Yehliu Geopark is a 1.7-meter-long cape in New Taipei’s Wanli District. It has various naturally formed hoodoo stone formations. Keep reading to learn whether they’re worth seeing.
I highly recommend visiting Yehliu Geopark, specifically the Queen’s Head, because erosion is causing rock structures throughout the park to decay. Thus, it’s one of those experiences that you should see before it disappears.
I’ll cover the following points throughout this piece:
Important Information for Travelers
| Is it Worth Visiting? | Yes; highly recommended |
| Best Time to Visit | Sunny days |
| Admission Ticket | NT$120 |
| Opening & Closing Hours | 8 AM – 5 AM (every day) |
| Time People Spend Here | 1 – 2 hrs |
| Address | 207, New Taipei City, Wanli District, 港東路167-1號 |
| Wheelchair Accessible? | Yes |
| Chinese Name | 野柳地質公園 (Yě liǔ dìzhí gōngyuán) |
| How Old is Yehliu? | Some rock formations are 4,000 years old |
I don’t usually urge people to go to specific locations, but this is one of those places you should visit. Because as I’ve said, the Queen’s Head could vanish at any time due to worsening weather conditions. However. Yehliu is sort of out of the way and doesn’t have much nearby.
But it’s a worthy day trip.
The Queen’s Head (女王頭) is Yehliu Geopark’s most famous formation. And you’ll need to get in line to take a picture of it.
But why not just snap a photo of it from behind the rock?
Because people can only see the resemblance of a Queen’s Head if they look at the rock from the right angle.
My Tips for Visitors
Here are some tips I recommend when visiting Yehliu:
- Wear sunscreen to prevent skin damage.
- Check the weather on cwa.gov.tw to make sure it won’t rain.
- Be ready for ankle-twisting rocks.
- See the entire park; there are a lot of cool rock formations.
- Bring water to hydrate.
Considering that it’s a park with rock formations, you’ll encounter a lot of ankle twisters when going off the path. Wear shoes with ankle support, bring a walking stick to help your balance, and don’t wear flip-flops.
Yehliu Entrance Fee (As of 2024)
You’ll need to pay NT$120 per person to enter Yehliu Geopark. During special occasions, Yehliu Geopark may offer unspecified discounts to visitors.
Other types of people that will receive discounts include:
- Groups of 30 or more people will get a 20% discount.
- Students with an ID card, or children aged 6 – 12, pay NT$60.
Also, check vacation deal websites like KLOOK or KKday for deals. If you book for the first time on the KLOOK app, you’ll get 5% off.
I recommend comparing various travel sites to see if they offer any special discounts:
How to Get to Yehliu Geopark
Those coming from Taipei City should take the 1815 bus. It costs NT$83 and takes an hour and 15 minutes to reach the closest stop to Yehliu Geopark (one way).
Those outside Taipei should take the Taiwan High-Speed Rail (THSR) or Taiwan Railway Association (TRA) to Taipei Main Station.
From there, you have a couple of options:
- Take the Taipei MRT (Red line) to Daan Park Station and transfer to Keelung Bus 953
- Explore Daan Forest Park while you’re in the area
- Transfer to Kuo-Kuang Bus 1815
- Take the MRT (Red line) to Tamsui Station, then transfer to Keelung Bus 862
- While in Tamsui, consider exploring the Old Street & wharf
- Take the MRT (Red line) to Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall Station & transfer to the Green line train bound for Xindian Station
- Depart at Gongguan Station and transfer to Keelung Bus 1068 from the National Taiwan University stop
- While in Gongguan, visit the secondhand market & street food market
- Depart at Gongguan Station and transfer to Keelung Bus 1068 from the National Taiwan University stop
All the buses will require you to depart at the Yehliu Geopark stop.
You could also hail a taxi, order an Uber, or rent a car.
Here’s What to Do in Yehliu Geopark
Aside from strolling along Yehliu Geopark’s trails and taking pictures of the hoodoo rock formations, there’s nothing else to do.
You’ll find souvenir shops, street food vendors, and other stands at Yehliu Geopark’s entrance. I’ve never heard of or seen any noteworthy food items at these stands. But they’re a great way to fill your belly and hydrate during a scorching day.
Rock Formations
While browsing, you’ll find the following rock formations throughout Yehliu Geopark [1]:
| Formation Name | Area Location | What it resembles |
|---|---|---|
| Queen’s Head | Area 2 | A woman’s nose & hair |
| Fairy’s Shoes | Area 2 | A slipper |
| Ice Cream Rock | Area 1 | Scoop of ice cream on a cone |
| Drumstick | Area 2 | Fried chicken drumstick |
| Dragon’s Head | Area 2 | A dragon’s head |
| Candle-shaped rock | Area 1 | Candles with a burning wick |
| Marine Bird Rock | Area 3 | A bird |
| Mushroom Rocks | Everywhere | Mushrooms |
| Honeycomb | Area 1 | Honeycombs |
| Pineapple Bun | Area 2 | Pineapple bun pastries |
| Queen’s Head 2 | Close to entrance | Another woman’s head |
| Ginger Rock | Everywhere | Ginger |
| Peanut Rock | Area 2 | A rock |
| Camel Rock | NA | A camel |
| Japanese Geisha | NA | A geisha’s head |
| Gorilla Rock | NA | A gorilla |
| The Leopard | Can’t remember | A leopard |
| A whale | Can’t remember | A whale |
No matter what you do in this park, I recommend visiting the Queen’s Head. If you don’t want to wait in line to take pictures, then look at it from afar. Because the circumference of her head is shrinking 1 – 2 cm each year [2]. And in 2017, the circumference was 125.01 cm.
I’d imagine with intensifying weather conditions, this shrinkage may go quicker.
And Here’s What To Do Nearby Yehliu
Attractions nearby Yehliu Geopark are as follows:
| Attraction | Entry fee | What it is | Avg. Time Spent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wanli UFO Village | NA | Village with abandoned UFO-shaped homes | 30 min? |
| Yehliu Geopark Ocean World | NT$450 | Marine parks & dolphin shows | 1 hr |
| Gui Hou Fish Harbor | NA | Fresh seafood & quick snack | 30 min (if not eating) |
| Dalongdong Bao’an Temple | NA | Taiwan folk religion temple | 20 min |
| Green Bay Beach | NA | Sand beach | 30 min |
| Yehliu Geopark Te Chan Jie | NA | Market | 20 min |
Yes, I keep telling you to visit Yehliu, but you won’t spend much time there. What should you do before or after to make it worth your time?
If I were traveling to Taiwan, I’d do the following:
- Visit Yehliu when it opens to avoid the mid-day sun and to see the Queen’s Head before the lines get crazy.
- Transfer from bus 1815 to F825 to 1062 to head toward Jiufen Old Street (this’ll take an hour and a half).
- Eat lunch in Jiufen while exploring the old street a bit.
- If the weather’s fair, I’d explore the Teapot Mountain Trail, Golden Waterfall, and other nearby areas.
- Head back to the old street and see if there’s anything else I want before leaving.
- Take a bus back to Taipei and head to Raohe Night Market
- Go back to my hotel and ice my knees.
Otherwise…
I’ve been to Yehliu Geopark Te Chan Jie, Green Bay Beach, and Gui Hou Fish Harbor. The Harbor has various vendors selling seafood and seating. And the shrimp I had there tasted great.
An excellent place to snag a snack before reaching Yehliu Geopark. There’s also Te Chan Jie. It’s an indoor market outside the entrance to Yehliu Geopark. They have many snacks, street food vendors, and souvenir shops.
And Green Bay Beach, otherwise known as Emerald Bay (or Feicui Bay), is a sand beach. That’s it. To learn more about this beach and other strands of sand and gravel along Taiwan’s coasts, explore a separate guide.
Wanli UFO Village is a semi-abandoned beachside resort with 6 Futuro and Venturo (UFO) houses. The resort never took off, so the owners left the homes to rot. There’s nothing to do here other than view interesting architecture.
And you can’t enter these homes. As there is broken glass and unstable furniture everywhere.
What is Yehliu Geopark?
Yehliu is a coastal area located in Wanli, New Taipei County, Taiwan, famous for its unique geological formations, including the Queen’s Head. Visitors can explore the park’s scenic coastline and experience the forces of wind and waves that have carved out the shapes over millions of years.
Plan on staying near Yehliu Geopark?
Other Photos of Yehliu Geopark
FAQs
How Did Yehliu Geopark Form?
Yehliu Geopark’s unique rock formations were shaped by the sea’s erosion and weathering. The cape formed from the Datun Mountains rising from the ocean.
Sources
- Yehliu Geopark, Landscapes
- Taipei Times, Queen’s Head concerns