Kaohsiung Moon World: Exploring the Beauty and Mystery of a Barren Landscape

Kaohsiung Moon World, located in Tianliao District, Kaohsiung City, is a famous badlands landscape in southwestern Taiwan and one of the most unique landscapes in Taiwan. This isn't actually the moon, but due to its special geological structure, it presents a barren, barren scene, named after its resemblance to the moon's surface. Coming here is like being on another planet, feeling the wonders of nature.

The formation of Moon World is related to badland topography. The soil here is rich in mudstone, and due to years of rain erosion and the difficulty of plant growth, a bare, barren landscape has formed. The origin of the mudstone dates back to the early Pliocene (about 5 million years ago). The mudstone itself is soft and easily collapses, thus creating Moon World's unique ridges, canyons, and peaks. As early as the Qing Dynasty, Moon World was known as the "badlands." The Taiwan orogeny caused the Tainan-Kaohsiung area to form a semi-deep-sea foreland basin containing foraminifera fossils. Mud volcanoes are formed by underground high-pressure natural gas and mud erupting along fissures, and Tianliao is the most developed area in Taiwan. Today, through tourism development, Moon World has become an important tourist attraction in Kaohsiung.

The mudstone of Moon World is mainly composed of sandstone and shale and is rich in minerals. These minerals exhibit different colors under sunlight, allowing Moon World to show different appearances at different times. In the early morning, the sunlight shines on the ridges, presenting a golden color, and in the evening, the sunset dyes the valley into an orange-red color, making the scenery very charming.

The area was originally called "Baibengping", but the Japanese named it "Moon World" around 1939-1940 because the mudstone reflected light under the moonlight, resembling the surface of the moon. After humans landed on the moon, this grotesque landscape was even more famously called "Moon World." It used to be farmland, but it was eroded into a desert in just over a decade. In recent years, the Kaohsiung Tourism Bureau has promoted hot air balloon events, comparable to Cappadocia, Turkey, attracting tourists to experience a pseudo-overseas trip.

Moon World Geopark includes the Lakeside Trail, Badlands Trail, Chang'e Running to the Moon Silk Road (Skywalk), Heavenly Ladder with 156 steps, Moon Pond, Crescent Moon Viewing Platform, and Moon Park, etc. A walk around the park takes about 2 hours. The badlands scenery in the park is spectacular. Climbing the observation deck offers a panoramic view of the serrated ridges and potholes. Night lighting from 18:00-22:00 adds a sci-fi atmosphere. There are more than 20 mud volcanoes along Provincial Highway 28 nearby, which often intermittently erupt mud and natural gas, forming special micro-topography such as Da Gunshui and Xiao Gunshui (Big and Small Boiling Water).

When traveling to Moon World, it is recommended to avoid the rainy season. Because the mudstone terrain is easily eroded by rainwater, the trails are slippery and dangerous on rainy days. In summer, the temperature in Moon World is higher, so it is recommended to take sun protection measures and bring enough water.

『Kaohsiung Moon World』

Address: No. 36, Yueqiu Road, Tianliao District, Kaohsiung City
Opening Hours: Free all-day opening (some trails may be closed due to weather factors)
Night lights are usually lit from 18:00 to 22:00
Visitor Center 10:00～17:00 (Monday to Sunday)

Transportation:
Public Transportation: Take Kaohsiung Bus Route 8012 from Kaohsiung Railway Station or Gangshan Railway Station and get off at Moon World Station.
By Car: Take the Tianliao Interchange of National Highway No. 3, connect to County Road 184 towards Tianliao, and then follow the signs to Moon World.