Fire Rock Special Scenic Area Introduction
On the Hengchun Peninsula, there is a place surrounded by barren land, covered in muddy yellow sand, but sprouting bursts of orange-red flames that flicker with the wind, sometimes roaring to life and sometimes extinguishing, swaying left and right like a fire dance performance. During the daytime, these small flames are outshone by the sunlight, making them seem unremarkable, but when night falls, it becomes their time to shine. This is "Fire Coming Out", a very interesting natural phenomenon. The site is located about five kilometers outside of Hengchun City, situated in the Kenting mudstone formation, where many natural cracks in the mudstone allow natural gas from below to escape through these gaps and create flames when ignited. Interestingly, the flames seem to wander around as the natural gas escapes wherever there are openings. The original site of the fire was not in its current location; it was moved there after the CPC Corporation, Taiwan drilled wells for oil and gas exploration. Spring and winter are the dry seasons in Hengchun Peninsula, with little rain, which prevents the cracks in the mudstone from being blocked, thus allowing the fire phenomenon to be more vigorous. In contrast, summer and autumn are rainy seasons, and the sand becomes muddy due to rain, blocking the rock seams and limiting the flames' visibility, resulting in a sparse fire phenomenon. Nonetheless, this is a unique landscape in Pingtung, which was designated as the "Fire Special Scenic Area" in 1996, complete with information boards, walkways, and parking facilities. At night, the Fire Scenic Area often attracts many visitors. Although they may not know each other, they gather around the flames, sitting or standing and chatting, creating a warm scene. Perhaps it is due to the surrounding darkness; the light becomes a source of warmth for the heart.
