Wushanding Mud Volcano Natural Reserve

Globally, there are 27 active mud volcanoes. The Shenshui Farm and Ranch in Shenshui Village, Yanchao District, is home to Taiwan's most developed mud volcano terrain, covering an area of 3.88 hectares. To protect this unique landscape, the Council of Agriculture designated this area as the "Wushanding Mud Volcano Natural Reserve" in 1992. Mud volcanoes form when the Qishan Fault beneath the earth's crust shifts and fractures, allowing water to seep underground and mix with mudstone to create mud slurry. High-pressure gases then force this slurry to the surface along the fissures, accumulating to form mud volcanoes. This reserve features three conical mud volcanoes, with the tallest reaching 3.5 meters and having a slope of about 50 degrees, making it a typical mud cone. It erupts every few seconds, with thick mud slurry flowing down the cone's surface, forming tongue-shaped mudflows that can spread up to 70 meters in diameter. The site also frequently ejects mud and gases, which can often be ignited or spontaneously combust. For educational or academic visits to the natural reserve, an application form must first be completed. Visitors will then be able to observe the precious badland topography, mud volcanoes, and natural ecology.