Iconic 'Elephant Trunk Rock' in Taiwan Topples

A popular photo spot in northern Taiwan is no more.

Elephant Trunk Rock collapsed into the sea on December 15, according to the New Taipei Ruifang District Office, which manages the area.

The rock formation, named for its resemblance to an elephant trunk, has been in danger of erosion for some time. It has been closed off to visitors since 2010. Shen Chuan-chou, a professor in the Department of Geosciences at National Taiwan University, stated that the constant exposure to seawater and wind made it "inevitable" for the rock to collapse.

Located on a narrow strip of land called Shenao, about 10 kilometers (six miles) northeast of Taipei's popular tourist area of Jiufen, Elephant Trunk Rock's thin arched shape also adds to its precarious nature.

Courtesy Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office

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And Elephant Trunk Rock wasnt the only natural feature along Taiwans rocky northern coast that geologists have been concerned about.

The rock known as the "Queens Head" at Yehliu Geopark is in danger of collapsing. It earned its name because it is said to resemble a bust of Queen Elizabeth with a long, slender neck. The official Central News Agency of Taiwan reported that the circumference of the Queens Head has decreased to less than 120 centimeters and continues to shrink every year.

The Maltese island of Gozo has coped with a similar situation in the past.

Its famous limestone "Azure Window," which had been a set piece on Game of Thrones, collapsed into the sea in 2017.

Two years later, Malta announced plans to build a dramatic steel archway in the spot the Azure Window once occupied, but the project remains unbuilt.