the Queens Head, but looking closely, you can see the shape is softer on the edges, almost resembling a little girl. Indeed, this mushroom rock is known as Cute Princess.
Nature's way of acknowledging the beauty of human form perhaps?
As you can see, this particular rock has a some what thin neckline. Yet, as you will see later, the Queens Head has an even thinner neckline. This means that the rock has been undergoing erosion for a very long time and that the weight of the head will soon overwhelming the neck supporting it, resulting in the head collapsing.
This is the reason that you will find sign posts for the Queen Head II and Cute Princess II near the entrance. They are replica's made from fibre-reinforced plastic, made in perfect 1 to 1 size and shape through computer modelling. In the event that the originals no longer stand, there are at least the replica's remaining.
A few foot bridges lead us to the main mushroom rock section.
Thick-neck mushroom rocks look very sturdy, and you'll notice that the honeycomb structures on top are a different kind of rock to the neck.
I believe this is supposed to be the Japanese Geisha rock. I'm not quite sure I see it, but it's certainly quite elegant and beautiful looking.
Just to the bottom right where this picture was taken, is the Mazu cave. Mazu is the Chinese goddess of the sea, and the cave is named after her because of the statue that was previously placed inside the cave. Because of the frequent inclement weather conditions, the statue was moved away. Legend has it that Mazu made a presence before a fisherman demanding to be moved to Jinshang. This is where the Ci Hu Temple was then erected to consecrate the Sea Goddess.
This is the statue of Lin Tian Zhen. Most statues are erected as a sign of respect for high ranking person(s), or persons of notable importance. Lin Tian Zhen was an ordinary fisherman but with a heroic heart. On March the 18th, 1964, a group of students visited the area and one of them fell into the sea. This was before any security barriers were put up, nor was there any official scenic area for visitors. A local fisherman saw the student in the sea, and dived in to rescue him. Sadly, both ended up drowning and upon hearing this story, the President Chiang Kai-Shek ordered a statue to be built of Lin Tian Zhen in honour of his bravery.
I thought this shot was quite funny, look at all those umbrellas! (They're used to shade from the sun)
This is one of the 'Pineapple Bun' rocks sitting in a little notch on top of the larger bean curd like rocks. Who knew there can be food like rocks too!?
And finally, the star of the show! The Queen Head mushroom rock！As you can see, it's such an important and iconic rock that they have surrounded it with a perimeter of smaller rocks to stop people from touching it.
The man in the picture is standing on the walkway where people queue to take pictures.
According to geologists, the rock forming the Queens Head is around 4000 years old. It wasn't until around 1962 that the top part of the rock fractured and then broke off leaving the side of the head looking like side profile of Queen Elizabeth.
The neck of the Queens Head has suffered aggressive erosion over the years as well as perturbation from mankind. Though some measures have been put in place to try prolong the life of the Queens Head, it's collapse is an inevitability.
I'm very lucky to have a picture with the Queen Head whilst it's still standing. One of the reasons Yehliu Geopark is so popular is because of this landmark. Who knows what will happen when the Queens Head falls one day?
Please check out my video walking through Yehliu Geopark!
Yehliu's Geopark is a wonderful example of mother natures ability to forge unworldly objects that capture the fascination of people throughout the ages. The Queens Head and other strange and wonderful rock formations make Yehliu a unique landscape on this tropical Island and indeed the world. Not a single mushroom rock will be formed the same as another, and neither are their current states "set in stone" as perpetual weathering and erosion will one day wash away natures' sculptures.
Visit while they're still around!
Make sure you upvote if you liked the post, follow me for more, and leave a comment to let me know what you think!
我眼里的台湾，有着很多面的性格，它既展现了充满人情味的传统风貌，散发出趣味十足的年轻活力，也呈现了奇特瑰丽的自然景色。台湾很小，也很大，这里的山脉，湖潭，大海和峡谷，形态各异，给了我丰富多彩，无与伦比的旅行体验。之前带大家探寻了有着深厚文化历史积淀的人文景观，今天我们一起走进台湾新北市万里区的野柳风景区，体会一下独具特色的台湾自然风光吧。
大自然是有多么眷顾这个四面环海的宝岛呀，台湾自古以来都占据了重要的地理位置，虽然土地面积不大，却拥有着丰富的生态资源，和各国鲜有见到的特殊地貌景观。眼前的野柳景区是是大屯山脉突出海面的岬角，有1700公尺的长度。这片海岸历经了千万年的日晒，波浪的侵蚀，岩石风化和地壳运动，生成了罕见的地形和地质景观。就此，野柳奇岩成为了世界奇观之一，吸引了大批游客和专家门前来观赏和研究。刚走进公园没多远，就看到了绝妙精致的海景，水青草绿，眼前的画面瞬间有一种大片既视感。沿着小桥走过对岸，就看到了远处密布着奇形怪状的金色岩石，我加快了脚步，想要以最快的速度近距离感受它们独有的魅力。当一颗颗大大小小，错落有致的蘑菇形状岩石矗立在我身旁时，宛若穿越到了远古时代，又像自己深陷在科幻电影的场景中，此景此物激发出我无限的新奇和对未知的探寻。
这些地质奇观，简直是大自然创造的杰作，一颗岩石，一朵浪花，都可以是无限大的想象。有的像蘑菇，有的像人物，有的像动物，千姿百态，惟妙惟肖。大自然的雕琢似乎遵循着一个简单的定律，坚硬的岩石凸出，较软的岩层凹陷。例如我身旁这个高大的岩石，就是由于岩石质软，再受到海水侵蚀，行成女人细长的脖子，人们给它起了个可爱富有灵气的名字——俏皮公主。大自然这位大艺术家，总会给我们别样的惊喜，就像眼前这公主模样的岩石，精美细致的形态，让我有些难以想象它竟然是一个纯天然，没有经过任何人工雕琢的岩石。在传说里，2000多万年前的台湾还沉睡在海底，而附近海域福建一带冲下的泥沙，一层层堆积成沙岩层，在后来的造山运动中将沉积岩挤出海面，就形成了现在的台湾岛，而野柳地质公园正是岩层的一部分。
接着往高处走，会看见一座铜像，为了纪念一位在海中舍己救人的英雄——林添祯。看了之后我不禁感慨，美丽的海水孕育了生命也同时吞噬着生命。从高处望下去，风景一览无余。石头窝里生出的小颗石头可爱极了。那条正在爬坡的长长队伍，就是要去看野柳公园的镇园之石——女王头的队伍，花花绿绿的太阳伞确实让这片岩石地增色不少。女王头位于突起的斜缓石坡上，高达2米，它是一颗历经风化的蕈状石，有着修长的脖子，优美的脸部线条，散发着雍容尊贵的女王气质，让我感慨自然界的造化神工是如此美妙，令人惊叹。站在高处，面朝大海，心情无比舒畅，心灵得到洗礼。多么感慨能够观赏到这样珍贵的天然资源，感受到人与自然的和谐。今天的野柳风景区探索之旅就要告于段落了，之后还有更多精彩的游记想要分享给大家。
awsome stories as always!
thanks my dear, top commenter! :)
I am a bit embarrassed to say this, but prior to this post, I could not see Taiwan beyond its urban sprawl. It is amazing how so much of what we perceive is based on what we see over and over again. This was indeed a breath of fresh air. To think that all these years I was interested in the country and I knew nothing of this hidden gem. As always, great post.
We all sometimes lack appreciation. Best wishes :)
It really is just so amazing, isn't it? I spent the whole day thinking about your incredible comment and how it applied to this absolutely astounding post, and I know I'm a much better person for it. Oh gosh! I can't believe I just shared that with you. Now I'm embarrassed, too! hee hee (giggles)
I've been to Taiwan quite a few times over the summer to visit relatives, and I haven't heard of this place either, even though it's not too far from where we usually stay.
Wow you are all over the place Sweets, you should consider visiting the Colorado/Rocky Mountain Area and attending one of our Steemit Meetups (;
Wow! You're on a first name basis with her! I'm so jealous!! That's just absolutely amazing and crazy. I'm sure she'll go to CO now that you asked her too. GREAT COMMENT!
Lol we are on a first name basis with everybody... We are bold as Mountains! 😄
More places in Asia since that is where i'm based, but I do venture out quite often :)
Well if you've never been to Colorado, you'll have to eventually! (;
Beautiful pictures, as usual!
This is cool place to see, it looks awesome in the pics...
This is a fantastic post. The pics are amazing. The location is unbelievable. I did not know this place existed. The mushroom rock is impressive. Thanks for sharing this place.
thank you goldkey, this is a really incredible place, even though it's not completely unique in that there are other places in the world with mushroom rocks, the shapes and sizes of rocks here are truly a spectacle !
an interesting post, @sweetsssj - an entire park devoted to an illusion.
The scientific term is Pareidolia - a psychological phenomenon in which the mind responds to a stimulus, usually an image or a sound, by perceiving a familiar pattern where none exists .
Of course, the erosion of the rocks creating fantastical patterns is charming nonetheless.
On a more serious note, your trip to the park reminded me of the transitory nature of human life. Erosion is a force working through all of nature, including us.
I think the greatest example of erosion in terms of human life is E. J. Pratt's poem. Do you know it?
It took the sea a thousand years,
A thousand years to trace
The granite features of this cliff,
In crag and scarp and base.
It took the sea an hour one night,
An hour of storm to place
The sculpture of these granite seams
Upon a woman's face.
For me the geological park is not just a Disneyland of nature but a reminder of the fleeting and evanescent aspect of life.
Thank you for your amazing pictures of the site. It would be an interesting place to visit
What a fascinating poem, and on the surface it seems to fitting. A perfect descriptor almost, of the Queens head and how it came to be. I'm not a religious person, but I often look at these examples of nature and wonder how something so beautiful could just happen spontaneously and through random chance.
I'm not religious either but I believe. There's a difference between joining a club and knowing God :)
I was utterly fascinated myself, the poem being so incredibly insightful and interesting to read and talk about. And I just LOVE scientific terms! They are so super sciency! Just so super great and helpful on so many levels all of this.
Great stories as always
Excellent post.
@sweetsssj when you visit a walk, are you not afraid of losses?
I'm not sure what u mean?
@sweetsssj I mean, your trip really made me want to go to the same place. but I'm not sure, I can be like you.
maksud saya, perjalanan kamu sangat membuat saya pingin ketempat yang sama.tapi saya tidak yakin, saya bisa seperti anda.
Where does a cow stay when it is on vacation?
A moo-tel!
haha nice one :)
@sweetsssj another fun joke for you. A Horse walks into a Bar and the Bartender looks at the Horse and says "Hey why the Long Face" ??
Because a horse has a long face! :D
@sweetsssj You are a Very Intelligent Woman. I always enjoy the fact that you interact with your commenters on STEEMIT. Thank You
social media is all about being social right? :)
wow very nice post with beautiful picture picture i like it very much
All of that picture are just WOW You are right i have to visit that place!!
Like it!
Magical and awesome a truly delight for the eyes, thank you @sweetsssj for this beautiful journey !
it's my pleasure, thank you very much for visiting :)
This is the first shitstorm on blockchain.
Upvote for keeping the shit high in the comments.
Wow dear @sweetsssj it is really an amazing and fascinating island I have never ever seen before this , superb photography which inspired me too much that i had made my first preference to visit this island and Yehliu geopark
thanks dear, try to go before the rocks are all eroded away!
As always you have a gift in writing and telling a story fully supported with incredible photos, making all of us want to travel and explore. Good job, my friend. So, where are you going next?
thank you johnny, as always i'm very grateful for your positive feedback, I'm always trying to learn new ways to keep my blogs evolving! I haven't had a new area to travel to yet, it looks like likely around Christmas time. I do have quite a lot of blogs to come from my native country, in addition to finishing off my series on Turkey and Taiwan, I hope you'll find them enjoyable :)
Beautiful pics!!
thanks hms818! :)
台灣還有很多迷人的景緻，永遠張開雙臂歡迎妳！😘
谢谢，台湾总是玩不够的，希望以后还有机会去找你们玩^^
@sweetsssj I just wanted to say that your posts are interesting and inspiring. I love to travel but I have been limited to the western hemisphere, so I appreciate seeing the places you go through your eyes and experiences. I was wondering who takes the photos or are you setting up a tripod and taking them yourself? Also in the pictures where you are wearing what looks to be a soda cup I was wondering if that’s a purse or actually holding liquids? I know there is little hope of you seeing my post but I wanted to give it a shot. Thank you for your contribution to Steemit.
Very beautiful and unusual....thank for sharing @sweetsssj
you're welcome, thanks for visiting :)
Nice place and beautiful girl @sweetsssj 😍
thanks dear! :)
awesome article/ I liked all the pictures you shared and you look very sweet. you like very beautiful. I think travling is the thing which made you look young all the time.
aww haha thank you, also i'm not that old! :)
ahahah i mean you look like 15 years girl lol. so I wish I go with you in your next trip. .
Why you not at steemfest
The powers that be decided I wouldn't be allowed to apply for another shenghen visa for a while since I had one for so long before. There is a cool down period. Also it's incredibly difficult to obtain a non-group tourist visa now.
😯😯😯😯
hahaahaa what you think.
Interesting Taiwan !
Beautiful queen's head and beautiful queen standing with it !
Fall in love ! I wish I can go there !!
Such beautiful natural architecture. Our Earth is stunning, and it should be revered more. I was lucky to visit Arches National Park in California a few years ago and it was an amazing sight. Its so poetic they way these unique formations we cherish come out of destruction. Everything is a cycle. I hope I can one day travel as much as you and take in more of these sights. Thank you for sharing :)
Beautiful photos and very interesting place. It's a bit like the desert on few photos. I would like to visit places that you show :).
It's as hot to be a dessert, but also very humid. But i see what you mean about the desert. It's hard to believe that that area is half submerged in water half the time.
Sand (even it's not sand here) and juicy green and blue water is associated with some paradise. You should visit Cyprus, I think you would like.
I will! It's on the list :)
@sweetssj your rank is great 75. Your all post are amazing.
excellent I love to see this so many times in order to perceive it, very good your publication is a great country and to know it of this is incredible
@sweetsssj why do you like traveling alone?
What if Godzilla will eat you?!
You are the amazing girl, good job...
thank you! :) :)
You are welcome....
nice blog anjoy life dear i am big fan you
very flattered my dear, thank you!
nice
hi
@originalworks
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Nice and amazing place
serene and unique, very amazing !
Wow...may happiness always be with you @sweetsssj it was a very beautiful trip. Best regard.
@sweetsssj you as a nature lover really desperate to go where you want. I salute with you.
thank you, a large part of travelling is of course seeing mother nature's work!
Me gusta lo que publicas, desde que empece este mundo de steemt y vi tus post estoy pendiente de cual sera el siguiente. La mayoria de esos lugares nos llevan mentalmente a lugares magico, en esta oportunidad nos muestras a Yehliu Geopark , para mi que paso el día pegada a un computadora es una forma de viajar y conocer un poco del mundo que nos rodea, los hermosos recursos naturales, las historias que lo rodean, en fin , buen trabajo espero que sigas manteniendo tu calidad de investigación.
I like what you publish, since I started this world of steemt and I saw your post I am aware of which one will be next. Most of these places take us mentally to magical places, this time you show us Yehliu Geopark, for me, the day spent on a computer is a way to travel and know a little of the world around us, the beautiful natural resources , the stories that surround it, in short, good work I hope you continue to maintain your research quality.
thank you, i will do my best to keep the quality as high as possible. Hopefully you get to learn a lot and continue to enjoy my posts :)
your blog is really awesome. This visit and geopark is wonderful.
thanks yadhnesh :)
Great blog and some really interesting locations to visit. If you have a moment, I would really appreciate it if you could take a look at my recent post "Exploring The Desert in 2018" and let me know what you think. Here's a link: https://steemit.com/adventure/@andrewhall/explore-the-desert-in-2018
Thanks for sharing your story.
Nice place to visit.. thanks for sharing!!!
my pleasure :)
successful greetings from @bustamam
greetings to bustamam too :)
Upvote postingan @bustamam yes. thank you
very very nice
あなたの努力をありがとう
thanks, arigato!
you welcom
I am from morocco
I speak arabe and amazigh and japanise and franch and inglich
lissen this music
ohh that is great.
thank you bro
arigato
merci
شكرا
welcome.
Muy lindas fotos!!
thank you!
Good video it seems really amzing interesting .
fascinating place i must say!
Woooooowww Nice pic.
thanks cyclope!
WOW... what a beautiful photography ms. @sweetsssj... the photos are wonderful as well as the place :D i wanna be there someday! thank you so much for sharing ^_^
you're welcome rejzons, just make sure you go before the rocks wither away :)
hoping to be there soon once I graduated miss :) ^_^ such a wonderful place to visit
oh you're still studying? what do you study?
A very beautiful place, amazing photos and you are also very beautiful @sweetsssj
thank you rizasukma, you are so sweet :D :D
Hehehe .. I'm so ashamed of you :-). I like your post. I resteem. May always be successful for beautiful woman :-)
why be ashamed dear?
Because I'm not sweet .. :-) I'm definitely shaking when a beautiful woman like you says I'm sweet .. :-)
@sweetsssj So amazing! Just by looking at photos you can feel calmer, it's probably 10 times more beautiful in live. Joy for the soul, visual and acustic.
i must say, the photos only capture some of the atmosphere. What you don't see from the photos is just how preserved and conserved the area is. Most of it has been kept in completely natural condition.
wonderful it makes you want to go <3