Shen’Ao Elephant Trunk Rock (深奧象鼻岩)
Note: It has been brought to my attention that authorities have recently started condoning off areas in front of Elephant Trunk Rock. This is meant to prevent people from getting too close to the high cliffs or on top of the Elephant Rock itself. This could be a preventative measure but it could also be a permanent one - If your sole purpose of visiting is to get on top of the “head” for a photo, you may want to hold off for a bit.
Shortly after my arrival in Taiwan, my friends and I planned a trip to the offshore Penghu Islands for a national day long-weekend of island hopping. On our second day we hopped on a boat and headed to beautiful Qimei Island (七美島) where we were led around on a scooter tour to see some of the sights.
I could hardly contain my excitement as we were led to one rock formation after another.
The first stop was “Little Taiwan” (小台灣), a rock formation that looked like Taiwan. Shortly after that we arrived at the “Waiting Husband Reef” (望夫石), a giant rock that we were told was supposed to look like a woman waiting for her husband to come back from the sea. Finally we were taken to the “Twin Heart Weir” (雙心石滬), a collection of rocks cleverly arranged in the shape of a pair of hearts that was at one time used to catch fish, but today catches more Instagram likes than seafood.
Suffice to say, I was unimpressed.
I was of the opinion that instead of wasting time checking out boring rock formations, I could have been lying a beautiful beach or learning about the local area and its long and interesting history.
Even though it was a long time ago, I still remember the day quite clearly as it was the day that cemented my aversion to anything that has to do with Taiwan travel and rock formations.
Its not that there aren’t cool-looking rock formations, I think the Nanya Peculiar Rocks (南雅奇石) are pretty cool, I just have a lack of imagination when it comes to claims that these rocks are taking the shape of anamorphic objects.
But hey, thats just me. To each their own, right? I might not be a fan, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to find large groups of people filling tour buses to go check this stuff out.
If you’re interested in knowing where almost all of those ‘rock-formation tour buses’ have been heading recently, its almost always going to be to Shen’Ao (深奧漁港), a small fishing harbor on the northern coast of Taiwan.
Thanks to a bit of Instagram magic, this once off-limits destination has become a hot spot thanks to a rock formation that just so happens to look like an elephants head.
I’m not afraid to admit that when a hiking trail becomes popular on Instagram, I’ll join in on the action to see what all the fuss is about - When its a rock formation though, I’m going to be stubborn and take my time.
So here we are, after several years of avoiding it, I’m finally writing about the Elephant Trunk Rock.
I might be a bit late to the game here, but this post isn’t for Instagram fame, its for those wanting to visit and not having any idea how to get there.
Elephant Trunk Rock (象鼻岩)
So, ‘Elephant Trunk Rock’ - What exactly is it?
I’m not a geologist, so let me try to explain: It is a rock-arch on the top of a high cliff overlooking the ocean that just so happens to look like an elephant with its trunk lowered into the ocean for some water.
Does it really look like an elephants head? Well, yeah, actually it does.
And that is why it has become such a popular location for weekend travelers.
When you visit the area, not only can you take photos of yourself standing in front of the ‘elephant’, but you can also scale up the back of its head and get photos of yourself standing on top, which is Instagram gold.
The “Elephant Trunk” is officially named the “Shen’Ao Promontory” (深澳岬角) and is part of Fanzi’Ao Mountain (番子澳山) which separates the harbor port and the cape. Once a military-controlled zone, the area only opened to the public around the year 2000.
It would take quite a few more years however for it to become an internet sensation.
The lower portion of the mountain near the shoreline features rocks that you’ll notice are similar to those that you’ll find at Yehliu (野柳), Peace Island (和平島) and many other areas on Taiwan’s north coast - These rocks, which often appear in the form of honeycombs and other shapes are the result of thousands of years of weathering and erosion.
Once you’ve finished checking out all the cool rocks and have progressed a bit further up the mountainside you’ll notice that the cape offers great views of the northern coast with Keelung to your left and Ruifang to your right. You’ll also be able to see the popular tourist town Jiufen (九份) in the distance next to Jilong Mountain (雞籠山).
The main attraction however isn’t the beautiful coastal landscape, it is the Elephant Trunk.
Once you’ve arrived, there are is a long flat area where you’re likely to find a bunch of people taking photos. This area is the best for taking wide angle shots of the rock as well as for taking photos of your friends who are standing on its “head”.
If you want to get on the “head” area, you’ll have to climb down a small rock area and then walk up a flat incline. If you decide to try to get on the head, be careful when you’re going up and down as you don’t want to slip and fall into the ocean.
A gentle reminder that you’ll want to be careful when visiting this area - There have been fatal accidents in the past few years with people taking photos. (See link below)
Even though Elephant Trunk Rock has become a popular photo spot for local Instagrammers, the area was already quite popular with local snorkeling and diving groups for quite some time. The waters at the base of the trunk area feature a tunnel where you can enjoy some spectacular scenery and beautiful coral.
The current in the area is quite strong though, so if you want to try your hand at snorkeling, you should go with friends and be exercise caution. .
Before you arrive at the entrance to Elephant Trunk Rock, you’re going to notice signs pointing you in the direction of “Indian Chief Rock” (酋長岩), another rock formation that (if you’re into stereotyping) is supposed to look like the head of an “Indian Chief.”
Let me blow off a bit of steam here.
Taiwan is a great country, but there are occasions, like this one, where I have to scratch my head at some of the stuff I see - If you take into consideration the persecution that the local indigenous peoples have had to endure over the past few centuries, you would think that a modern Taiwan would be a little more sensitive to this kind of racial stereotyping, especially when it comes to native peoples.
I could be accused of being a bit sensitive here, but if it were only the rock, I might just forget about it. Unfortunately there are also quite a few signs and images in the area that point to North American indigenous peoples being savage war-like killers. Its not cool and is completely unnecessary.
Needless to say, I won’t be sharing photos of any of that stuff here.
Getting There
Getting to the Elephant Truck Rock can be a bit of a hassle if you don’t have your own means of transportation. If you’re lucky enough to be traveling with someone who has a car or a scooter though, you shouldn’t have any problem.
To get there all you have to do is follow the Northern Coastal Highway (北部濱海公路) until you reach Shen’Ao Fishing Harbor (深奧漁港) where you’ll drive in and find a parking lot. If you’re coming from Keelung, you’ll just want to follow the coastal highway until you arrive. If however you’re coming from Taipei, the fastest way to arrive would be to take Highway Number One and then switch to the #62 Expressway that will take you all the way to the coast. Once you reach the end of the highway, you’ll just have to make a left turn and the harbor is a few minutes from there.
Once you’ve arrived at the harbor, drive your car all the way down the narrow road until you reach a newly constructed (paid) parking-lot where you’ll have quick access to the trail that leads to the Elephant Trunk Rock.
If on the other hand you’re relying on public transportation to get there, you’re going to have a bit more of a difficult commute. It shouldn’t be that difficult, but you’re going to have to take a train or a bus, and then walk.
The first thing you’ll want to do is either take a train (or a bus) to Keelung Station (基隆車站) where you’ll then transfer to a bus that will take you along the beautiful coastal highway.
You have the option of taking either bus #791 or #1051 from the train station to the Shen’Ao bus stop. From there you’ll simply walk through the fishery harbour until you reach the entrance to where you’ll find the Elephant Trunk.
You could likewise take the Pingxi - Shen’Ao rail line’s (平溪深奧線) tourist sight-seeing train to Badouzi Station (八斗子車站) and from there walk to Shen’Ao harbor, which should only take about 15-20 minutes. If you’re not a fan of walking, you could likewise hop on one of the buses mentioned above which are both served outside the train station. Keep in mind though that you’ll want to get on the bus on the train station side to save yourself from heading back to Keelung.
A few years back when fellow blogger Alex Kunz visited the area, he noted that getting to the rock was a bit difficult and that the trail was more or less unmarked. The sudden popularity of the area over the past few years however has completely changed all of that. The area is now clearly marked with an excessively large paid parking lot constructed near the entrance.
Likewise, the trail is quite easy to follow and is well-travelled meaning that you’ll be able to safely walk up with trail and won’t get lost. From the entrance, you can expect around a five minute walk to the viewing area for the rock, but depending on the amount of people visiting, you may have to wait in the narrow sections of the trail.
Jilong Mountain and Jiufen in the distance.
You may have noticed that I’ve been a bit tongue in cheek with this blog post - Its true that I’m not a big fan of rock formations, but I’m willing to admit to you that if you’re looking for a rock formation that actually looks how its advertised, then you’ve come to the right place. There is an uncanny resemblance.
That doesn’t mean I’ve changed my mind about rock formations though, I’m going to continue to avoid them. If you like them though, Taiwan’s northern coast is full of them and you’re going to really enjoy yourself if you take a tour of the area.