From north to south, the unique rock formations of the Northeast Coast come to an end within the waves and rock forests of Beiguan. Here, cliffs standing bravely through battering waves present a uniform and graceful cuesta landform, while tofu rocks distributed over cuestas in chessboard form glow under the sun.
According to records Beiguan was first settled during the reign of Qing Emperor Jiaqing by Yilan Assitant-to-Governor Kao Da Yong. At that time, he brought barracks, battlements, stone steps and horse trails to the area, establishing a pass and encamping troops. During the Japanese rule of Taiwan, the area was destroyed to build roads, leaving no traces of the original pass. The coastal landform of Beiguan is famous for its chessboard roads and steep cliffs. Huge rocks stand in numbers here, and the dangerously arranged rock formations form a spectacular scenery. Cuestas, with a slope on one side and a cliff on the other, form a powerful figure. Standing within Beiguan’s Guanhai Pavilion, Turtle Island can be seen in the distant, but when one looks closer, the sight of ravaging waves rushing ashore forms another majestic view. Thus, the view of waves rushing ashore seen from Beiguan has been described in the past with this famous line, “The key pass to the Lanyang Plains are located at this mountainside; the snowy waves surge forward while the angry tides roar ashore”.