TW-1413704

An official from Taiwan with the most famous of the many rock formations at Yehliu Cape, in the town of Wanli. This cape is mainly composed of sedimentary rocks; the formation of sea bays is due to the impact of sea erosion on softer rock layers, while those hard and solid ones may therefore turn into sea capes eventually. 

Photo by Yuyen

TW-1413704, sent by Sharon. 

Yehliu's trademark Queen's Head is an example of a mushroom rock. As the Earth's crust rises in the vicinity of Taiwan, differential erosion by the sea has shaped the rocks around Yehliu into their current forms. An estimate made on the basis of the average rise in the Earth's crust in northern Taiwan suggests that the Queen's Head is nearly 4,000 years old. After it fractured along the grain of the rock in 1962, it has resembled the profile of England's Queen Elizabeth when viewed from a certain angle, which is how it has come to be called the Queen's Head.

Thanks to its unique shape, the Queen's Head has become a Yehliu landmark, but it has also suffered the ill effects of its great fame. Apart from the erosive forces of wind, sun, and rain, visitors' inappropriate behavior has also accelerated the rate of erosion. According to 2008 measurements, the neck of the rock formation is only 138 cm in circumference at its narrowest point. - in: http://www.taiwan.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=36885&CtNode=2200&mp=1006