This is one thing that is unbelievable at the first sign. You're climbing on a wooden ladder right infront of a rocky hill. Ant the naked truth is: Where you are sweating was the surface of an ocean years and years ago. It's the same ocean you can see when you look at the east where the coast of the Pacific shines in the sun 100 meters below.
A lot of holy statues is better than a few one
What about the rising of the sea level? What about the floods and the sinking states? Here at the Baxian Cave at the east coast of Taiwan (see my former posts here), the former Isle Formosa, these questions are a riddle. The rought cliffs that face the Pacific Ocean in Shanjian Village in Changbin Township areboth geologically and archaeologically interesting: They are the last remains of the bottom of a ancient ocean with so much more water that his waves reach the place where you stand: 70 oder 90 meters above the beach.
One sea cave is a church now
The proof: Here are dozens of natural caves made by the sea. These sea caves were originally in the sea, but now they are scattered in 150 meter high cliffs. This isn't because the ocean is falling - it's the rise of the Earth's crust on the East Coast of Taiwan, and the erosion that carved the soft part of rocks, forming the sea caves.
This bizarre house is build right in a sea cave
Baxian Cave is a place directly on the coast highway and the site has access to all trails leading to each cave. The biggest cave is Lingyan Cave, the highest one, Kuenluen Cave, is about 130 meters high. Besides them there are Chienyuan Cave, Joucheng Cave, Hailay Cave, Chaoyin Cave, Yongan Cave and Shuilian Cave - you never will remember the names.
Flats from the past
In ancient times peoples lived here, but later the taiwanes chosed to take all the caves for religious uses. Now they are all full of Buddhas, flowers and candles, monks are booting around and you can hear drums beating. All the things here are "holy" like Eli Mardock from Eagle Seagull sings. Between the caves are wild apes, a machine that spits out prophecies (for money!) and a house that looks like the Lord of the Rings.
Another altar
This is all colourful and the most of the holy places are made by plastic items. But Baxian Cave is also an important prehistoric site. There is a rich Paleolithic pottery culture that was found here which they named the Changbin Culture. It is the oldest prehistorical site that has been found in Taiwan, so it is important enough to ranked as a first class national historical site at the East Coast Geopark.
The view from 100 meters above
This hidden gem possesses typical landscapes of coastal sandstones with volcanic regions, rapid declines in the accumulation of thick sediment, and sediment generated by plate collision. At Sanhsientai, located in the north of Chengong Township, you find offshore islands and coral reefs around a monstrous rock that now forms a headland.
Due to a lack of human disturbance, screw pine trees can be seen everywhere on the off-shore island.
One more lonely buddha
It is also a place to observe scattered coral reefs around and on volcanic rocks and how they were slowly uplifted. "Shitiping" is a typical site to display the dynamic geological formation. It has a huge area of coastal terraces composed of volcanic ash and tuff. Its landscapes include the uplifted terrains, wave-cut platforms, coral reefs, sea trenches, caves and cliffs. The potholes, in particular, are one of Taiwan's Number one geologica sites.
Like a flat: A sea cave full of holy things
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A few more pictures for you:
Wide angle
Some more holy statues
Holy, holy, holy, like Eli Mardock from Eagle Seagull sings.
