I visited Yehliu Geopark on the northeast coast many times but I had never been to Xiaoyehliu on the east coast near Taitung. I was curious what the differences were between Yehliu Geopark and Xiaoyehliu Natural Stone Sculptural Park. From the meaning of the words, xiao means small which refers that Xiaoyehliu is smaller than Yehliu. Hence, different rock formations and shapes are differences between the two .
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| This is the visitor center. It is very different than other national parks or national recreation areas. It is very modern and it looks like a church. |
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| Visitors can see the rock textures through these two microscopes. |
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| After visiting the visitor center, we followed the trail walking down to the rock formation areas. |
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| This fence is built with many small LED light ropes. It will light up at night for visitors who are staying in the park. |
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| This trail leads visitors to different rock formation areas. Visitors can access through the side trails to the ocean. |
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| This is one of the side trails. |
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| The driftwood ended up here from other parts of Taiwan after typhoons and floods. They became part of the scenery. |
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| This is one of the many rock formations. It has its name but I don't know what its name is. Maybe mushroom sharp rock? |
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| There is a life ring buoy on each trail in case of any accident happening and they are needed. I wondered how high the water would be when it was high tide? |
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| There were only a few visitors. It was quiet. Visitors could relax and enjoy the sound of the wave hitting the rocks. This was one of the differences between Yehliu Geopark and Xiaoyehliu. |
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| Another difference was no Chinese mythology here. There was only the conversation between me and nature. |
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| The park named the rock as tofu-like rock because it looked like the traditional Chinese style tofu on a wood plate. |
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| Someone was bored and was lying down on the bench waiting for his wife who was enjoying the sightseeing and the rocks. |
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| This is one of tour bus stops in Xiaoyehliu. Visitors can take the bus around the popular scenic spots on the east coast. There are also other tour bus lines in some counties which are sponsored by their local governments. The fare is very reasonable. The website: http://www.taiwantrip.com.tw/Schedule/ |
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| The park also offers camping and services for outdoor people. This is the registration office. It is not easy to reserve a campsite during summer and long weekend holidays. It offers website reservations. It offers 24 hour free shower. Water is heated by solar panels. So, if there are a lot of people taking a shower, some might end up with no hot water. Reservation website: http://www.eastcoast-nsa.gov.tw/Portal/Content.aspx?lang=2&p=207020101 |
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| The park provides two style campsites. These are A-frame wooden campsites with A fram roofs. The cost is NT$300 per day during weekdays and NT$500 per day during weekends. |
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| This is another style wooden platforms but no cover for rain or the hot sun. Each platform has electric power outlets and water supply. |
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| The park offers free bicycle rentals for 24 hours. It operates on a first come first serve. Camping and bicycle rentals are also the differences between Yehliu Geopark and Xiaoyehliu. The Taiwan government provides a very friendly environment for its travelers. I haven't seen any country offering free services like this for its tourists. The free services also apply to foreign visitors. |
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