Queen’s Head at Yehliu Shrinks 18cm in 8 Years; N. Taiwan Tourism Bureau Launches Nano-Neck Protection Project

▲ The Queen’s Head at Yehliu, gazing into the distance, is one of northern Taiwan’s most famous natural landmarks. (Photo / Courtesy of the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications)

Travel Center / Comprehensive Report

Taiwan’s most iconic and representative natural geological wonder—the Queen’s Head at Yehliu—has seen its neck shrink by 18cm in less than a decade, facing a “broken neck” crisis. Following a public poll, a “neck protection action” has been initiated. A polymer research team from National Taiwan University will first use nanotechnology to conduct experiments on the nearby “Beauty Bathing” mushroom rock, with implementation expected to begin as early as this summer.

Due to natural weathering, the Queen’s Head’s neck has been thinning at a rate of 2cm per year. In 2006, it measured 144cm, but by 2013, it had shrunk to just 126cm. It is predicted that within the next five years, if Yehliu is hit by sea breezes of force 7 or above, or an earthquake of magnitude 3 or higher on the Richter scale, the Queen’s Head could very likely lose its head.

▲ According to a comparison chart provided by the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration, the Queen’s Head’s neck has grown increasingly slender. (Photo / Courtesy of the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration)

According to a report by Liberty Times, Chen Meixiu, director of the North Coast and Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration, stated that the upcoming nano “neck protection action” aims to find a color close to that of the Queen’s Head so that the treatment is nearly invisible, while also increasing the neck’s circumference by about 3cm to help it withstand strong winds and earthquakes. Professor Hsieh Kuo-huang from National Taiwan University’s Department of Polymer Science noted that in the past, nano-agents were mixed with weathered fine sand and sprayed onto rocks to enhance their strength. Observations showed no significant reduction afterward. This year, further experiments will be conducted on the “Beauty Bathing” rock, with plans to apply the treatment during very dry conditions to reduce the rock’s moisture content, thereby minimizing weathering and improving effectiveness.

Many members of the public, upon learning that nanotechnology will be used to restore the Queen’s Head, expressed strong support, saying things like “it would be a great pity if such a unique landscape disappeared” and “we can’t let such a distinctive attraction vanish.” However, some netizens believe that the Queen’s Head’s value lies in its natural, unspoiled form, and that human intervention would rob it of its natural essence. Since this is a natural process of weathering, they argue, letting it take its course isn’t necessarily a bad thing.