Awaiting A Name

What’s a geopark anyway?

Yehliu is a geopark. There are a lot of rocks. There are a lot of tourists too.

There’s a visitor centre, a ‘Souvenirs of Yehliu’ walk, food stalls and a life-size model of the most famous rock formation, the Queen’s Head, for those who aren’t sufficiently satisfied with having a photo next to the real thing. There’s also wheelchair access to the nearer part of the peninsula (I imagine being close to Taipei has benefits in terms of tourism development).

Lining up for a photo with the Queen's Head.

But, step off the man-made walkways, cross the bridges, climb the stairs, and it’s easy to leave behind the crowds. Wander the peninsula and get up close with the wondrously shaped rock formations. Watch fishermen cast their lines and birds soar overhead as foamy waves crash nearby.

I’d intended to spend a couple of hours here, but ended up staying the whole day. If you’ve any interest in nature or photography I would label this a ‘must see’ in Taiwan. Actually, even if you haven’t any particular interest I would still recommend a visit since its easy to reach from Taipei and the coastal location makes for a nice day out.

More photos can be seen on flickr.