金山 & 野柳風景區 Jinshan town & Yehliu Geopark
Jinshan town
Jinshan means “gold mountain” in Chinese, because it had been rumored that this area is rich in gold deposits. During the Japanese occupation, around 1940s, the Japanese even offered rewards for any gold found. Naturally many people flocked to this area to dig for gold, yet they all left empty-handed. Since then, Jinshan has lost its attraction as a place to make a fortune. Still, its long history and beautiful scenery have made a popular tourist spot in northern Taiwan.
Jinshan’s old street, left from the time of Ching dynasty, still houses quite a few conventional stores that sell antiques. And the old-fashion barber shops there are sure to satisfy anyone looking for nostalgia. The temple in town is surrounded by food vendors that offer all kinds of delicious local snacks. On weekends, visitors and tourists crowd the streets of Jinsan. And for a little while, Jinshan seems to have regained its prosperity of the old days.
Yehliu Geopark
Yehliu Geopark is the most famous national scenic area on the northern coast of Taiwan. Its spectacular geological formations were discovered fifty years ago by the film crew of a movie. Since then, millions of tourists have visited this area to see the work of wind and rain erosion. And various names have been invented to describe its unique rock formations, such as the Queen’s Head, the Fairy’s Shoes, the Mushroom, the To-Fu, and the Candlesticks.
The most famous formation is the Queen’s Head, and it is so unique and beautiful that one year a couple of thieves tried to break the head and sell it overseas. They were caught right after, but scientists were left with the challenge of restoring the head to its foundation rock formation. They did a fairly good job eventually. That’s why we can still come and look at this beautiful and life-like queen. However, as you can see, the neck of the queen is becoming thinner every year because of erosion from acid rain. If this goes on without much improvement, the Queen may lose her head after all, and that would be a great disaster.
Jinshan town
Jinshan means “gold mountain” in Chinese, because it had been rumored that this area is rich in gold deposits. During the Japanese occupation, around 1940s, the Japanese even offered rewards for any gold found. Naturally many people flocked to this area to dig for gold, yet they all left empty-handed. Since then, Jinshan has lost its attraction as a place to make a fortune. Still, its long history and beautiful scenery have made a popular tourist spot in northern Taiwan.
Jinshan’s old street, left from the time of Ching dynasty, still houses quite a few conventional stores that sell antiques. And the old-fashion barber shops there are sure to satisfy anyone looking for nostalgia. The temple in town is surrounded by food vendors that offer all kinds of delicious local snacks. On weekends, visitors and tourists crowd the streets of Jinsan. And for a little while, Jinshan seems to have regained its prosperity of the old days.
Yehliu Geopark
Yehliu Geopark is the most famous national scenic area on the northern coast of Taiwan. Its spectacular geological formations were discovered fifty years ago by the film crew of a movie. Since then, millions of tourists have visited this area to see the work of wind and rain erosion. And various names have been invented to describe its unique rock formations, such as the Queen’s Head, the Fairy’s Shoes, the Mushroom, the To-Fu, and the Candlesticks.
The most famous formation is the Queen’s Head, and it is so unique and beautiful that one year a couple of thieves tried to break the head and sell it overseas. They were caught right after, but scientists were left with the challenge of restoring the head to its foundation rock formation. They did a fairly good job eventually. That’s why we can still come and look at this beautiful and life-like queen. However, as you can see, the neck of the queen is becoming thinner every year because of erosion from acid rain. If this goes on without much improvement, the Queen may lose her head after all, and that would be a great disaster.