In search of the famous Queen’s Head at Yehliu on this sunny day!
Travel in a Day by car: Yehliu 野柳 > Jiufen 九份 > Jinguashi 金瓜石 > Shifen 十分
Yehliu is a cape on the north coast of Taiwan in the town of Wanli between Taipei and Keelung. Renowned for its fascinating rock formations composed of a mixed sedimentary sandstone and shale sculpted by the wind and water, the 1,700 meter long coast is one of the most famous wonders of the world. A number of its rock formations have been given imaginative names based on their shapes such as Fairy’s Shoe, Mushroom Rock, , Japanese Geisha, Candle Rock, etc. The most famous is the “The Queen’s Head” (女王頭), an iconic image in Taiwan and an unofficial emblem for the town of Wanli. It’s like the Mona Lisa of Yehliu where it is a must-see for every person visiting Taiwan.
I would recommend to pair a visit to Yehliu with other nearby attractions such as Jiufen (food and culture), Jinguashi (old mining town) or Shifen (release sky lanterns 天灯). You can comfortably cover 2 attractions via public transport in a day, but if you are travelling in a group of 4 or more, consider hiring a driver for the day so that you can save on the travelling time and see more. Afterall, you are on holiday, make the most of it
Rise & Shine! Taipei’s streetscape greeted me as I looked out of the bathroom window while brushing my teeth
The Red House
Our hotel was in Ximending, so we set off earlier at 7.30am to get breakfast and walk around the area a bit while waiting for our driver to arrive
Ximending train station
Look of the Day
Dress – Kenzo
Bag – Tata Baby
Leopard print sandals – MBT for Lane Crawford
Mail Order Package?
We settled breakfast at this little shop. Check out the lady rider’s helmet, I like.
Yummy! The colourful packaging and healthy lifestyle claim immediately brightened my day. But I wonder what/who are lohas?
On the way to Yehliu!
This shot taken while we were coming out of a road tunnel looked like we were entering a 3rd dimension.
Scenery along Yehliu’s coast line
Abandoned old ship which had recently broken off into two, and become a photo spot for tourists
Taking a short rest at the start of Wanli
Fishing hobbyists
Residents digging for shellfish
Gorgeous landscape
Admiring the scenic view
We are here! Yehliu Geopark
There were a lot of people already at the park when we arrived at 8.30am – students, tourists. Packed. Ewwww.
First time I see someone so happy to see rocks
Yehliu Geopark can be divided into three areas. The first area houses the mushroom, ginger, candle and ice cream rocks. The second area which is nearer to the coastline feature four different kinds of rock formations which are a result of being corroded by sea water, which include the elephant rock, fairy’s shoe, earth rock, peanut rock and the famous Queen’s Head Rock. The third area is the wave-cut platform with steep cliffs where rocks are incarnated as a result of torrent waves and sea erosion such as the 24-Filial Piety Hill, Pearl and Marine Bird Rock. The third area also includes the major ecology reserve of Yehliu Geopark.
Yehliu – Geopark
First impression?
Hot. Freakin hot with no shelter nor trees. And avoiding aunties wielding dangerous umbrellas from poking your eyes. Lucky the awesome scenery compensated for the heat.
The sun, the rocks and the blue blue sea!
A list of no-nos before we began exploring the park
Yehliu Geopark
Mushroom Rocks
The mushroom rocks on the wave-cut platform are formed with globe-shape rocks at the top supported by thin stone pillars below. The Queen’s Head is the most famous mushroom rock in Yehliu.
Holely Rock!
Look at the bridge packed with people and umbrellas. We opted to go the other way round instead.
The Fake Fairy with her Shoe
Fairy’s Shoe (Left) & Peanut Rock (Right)
Legend says that this shoe was accidentally left by a fairy who came down to earth to tame the naughty turtle elf (she must have been a Size 300 – so big!). The Fairy’s Shoe belongs to ginger rock, and is formed due to seawater erosion on the rock layer along with the impact caused by stratum extrusion.
A fist?
Honeycomb Weathering – A heart-shape formation
Owing to the differential erosion caused by weathering, the surface of rock turns into the shape of honeycomb or window lattice. The flat, level rocks are spreading across the land and covered with holes of different sizes.
Ta Da – here comes the Queen!
The Queen’s Head is Yehliu’s most famous mushroom rock; it attained the title in 1962 when the shape eroded to resemble the side face of Queen Elizabeth. Formed due to the differential erosion caused by seawater during crust movement, the age of the rock is about 4,000 years old. On top of natural erosion, high tourist footfall has also quickened the erosion process – the narrowest part around its neck is only 138 cm now.
Kuchi kuchi
If you were expecting a normal touristy pose, you will be sorely disappointed
And then some French kissing
And a squat
The Mischievous Princesses
After 2 hours of being baked in the sun (also the recommended visit duration), we saw most of the rocks and made our way to our next destination Jiufen 九份 – Coming up soon!
More on Taiwan:
Taiwan: Blooming Delights and Cultural Richness in Daxi 大溪
Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園
Address：20744 臺灣新北市萬里區野柳里港東路167-1號 / No.167-1, Kantung Rd., Yehliu Village, Wanli District, New Taipei City 20744, Taiwan, R.O.C.
TEL：886-2-2492-2016
Website:http://www.ylgeopark.org.tw/ENG
Open daily from 07:30 to 17:00 all year round. (Tickets can be purchased until 18:00 for extended visiting hours on May to September)
Admission Fee
1. Adult ticket NTD50
2. Half-fare ticket NTD25
-Student (Taiwan only or show ISI card)
-Children above 115cm
3. Group ticket (thirty persons upward) 20% discount
4. Courtesy entry: Disabled
Getting to Yehliu: http://www.ylgeopark.org.tw/ENG/info/TrafficContent_en.aspx
From Taipei:
Board a Kuo Kuang bus 1815 at Taipei West Bus Station Terminal A (near Taipei Main Station) bound for “Jin Shan Youth Activity Centre” route. Walk 10mins from the bus stop to Yehliu Geopark. The first bus departs at 5:40AM (weekdays) and 6:15AM (weekends). Bus frequency: 15~20 mins. Fare: NT$96 (Can use Easycard); Travel time: 1.5hrs
Location of Taipei West Bus Station Terminal A
Driver
If you are looking to hire a driver, you can consider Mr Liu 刘先生. He’s a burly uncle who used to be a truck driver, and very honest. He charged us a very reasonable per day rate, brought us to all the places where the locals went, and none of those touristy crap. And we felt safe with him. You can give him a try if you wish. Mr Liu’s Mobile: (0)92-0266-276