Although this iconic rock has lost much of its once remarkable shape, it remains a popular tourist attraction today.
Queen's Head is a sandstone formation on a rocky headland in Yehliu Fishing Harbor. While the headland is littered with odd-shaped rocks, this rock became famous because it used to closely resemble the portrait of a queen on the back of a coin.
The story of Queen's Head reads like something out of a fairy tale. Once upon a time, there was a sandstone rock on the island’s Northeast Coast that looked exactly like the face of a crowned royal lady gazing out at sea. But then the northeasterly winds, sea spray and sandblasting from the nearby ocean took the queen’s beautiful features away.
Upon your arrival at the coast, join the long lines of tourists waiting to photograph this almost revered rock. When it’s your turn, follow the wooden boardwalk that hugs the coast to see what remains of the fading “queen” of Yehliu.
Even though the rock has lost much of its former shape, from one angle it still looks a bit like a lady’s head if you squint a little and use your imagination. Her elongated “neck” is still there, but her “crown” and “hair” have mostly crumbled away.
Follow the coastal trail to the observation deck on the tip of the headland to admire the Yehliu Lighthouse, shaped like a candlestick. It stands on the top of Gueitou Mountain.
Queen's Head stands in Yehliu Geopark, which closes at night. Access is free. It takes 1 hour and 40 minutes to get here from the Taipei Main Bus Station and the bus stop is by the New Taipei City office of the Government Police Department in the Wanli District. If you bring a car or hire a private driver for the afternoon, you’ll cut down your traveling time considerably and it will allow you to see more of the area.
