Known for their national parks and national scenic areas, this country also offers a 1,700-meter-long-cape, a geological park just an hour and half away from the central city of Taipei. Nestled against the mountains, between the sea of Keelung and Jishan, there is a fishing village called Yehliu.
Yehliu Fishing Village
On the northeast coast of Wanli District in Taiwan after the fishing village is a cape known as Yehliu Geopark. Yehliu provides a scenic view of the sea and the coastal geological formation of rocks formed by wind and waves.
Gangdong Road
The Gangdong Road towards the cape are lined with different sizes of fishing boats at the fishing harbor and on the other side are seafood restaurants, shops and houses.
Baoan Temple (Protection Temple)
A temple called Baoan Temple (Protection Temple), Yehliu Ocean World, and the only hotel called Yehliu Boutix Resort is seen before the entrance of the Yehliu Geopark.
Yehliu Boutix Resort Hotel
Yehliu Boutix Resort Hotel is a 5-star hotel with the view of the East China Sea. Across the hotel is Yehliu Ocean World with a huge parking lot to accommodate tour bus for the Geopark and the Ocean World. The Ocean World is an Oceanarium that offers dolphin and sea lion show. In front of the Ocean World is a bay walk area where locals are fishing or admiring the ocean view and the stretch of the whole Geopark.
Yehliu Geopark
Yehliu Geopark is crowded even in early morning as tourists heads to the park before it opens at 8 AM. The long cape which is full of sea water eroded holes as well as numerous rocks of different shapes. Because the rock layer of nearby shore contains limestones, it was subjected to marine erosion, weathering and earth movements.
The cape is also known as Yehliu Promontory which forms part of Dalao Miocene formation. The long stretch into the ocean as geological forces pushed Datun Mountain out of the sea.
Mushroom rocks are prominent here, in which almost 180 rocks of these shape had gone through marine erosion due to the impact of wind, rain, sea-water and strong northeast monsoon. The tourist enjoys the famous Queen’s Head, which becomes the landmark of the geopark.
Another significant rocks are the ginger rocks, in which the softer surface had been washed away as a result of long-period erosion, the calcium concentration of rock further squeezed by earth movement to take the shape of the ginger. The famous of which is the Fairy’s shoes where legend says, that the piece of shoe was left by a fairy who visited the earth.
Candle shaped rock is conical standing erectly on the ground and being surrounded by circular groves like a candle tray. Other significant formations are sea caves, potholes and traces of fossil.
Yehliu Geological Park is one of the beautiful creation of nature. The natural conservation of the cape has benefited the locals of Yehliu and for tourist to enjoy.
For more posts about Taiwan, please check Maokong and Ximending, Taiwan and Yehliu Fishing Village, Taiwan