Friday, December 29, 2023

TAIWAN - YEHLIU - YEHLIU GEOPARK - PART 01

Assalamualaikum.
Ok, sekarang cerita pula kisah jalan-jalan kami di Yehliu Geopark. 

Geopark ini lokasinya dekat dengan Bandaraya Taipei, lebih kurang 40 km atau 1 jam perjalanan. Makanya geopark ini sangat popular among the tourists. 

Kelihatan begitu ramai pelancong yang datang berbondong-bondong dengan bas-bas besar pelancong.

Sementara menunggu Philip belikan tiket masuk ke geopark ini, kami rakam suasana di kawasan near the entrance.

Kelihatan penjual-penjual jalanan dengan foldable shopping carts mereka yang sarat dengan pelbagai souvenirs.


Di Yehliu Visitor Center ini ada Gift Shop, Tourist Information Counter, Coffee and Tea Room, Audio Visual Presentation, Guided Tours Services and Toilets. And for your information, Philip juga beritahu kami di sini ada disediakan sebuah Muslim Prayer Room. Isn't that just great! πŸ˜ƒ

Bergambar kenangan di Yehliu Visitor Center.

Actually tidaklah ada terlalu ramai pelancong hingga sesak ketika itu. Just nice je.



Kaunter tiket.

Ini tiket kami yang dibelikan oleh Philip. Ada 3 tiket, which means Philip akan masuk sekali bersama kami, which was great sebab dapatlah kami dengar dia beri serba sedikit maklumat tentang geopark ini.

Harganya NTD120 seorang, around RM18.00. Di belakang tiket ini ada peta Yehliu Geopark.
πŸ”΄"Smoking is completely prohibited in this park. Anyone who violates the no-smoking regulations will be fined not less than NT$2,000 but not more than NT$10,000 in accordance with the "Smoking Harm Prevention and Control Act". That's between RM300 to RM1,500.
πŸ”΄Please cherish the landscape resources together: No touching / climbing / riding bicycles / playing in the water / fishing in unopened areas / digging and filling / engraving and other matters in accordance with the law or acts prohibited by the competent authority.
πŸ”΄The storm in this area is strong.
πŸ”΄Do not exceed the red warning line. 
πŸ”΄Please keep the environment clean and flowers and trees in the area.

Pamphlet Yehliu Geopark.


Ok, jom kita masuk ke dalam kawasan Yehliu Geopark.

Philip menunjukkan pada kami di atas sanalah Muslim Prayer Room.

Siap ada translation "Bilik sembahyang Islam".

Visitor Center.

Terdapat papan maklumat besar tentang geopark ini yang digunakan oleh tour guides masa sesi penerangan pada pelancong.

The entrance.

It was near Halloween πŸŽƒ, hence the decorations.

Ticket attendant wearing a cute witch hat. 

Info board promoting this geopark. According to CNN: "This is the closest you'll get to Mars on Earth". Ada formasi batu bentuk "Queen's Head", one the 10 incredible geologic formations all over the world.

Untuk ke lokasi geopark ini yang ada formasi batu pasir dan batu kapur yang unik, pengunjung perlu berjalan di laluan ini sejauh lebih kurang 400 meter. 

Ini adalah mural lantai Sea Urchin Fossil yang fossil sebenarnya ada dalam kawasan geopark.

Saya ditegur oleh uncle baju biru ini. "Dari Malaysia ke?", tanya dia. Rupanya dia juga orang Malaysia, bercuti ke Taiwan bersama keluarga. Mereka dari Sitiawan, Perak.

Satu lagi mural lantai unique rock formation at the Yehliu Geopark.

If I'm not mistaken, they are Dominican Sisters of Blessed Imelda Taiwan.
Wikipedia: 
Blessed Imelda's School is a private Catholic secondary school, located in Taipei, Taiwan. Established in 1916 by the Dominican sisters, it is the oldest Catholic school in Taiwan. The school is named in honour of Blessed Imelda Lambertini, a 14th century Dominican sister.



Ada lookout point di sini dengan pemandangan Tung-ao Fishing Harbour.


Kelihatan ada dibina benteng-benteng pemecah ombak untuk melindungi kawasan tebing laut dari hakisan ombak.

Ada rombongan sisters nampaknya.


Di kiri kanan laluan ini ada deretan pokok-pokok rendang membentuk bagai kanopi menjadikan the walk very pleasant. 



Pemandangan ke arah belakang.


Oppss.... stop.... and pose.... πŸ˜„.

Ada patung-patung kartun yang comel representing the wonderful rock formations at this geopark.
From right:
πŸ”ΆHoneycomb weathering: Owing to the differential erosion caused by weathering, the surface of rock turns into the shape of honeycomb or window lattice.
πŸ”ΆCute Princess: The princess in a high ponytail is the new birth (in 2010) of the royal family at Yehliu geopark.
πŸ”ΆCandle rock: A round shape concretion containing lime is formed on the central top of the rock and being surrounding by circular grooves, just like a candle tray.
πŸ”ΆIce cream rock: When looking at it with face toward the hill, its shape is like the yummy ice cream people love to eat in summer days.

Lokasi "Queen's Head" sejauh 436 meter dari sini.

About "Planet Forest". 



From left: 
πŸ”ΆQueen's head: The so called "Queen's Head" is in fact a mushroom rock; it gets the title because the shape as formed after the top of rock being fallen apart in 1962-1963 appears like the side face of Queen Elizabeth.
πŸ”ΆFairy's shoe: Legend says that this one piece of shoe was left accidently by a fairy that came down to earth to tame the naughty turtle elf.

Ada juga dibina beberapa replika formasi batu-batuan geopark ini. 


Replika the Queen's Head.



Kami pun sampai di hujung lorong laluan berpokok tadi dan memasuki satu kawasan dataran tepi laut ini.

Di hujung sana adalah lokasi bermulanya kawasan geopark ini yang ada the rock formations.

Ok la, tidaklah terlalu ramai pelancong. Berpayung tu sebab masa itu panas, bukan hujan. 

Ada jeti/boardwalk besar di sini dengan tempat duduk untuk pengunjung lepak sambil menikmati keindahan tepi laut East China Sea.

It was a bit hot and humid, tapi berangin. 

Ok, ada papan maklumat di sini. Let's have a closer look shall we.

Alamak, dalam bahasa Mandarin semuanya!

Jadi saya terjemahkan. Jadi masa jalan-jalan nanti dan bila bertemu dengan batu-batu unik ini, jika ingin tahu lebih lanjut mengenainya, bolehlah rujuk balik pada terjemahan ini.







Bergambar kenangan di Yehliu Geopark, Taiwan.



Jom kita jalan di geopark ini.


Kepentingan Yehliu Geopark terletak pada keupayaannya untuk mempamerkan pelbagai proses dan fenomena geologi, seperti luluhawa, hakisan dan pemendapan, yang telah mengukir formasi batuan unik ini. Proses ini telah berlaku selama berjuta-juta tahun, menawarkan pandangan berharga tentang sejarah geologi Bumi.

Sebagai mengiktiraf kepentingan geologinya dan keperluan untuk memulihara dan mempromosikan ciri uniknya, Yehliu Geopark telah ditetapkan sebagai Geopark Global UNESCO. Status berprestij ini diberikan kepada tapak di seluruh dunia yang memiliki warisan geologi yang luar biasa dan mempromosikan pendidikan geologi, penyelidikan dan pelancongan mampan. Sebagai Geopark Global UNESCO, Yehliu Geopark komited untuk memelihara khazanah geologinya, menyediakan peluang pendidikan, dan menawarkan pengalaman yang tidak dapat dilupakan untuk pelawat yang berminat dengan sejarah Bumi dan keindahan alam semula jadi.


Ada laluan pejalan kaki yang proper dibuat di kawasan geopark ini. Ini memang sepatutnya kerana jika tiada, tourists will stray off the path and trample on and destroy the precious geological treasures.

Sebahagian daripada Formasi Miaosen Daliao, tanjung ini membentang sekitar 1,700 meter, terbentuk apabila pergerakan geologi beribu-ribu tahun memaksa Pergunungan Datun mengubah bentuknya, menjorok ke lautan.

It is forbidden to step off the path and onto the rock formations. And absolutely no touching or climbing onto the rocks. I reckon the geopark's management had to state and emphasize such rules because there will always be tourists who, whether intentionally or not, do not observe the rules, or perhaps they are ignorant of the dos and don'ts when visiting places like this geopark.

Sandy and rocky beach.

Naturally formed holes on the rocks in a variety of sizes creating mini pockets of water.


Ocean erosion potholes
Ocean erosion pothole is formed as a result of seawater erosion as well as weathering imposed on the notches created by differential weathering. A grain of sand may often be found inside the pothole. 
www.ylgeopark.org.tw

Sudah jelas tertera pada signboard dalam 2 bahasa stating "No Crossing", tapi ada je pelancong yang kami nampak pergi panjat, duduk dan berposing atas batu-batu ini.
Batu yang kiri itu dipanggil Taiwan rock kerana bentuknya yang menyerupai bentuk pulau Taiwan. 
The Taiwan Rock stands right behind the first sea groove bridge, as its peculiar figure is formed as a result of differential erosion, it is shaped in a fashion similar to shape of Taiwan. You may notice the pattern in the center of the rock is where the real Central Mountain Range of Taiwan locates.
www.ylgeopark.org.tw

Rock formation yang seterusnya kami nampak ini dikenali sebagai Ginger Rocks.
πŸ”ΆSince the rock layer contains irregular concretions within, the harder concretions may raise above the ground while the softer ones may descend downward as erosion imposes upon the rock. The surface of the hard concretion may become rough and uneven as it is exposed to the atmosphere and having direct contact with the wind and the sea. The interlacing patterns as shown on the surface of ginger rock are the result of crust extrusion occurred underground. These patterns as shown are called “joints” in Geology. They get the name “Ginger Rock” because of their rough surface and the beige tint as appeared.
πŸ”ΆThe thickness of rock layer containing ginger rock in the area is about 50 cm, while the ginger rock landscape spreads from North-East to South-West of the cape in a band distribution manner. The tilted rock layer makes the scene available on the sea cliff and the wave-cut platform.
www.ylgeopark.org.tw

Concretion
The rock layer can be divided into three layers:
1. The first is the layer of mushroom rock: It is composed of the two-meter calcareous sandstone on the top with the ocher-yellow sandstone on the bottom.
2. The second is the layer of ginger rock: It is composed of irregular sandstone on the top with ocher-yellow sandstone on the bottom.
3. The third is the layer of candle shaped layer: It is composed of globe lumps contained within the sandstone.
Referred as “Concretion” in Geology, the calcareous sandstones and rocks burying under the stratum are hard and solid in nature, making Yehliu a place full of stunning and amazing wonders.
www.ylgeopark.org.tw





Inilah keindahan kesan hakisan selama berjuta tahun oleh ombak, angin, hujan, perubahan suhu, cuaca dan musim, membentuk landskap tepi pantai yang cukup indah dan unik.

What an amazing and unique coastal landscapes.






Kuasa alam juga boleh membentuk benteng-benteng batu panjang seperti ini.




Kelihatan di sana ada banyak mushroom rocks.

Mushroom Rock
πŸ”ΆThe mushroom rocks grouped on the wave-cut platform are formed with globe-shape rocks on the top while supporting by the thin stone pillars on the bottom. Queen’s Head is the most famous mushroom rock in Yehliu.
πŸ”ΆThe formation process of mushroom rock can be divided into three phases:
1. Two broken concretions within rock layers are formed vertical to the sea level; as a result, the erosion caused by seawater may progress along the concretions, leading to the formation of stone pillar lining up in row.
2. The formation of mushroom rock is caused by differential erosion as the top rock layer containing calcium and being more durable for erosion than the lower rock layer.
3. The mushroom rock as formed is under continuous plate extrusion and thus is raised above sea level. Once it’s exposed to the planet’s atmosphere, it will suffer from weathering as well as rain erosion and turn into the shape as we see it now.
www.ylgeopark.org.tw

πŸ”ΆThe mushroom rocks can be divided into three types according to the difference appearances as manifested on the head and neck of the rock: “Thin-neck rock”,” thick-neck rock” and “neckless rock”. As many of the thin-neck mushroom rocks undertake heavier load on the top and they may be toppled down easily if striking by earthquake or violent winds and waves.
πŸ”ΆThe mushroom rocks may turn into various kinds of shapes in a progressive manner as they are chronically eroded by wind, sun and rain. They may involve into neckless rock, thick rock, thin rock and even the broken-end rock eventually. The top of the thin rock may fall apart if the neck of the rock contains incomplete sands and thud accelerating the formation of broken-end rock.
www.ylgeopark.org.tw

Bersambung ke bahagian ke 2.

Till the next coming entry, inshaAllah. Meanwhile do take care.

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