"Elephant Nose Rock, Fine for 1000 Years"
Cynical Response to Experts' Misguided Predictions
The famous tourist attraction in Taiwan, 'Elephant Trunk Rock,' eventually broke after being subjected to weathering and erosion over a long period. As a result, tourists will no longer be able to see Elephant Trunk Rock.
According to local media such as TVBS on the 18th, it was reported to the district office that Elephant Trunk Rock, located at Xianhao Cape on the coast of Ruifang District, New Taipei City in northern Taiwan, was damaged around 2 p.m. on the 16th.
A district office official visited the site and confirmed that the rock shaped like an elephant's trunk had broken and disappeared. Afterwards, to prevent any potential safety accidents, ropes were hung to block tourists from accessing the area.
Yang Sung-min, the head of Ruifang District Office, said, "On the 16th, the wind, rain, and waves were very strong," adding, "It is presumed to have been caused by natural weathering and seawater erosion."
Local activists said, "In the past, tourists and fishing enthusiasts often climbed on the rock," and "Such activities may have contributed to the rock's disappearance." Climbing on the rock has been prohibited since 2020.
Elephant Trunk Rock is a unique natural landscape formed by the geomorphological environment of Taiwan's northern coast and long-term erosion and transportation processes. It is considered one of Taiwan's 36 most beautiful scenic spots. In particular, tourists visiting the area often take commemorative photos in front of Elephant Trunk Rock, making it a famous photo spot.
Following the news, netizens reacted with comments such as "It's a shame we can no longer see it," and "I never imagined it would collapse; it's surprising."
Meanwhile, the news of Elephant Trunk Rock's disappearance brought renewed attention to a mistaken prediction made by a Taiwanese expert four years ago. Professor Hsu Hao-te of the Department of Geology at National Taiwan University appeared in a YouTube video produced by the Taiwan Ministry of Transportation and Communications Tourism Bureau in 2019, stating, "Elephant Trunk Rock has a history of 15 million years," and predicted, "It will not break for at least 1,000 years."
As the expert's prediction proved incorrect, netizens responded with remarks such as "1,000 years? 100 years? Predictions are useless," "They said it would last 1,000 years, but it collapsed on December 16, 2023," and "Humans cannot predict nature."
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