Shoushan Hiking Trails Night Tour

　As the scorching hot sun sets, and the curtain of night falls, Shoushan National Nature Park becomes a refreshing and pleasant option for adventurous explorers. Visitors can wear headlamps and enter forests full of monkeys, experiencing a side of Kaohsiung entirely different from the stunning scenery visible during the day.

North Shoushan

　“The most fascinating aspect of nighttime observation is that, no matter how many times you go up the mountain, you'll encounter different creatures,” says Makadao Guide Association member Liao De-song, his words sparking sightseers' expectations. 

　Soon after setting out from the Longcyuan Temple Trailhead to explore the nighttime ecological paradise that is North Shoushan, Mr. Liao points his flashlight at a large and intact spider's web. “This spider sleeps during the day and comes out at night to make webs. It's like a ghost, so it's called Neoscona punctigera [orb-weaver spider],” he says. 

　We see two large African Land Snails mating while a black slug (Vaginulus alte) slowly moves forward. Walking stick insects cling to branches that sway gently in the wind. Because they are masters of camouflage, it is difficult to distinguish them from the branches. On the wooden-plank track, a specimen of Thelyphonida (also known as a whip scorpion or vinegaroon) passes by; it resembles a scorpion but is not venomous. 

　Visiting North Shoushan is like watching a reality show on the Animal Planet TV channel. From the hiking trail, the observant can see an abundance of natural wonders and nocturnal ecological treasures. It is an eye-opening experience likely to inspire a return visit.

South Shoushan

　The 228 Peace Memorial Park adjacent to Shoushan Zoo is where South Shoushan begins. Brightly-lit nearby buildings resemble glittering jewels on black velvet. Stepping onto the hiking trail via the stairs next to Jhongsing Pavilion, nature's orchestra soon becomes audible. Amid the frogs and toads, Mecopoda elongata (bush crickets) and katydids can be heard calling. Arriving at the viewing platform adjacent to Siangsih Pavilion, there are panoramic views of Siaoguei Mountain, Mount Banping, Chang-Gu World Trade Center, and E-Da World's Ferris Wheel.

　From Ciman Rest Area, the Dream Mall Ferris Wheel, Kaohsiung Music Center, and other landmarks are to be admired. The city is full of lights, a manmade Milky Way that spills across the metropolis. It is no wonder that people embrace this nighttime scenery, cooled by gentle breezes and soothed by the chirping sounds of insects.

夜遊壽山步道

　　熱力四射的高雄豔陽暫歇，黑夜降臨，壽山國家自然公園舒爽宜人，猴子躲起來睡覺的森林裡，戴上頭燈探索山林，夜高雄呈現與白天截然不同的美麗風景。

北壽山 

　　「不管你上山幾次，都會遇上不同的生物，這是夜間觀察最有趣的部分。」馬卡道導覽解說協會的廖德嵩老師一開口就挑起大家的期待。

　　從龍泉寺登山口出發，踩著夜色，揭開北壽山夜間生態樂園。沒走多遠，廖老師手電筒照向一張結構完整的大型蜘蛛網說：「這種蜘蛛白天都在睡覺，晚上出來結網，跟鬼一樣，所以叫牠茶色姬鬼蛛。」，一旁可見兩隻正在交配的非洲大蝸牛，和皺足蛞蝓緩慢前進，竹節蟲則攀附樹枝，隨風輕輕搖晃，真假難辨，不愧是自然界的偽裝高手。木棧道上，外形像蠍子但沒有毒性的鞭蠍正好路過，在北壽山，實境版動物星球頻道正上演！

　　北壽山步道蘊藏豐富的夜間限定生態寶藏，令人收穫滿滿、意猶未盡。

南壽山 

　　南壽山以鄰近壽山動物園的「壽山二二八和平公園」起登，市區大樓燈火通明，猶如黑絨布上閃閃發光的珠寶，循廣場旁的小徑續行，從中興亭旁的階梯進入登山步道，蟋蟀、螽斯、台灣騷斯、青蛙和蟾蜍組成樂團，叫聲此起彼落。不久即抵達相思亭旁的觀景平台，小龜山、半屏山、長谷世貿大樓、以及更遠處的義大世界摩天輪都清晰可見。

　　行至行程終點的七蔓休息站，夢時代摩天輪、高雄流行音樂中心等地標建築逐一展開，滿城燈火閃耀，連綿成一條灑落人間的銀河，涼風徐徐、蟲鳴唧唧，沉醉於夜色裡。