Yehliu Geopark Guide to Visit

Yehliu – What Does It Mean?

There are so many legends about this name. In Spain, it is called “Punto Diablos” which means the “devil’s nose”. Another explanation is that, in the early days, residents made their living at sea, and they relied on rice suppliers from the mainland to offer rice to them. During the conveyance, some local people would use the sharp bamboo tube to stick the rucksack and leave a hole in it. Thus, the rice could slip out and be picked up by them. As a result, merchants often mentioned “the rice was stolen by the savages”. Whereas, “steal” and “savage” are pronounced similarly to Yeh (savage) and Liu (steal) in Taiwanese.

So How to Get There?

Because of the long distance between the Yehliu and the heart of the city, as the park is located in the Wanli Town, the northern pole of Taiwan, there are several ways to get there:

• By the Long Distance Bus: From Taipei West Bus Station – Terminal A, located at Taipei Main Station, purchase a ticket to Yehliu Geopark at the KuoKuang window. The bus will drop you on the main road right outside the park entrance, after about a 90-minute journey.
• By Shuttle Bus: The bus will take you from Ximen to Yehliu, followed by the Ying Yang Sea, 13-Layer Remains, Golden Waterfall, Jiufen, and Shifen Old Streets. The bus leaves at 9 am and returns at 5:45 pm.
• By North Coast Shuttle Bus: Take the North Coast Shuttle Bus all day with unlimited rides from either MRT Tamsui Station or Keelung Railway Station.

You can also use Google Maps to find the best way from your location to the park. The application is quite advanced and up-to-date, which will show you the most advantageous paths. Then you just need to follow what’s shown on the screen.

The Areas of Yehliu Geopark

As mentioned, Yehliu draws travelers’ attention with its spectacular landscapes. Those are the results of sea erosion on soft rock layers over the years, leaving immense shapes of rocks for today.

The 1st area

This is a place that has many rocks in the shapes of ginger and mushrooms interlacing one another. You can walk around these rocks to take pictures of them, or get to know more about how these appealing rocks are from the local tour guide. Moreover, this place also has rocks in ice cream or candle shapes, which would definitely captivate you at a very first glance!

In this area, there are fossils of the sea urchin on the ground. I just felt it quite interesting and so new to know.

The 2nd area

When visiting this place, you will come across the stone mushrooms, ginger root that I have mentioned in the first part. The most attractive thing there is the Queen’s Head stone, which is about 4,000 years old. It is one of the famous rocks and the most visited geological park. Also, it is the symbol of Wanli District. To take pictures with this rock, you have to get in a long line.

However, one sad thing is that the Queen’s Head cliffs are not just eroded by waves, but also damaged by the impact of humans over time. At present, the narrow part around the neck of the ledge is only about 138 cm. Besides, other special rocks in the shape of a Dragon Head, Fairy’s shoes, and Elephant stone are caused by the erosion of waves, too.

The 3rd area

This place is located adjacent to the cliff, and below are the fierce waves. Because of such rugged terrain, the geological rocks there also have quite rare shapes, such as Pearl rock, Marine Bird rock, Honeycomb rock, etc. In addition to the rare and beautiful geological framework, this is also the main ecological reserve area of Yehliu Geopark.

In addition to walking around Yehliu Geopark, you will also find a statue of Mr. Lin Tianzhen – a symbol of humanity. The statue is to remind people of the action that Mr. Lin took to save a student who was drowning in the sea when he accidentally fell while visiting Lin’s Geological Park in March 1946. Unfortunately, neither he nor the student can return forever. The park management has built this statue in memory of his humane actions.

When is The Best Time to Visit Yehliu Park?

The park opens from 8 am to 5 pm, and the ideal time to visit Yehliu is before 9 a.m. After that, the place is quite crowded with tourists. It will be difficult for you to get “only nature” photos. Hence, please remember to take advantage of the early arrival.

Things You Should Know When Traveling to Yehliu Geopark

• If you go to Taiwan for the first time with the intention of visiting Yehliu, for the sake of convenience, you should book a tour to avoid being lost and wasting time. The tour will combine destinations near each other to make it easier for your schedule. Additionally, the tour guide can help you to better understand the history as well as the detailed characteristics of destinations. I’m going to introduce the tour below.

• Yehliu Geopark entrance fee is 80NT$ for an adult. The fare is half for students or children from 6 to 12 years old, and free for those under 6. There is also a 20% discount for a group of 30 people.
• Please also put in mind to check the weather at the park when planning your trip. It was kinda cold with heavy wind and rain on the day I visited. Those could affect your experience if you face the same situation. Bring a coat!
• To protect the natural environment and to bring a fresh air experience for tourists coming there, Yehliu Geopark requires visitors not to smoke, not to litter indiscriminately, not to touch the rock artifacts, not to climb or bike in the park, as well as not to break trees, not to fish. Please note these signs! Because nature has given us such a wonderful gift to admire, please be a responsible tourist.

• To ensure the safety of visitors because of strong winds and strong waves, in the Yehliu geological park, they have red boundaries to warn people not to cross this warning line. You should note to keep yourself and your loved ones safe!
• The park’s visitor management center is full of services, including dining, free travel information, guides, baby stroller rentals, baby rooms, souvenir shops, and other utility services for travelers. In case you need anything, please contact them.