New Taipei Travel: Yehliu Geopark ~ North Taiwan's Vanishing Beauty

Travel Date: 2018/07/28

Another week, another opportunity to explore a new place. We truly travel a lot around Taiwan, and this country never fails to impress with its unique and beautiful locations. One of these special places is the Yehliu Geopark, known for its fascinating rock formations. In addition to Yehliu, other famous spots in the area include Elephant Trunk Rock and Heping Park.

Yehliu Geopark (野柳地質公園) 

Yehliu Geopark is an interesting place with numerous rock formations that make you feel like you're on another planet. It's a very popular destination for travelers, and parking spaces were filled everywhere. I noticed a significant number of foreigners, probably more than Taiwanese visitors. Some people even wore traditional Japanese clothing for a photoshoot here.

The Yehliu peninsula is approximately 1.7 km long and 50-250 m wide. The rock formations were created around 25-10 million years ago. The park's landscape is continually changing due to the impact of sea erosion. The coastal line is perpendicular to the structure line, and the unique landscape of Yehliu Geopark is renowned worldwide. The distinct features are shaped by the forces of wave erosion, rock weathering, tectonic movement, and crustal movement.

The stone formations have names based on their shapes. For example, you can see formations like Ice Cream Rock, Elephant Rock, Mushroom Rocks, Peanut Rock, Honeycomb Rocks, Weathering Rings, Candles Rocks, Princess Head, and the most famous of all, Queen's Head.

The name Yehliu has an interesting story. In the past, people relied on fishing for their livelihoods. During rice transportation, locals used sharp bamboo tubes to store rice. They would make a hole in the tube so that rice could easily slip out, which they would then collect later. Rice traders often complained that the rice had been "stolen" by savages. "Savage" is pronounced as "Yeh" and "stolen" as "Liu" in Mandarin, which led to the name Yehliu.

See also: Laomei Green Reef

See also: Shen'au Elephant Rock

     

The view at Yehliu Geopark is truly breathtaking. The water appears very clean, but due to the large waves, swimming is prohibited. Even as you walk around, you will notice red lines and signs indicating areas that should not be crossed. Violators of these rules will be fined. The sunshine was extremely strong during my visit, and with the temperature reaching 37 degrees, my skin turned red. By the way, the stone formations only reveal their true beauty when viewed from the proper angle.

The decomposition of earth rocks due to direct contact with the atmosphere is known as weathering. Atmospheric conditions such as heat, cold, ice, and pressure can transform rocks into sand, mud, soil, and other forms. Weathering affects not only rocks, soil, and minerals but also wood and artificial materials. Yehliu Geopark experiences the influence of the northeast monsoon and wave erosion for six months each year.

The bottom of the sea cliff is often eroded by waves, leading to the formation of notches. These notches can further develop into sea caves. Lover's Cave, which is the largest sea cave formed by erosion, is found here. As the sea notches are continuously eroded by seawater, stones eventually collapse.

Sea erosion and weathering have also created many potholes, often filled with seawater. Some of these potholes even house small fish and other aquatic creatures. Near the coastline, you may also notice rocks resembling candles.

Yehliu Geopark features two cuestas, which are hills with steep slopes on one side and gentle slopes on the other. In geological terms, cuestas refer to ridges where hard sedimentary rocks cover softer layers. The cuesta that ends in the sea is called Gueitou Mountain, while the one near the park is known as Big Cuesta. When looking down into the sea, you can also spot a row of rocks resembling tofu. From the pavilion, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the entire Yehliu Geopark.

As you walk through Yehliu Geopark, you may also come across many remains of animals or plants preserved within rocks. Fossils are the preserved remains, impressions, or traces of any living thing from past geological ages. They can include bones, shells, exoskeletons, imprints of animals in stone, objects trapped in amber, wood, coal, oil, and DNA remnants. Remains are considered fossils if they are over 10,000 years old. Fossils are formed when organisms are buried and minerals in groundwater replace the materials in bones and tissues, creating replicas or impressions of the original organisms or their tracks.

Initially, I overlooked the fossils and only took one picture. However, after leaving the park, I discovered a map and explanations about the fossils. I immediately regretted not taking more pictures where there were numerous fossils clustered together.

Here are some photos of the Honeycomb Rock, Ice Cream Rock, and Pineapple Bun formations. Honeycomb rocks and weatherings feature numerous holes of different sizes, resembling a honeycomb structure. The shape of these formations can change depending on the viewing angle, so I had to walk around to find the best perspective. It was a delightful experience observing all these unique stone formations.

   

Address:

207新北市萬里區港東路167-1號野柳地質公園