20 December 2011
Yehliu Geopark is home to a number of unique geological formations including the iconic "Queen's Head" (女王頭), and is one of the must visit destinations in northern Taiwan. Besides the Queen's Head, there are other remarkable natural rock formations at this site.
The plan for the day was to visit the following places around the northern part of Taipei.
Yehliu (野柳) Geopark --> Shifen (十分) - launch sky lantern –> Jiufen (九份) --> Jinguashi (金瓜石) – visit Gold Ecological Park, see Golden Waterfall (黄金瀑布), see Yinyang Sea (阴阳海). --> Keelung MiaoKou Night Market (廟口夜市) for dinner before returning back to Taipei.
I had booked a chartered taxi to take us for this excursion out of Taipei City. Mr Xi, our taxi driver for today, picked us up in his Toyota Wish taxi at 8.30 AM from the Caesar Park Hotel.
We took the highway northwards to Yehliu, our first stop. The journey would take about an hour. Mr Xi explained that there are 5 main highways in Taiwan, marked by the Mei Hwa or Plum Blossom (National Flower of Taiwan) and numbered 1,2,3,5,6. Number 4 is unused as it is considered bad luck.
It started to rain as we approached the north coast. Mr Lim pointed out the wreck of a ship, that had broke into half. Casualty of a typhoon that hit Taiwan recently. I was the only one who saw the ship as the rest of the family were asleep!
Upon arrival, Mr Xi told us he would pick us at the 7-11 shop about 1.5 hours later. The entrance was packed with tourists taking shelter from the rain and waiting for their tour groups and buses. The rain was not going to stop us from visiting the geopark. We were not alone. It did not stopped the other tourists as well.
After buying our tickets (no discount for students unless you hold the International Student Card), we went into the park. We went pass a full-size replica of the famous Queen’s head. No one wanted a photo with the replica!
Yehliu Geopark is divided into three areas. The first area contains mushroom rocks and ginger rocks. Here are some of the pictures and interesting rock formations at the first part of the geopark.
Then we moved on to the second part, where the main star of the geopark, the Queen’s head, is located. This mushroom rock shows a profile of a Queen’s face only when viewed from a certain angle at the front. A long line of people were queuing to have their photo taken with it.
There are other more interesting rock formation than the Queen’s head here. So we did not queue for a photo of the Queen’s head.
The third area of the Geopark is located on the other side of Yehliu. A trail led to a lighthouse and other geological features.
We went as far as the Marine Bird Rock and decided to head back out since we had seen most of the highlights. On the way out, I tried to take a shot of the Queen’s head using a telephoto lens from the front. No go. Too many people with their umbrellas in front of it. Maybe they should move the replica of the Queen’s head next to the exit, rather than at the entrance.
After going out of the park, we passed by stalls selling snacks and drinks. We bought 5 packs of our favourite dried cuttlefish snacks to bring back home.
We sampled some hot ginger tea which was quite good, especially after walking in the rain for an hour or so.
The stall sells the tea in solid cubic form. Just need to add hot water and stir. We bought a few packs to bring home.
Mr Xi picked us up as planned. He stopped the taxi by the roadside to show us the beautiful sand stone pattern on the cliff just outside Yehliu Geopark. He pointed out the seams of iron deposits jutting out from the cliff.
He also made a stop on the highway to show the rest of family the broken ship that they missed on the way in.
Shifen would be our next stop.
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