We were riding uphill and as we ascended towards the mountains, the weather has shifted. From the sunny and bright skies when we left Taipei, we arrived at our destination covered in a cloudy and misty air, providing us with almost zero visibility. There was a slight drizzle but the overcast was also due to the smoke coming from the place where we were heading.
We arrived at Xiaoyoukeng at a temperature of 19°C and 99% relative humidity. Our driver, who acted as our guide – his name is Peter – pointed us to a narrow pathway and told us to be back in the car once we were done. Before I could even see what the fuss was all about, I could already smell a tinge of pungent odor in the air. Taking the paved walk, I went to the site where the people were heading and were able to get closer to the sulfur vents.
Smoke emitting from the soil appeared in the view. Yellowish spots, which are solfataras, were visible from afar. Tiny craters were discernible amidst the smoke and fog.
Xiaoyoukeng, located at the northwestern foot of Mt. Qixing, is a post-volcanic geological site in the Yangmingshan National Park. Tiny hot springs can be found in the area. There were also fumaroles, which are holes in or in the vicinity of a volcano, from wherein vapor rises.
We couldn’t stay too long. Apart from the fog and mist, plus the smell, it wasn’t also safe to expose oneself to sulfur for a long time. View the photos we took at Xiaoyoukeng here on my Facebook page album.
