Mushroom rocks
Pillars and caps.
CEphoto, Uwe Aranas — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Balon Greyjoy — CC0 · peellden — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Balon Greyjoy — CC0
A rocky cape reaching about 1,700 metres into the sea on Taiwan's north coast, where waves and wind have carved strange shapes over thousands of years from sedimentary rock millions of years old, making it one of the island's most curious landscapes. It is best known for its mushroom rocks, slender pillars topped by rounded caps, above all the Queen's Head, said to resemble an ancient Egyptian queen with a thin neck whose erosion scientists track year by year; a copy stands at the entrance. Around it are rocks shaped like candles, a shoe and fossils. Paths divide the park into three zones, the farthest at the tip of the cape with cliffs, a small lighthouse and open sea. Arrive in the morning before the tour buses. The ticket is about TWD 120, per visitor guides, and the park opens from 8 am to 5 pm. Do not cross the red lines, which protect the rocks and warn of waves. Taiwan's typhoon season runs from June to October, peaking July to September, so check forecasts before heading to mountains and coasts, per UK travel advice.
Pillars and caps.
A thinning neck.
Open sea.
Wanli District, north coast, about an hour from Taipei
Its neck is slowly eroding and is measured regularly, which is why a copy stands at the entrance in case it falls one day.