Tianliao Moon World Introduction
Tianliao's "Moon World," a unique landscape, is referred to as "badlands" in geography. This formation is the result of crustal "rejuvenation" and years of intense erosion by rainwater and river currents, which have deposited sediment on the mudstone. After changes in the geological layers, the sediment mixed with the mudstone was further shaped by weathering and sedimentation, creating the current topography that only supports drought-resistant and salt-tolerant shallow-rooted plants (such as arrow bamboo) and coastal vegetation. Along the road from Tianliao to Qishan on Provincial Highway 28, in addition to the Moon World landscape, there are more than twenty mud volcanoes of varying sizes, often exhibiting intermittent eruptions. The scale of these eruptions depends on the accumulation pressure of natural gas and mud underground. The areas where the mudflow accumulates are subject to rain erosion, generating some unique small landforms, among which Dagun Water and Xiaogun Water are the most convenient spots to observe mud volcanoes. Mud volcanoes are "pseudo-volcanoes" where natural gas and mud from underground erupt to the surface through cracks in the shallow rock layers under high pressure; they are also a type of badland. Tianliao is the most developed area for badland and mud volcano formations in Taiwan, with the badland landscape formed from Gutingkeng Formation mudstone, exuding a desolate, desert-like beauty that resembles an unmodified geological ecological classroom, fostering unique products and culinary delights. In October 2021, the Kaohsiung City Government held a hot air balloon event on the Love River and in Tianliao's Moon World, receiving enthusiastic responses from various sectors and attracting many tourists from different regions, allowing the public to satisfy their yearning for soaring into the sky while enjoying the beauty of Kaohsiung. The unique mudstone terrain of Moon World rivals that of Cappadocia in Turkey. This was the first time hot air balloon tethering experiences were offered in the area, and the breathtaking photos captured sparked significant online interest.
