By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network, reported and compiled by Chen Guanxin
The Yehliu Geopark in Wanli District, New Taipei City, will form a sister geopark partnership with Japan’s largest limestone plateau — the Akiyoshi Plateau National Park in Mine City, Yamaguchi Prefecture. The signing ceremony will be held at 11:00 AM on February 15 this year at the Yehliu Visitor Center. The event will feature an exciting drum performance and the debut appearance of the Yehliu Geopark mascot, Queen, who will join in a quiz game to give away prizes. To enhance understanding of the Akiyoshi Plateau Geopark, a special exhibition on the Akiyoshi Plateau terrain will also be held on the second floor of the Yehliu Visitor Center, presenting a 3D display that immerses visitors as if they were on-site.
Yehliu Geopark will become a sister park with Japan’s Akiyoshi National Park. (Image source / Provided by the Tourism Bureau, Ministry of Transportation and Communications)
The Yehliu Geopark, managed by the North Coast & Guanyinshan National Scenic Area Administration, was ranked first among Taiwan’s Top 10 Landscapes last year (2013). Its diverse landform wonders were formed by the erosion of marine sedimentary rocks from the Miocene epoch of the Neogene period. Due to the near-vertical orientation of the coastline relative to geological structures and strata, combined with the effects of wave erosion, rock weathering, tectonic movements, and interactions between sea and land, rare geological and topographical landscapes have emerged. The most famous of these is the Queen’s Head, which was formed through rock weathering.
Japan’s Akiyoshi National Park boasts the country’s largest limestone plateau. (Image source / From ja.wikipedia.org)
Additionally, Mine City in Yamaguchi Prefecture, located in the southwestern part of Japan’s Honshu Island, is home to the nationally designated Special Natural Monument — the Akiyoshi Plateau, which is Japan’s largest limestone plateau and also a national park. These vast and unique terrains were shaped over countless years of environmental change. Beneath the Akiyoshi Plateau, erosion of the limestone has created numerous limestone caves, among which the Akiyoshi-do Cave, facing the southern foothills of the plateau, is the largest and most spectacular in East Asia. It was named by Emperor Showa during his visit in 1926 (Taisho 15). The cave also features the world-renowned “Golden Pillar” and the expansive “Hundred Plates,” both stunning natural formations that continuously reveal the beauty crafted by nature in this mysterious world. As such, these landforms are not only important sites of ongoing geological research but also highly regarded scenic destinations. They were designated as Special Natural Monuments in 1952 (Showa 27).
● Further Reading:
Thank you, Taiwan ! Japan designs mascot “Taiwan-chan” to promote the island
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