Sun Moon Lake

　　    Sun Moon Lake is located in Yuchi Township, Nantou County, covering an area of over one hundred square kilometers, with a shoreline of thirty-three kilometers. It is divided by Lalu Island (Guanghua Island), with the northern half resembling the sun and the southern half resembling a crescent moon—hence the name.

　　       Highlights

　　     Sun Moon Lake is almost synonymous with Taiwan’s scenic beauty. Surrounded by mountains and lush forests, the crystal-clear lake reflects the sky above, with small islands dotting its surface, creating a picturesque scene of “green hills embracing blue waters and a bright lake cradling a green pearl.” At an elevation of 760 meters, the lake enjoys a misty, dreamlike atmosphere and layered mountain views. Only by taking a boat ride and getting close to the water can you fully appreciate the beautiful sunrise and sunset scenery of Sun Moon Lake.

　　     Originating from Hehuanshan, Sun Moon Lake was originally a small pond. During the Japanese occupation, to generate electricity, the Japanese built a 15-kilometer-long underground waterway from Wujie, the closest point along the Zhuoshui River to Sun Moon Lake, diverting water through the Shuishe Mountain into the lake. This submerged many small hills, forming the Sun Moon Lake we see today. As the lake was formed by flooding a depression and is surrounded by mountains with winding waterways, it offers stunning scenery. The lake water is mainly used for power generation, producing up to 5 billion kWh annually, accounting for 56% of Taiwan’s hydroelectric power, with an output value of 12.5 billion NTD. As one of the few active reservoirs in Taiwan, the water is recycled daily through Taipower’s pumped-storage power generation, keeping it fresh and clear, which prevents excessive algae growth and allows fish such as curved-back fish, tilapia, and shrimp to thrive.

　　     The circumference of Sun Moon Lake is about 33 kilometers. In the past, there was only the Sun Lake road. In September 1995, the completion of the Moon Lake road led to the formation of a full loop around the lake. Visitors can drive or ride motorcycles along the lakeside to explore various scenic spots. There are two toll stations on the loop road: one near Zhongxin Hotel in Sun Lake, and another at the southernmost point of Moon Lake, at the head of the lake. Starting from the Sun Lake toll station and traveling clockwise, the scenic spots along the loop include Wenwu Temple, Peacock Garden, Sun Moon Village (Dehua Community), Xuanzang Temple, Ci'en Pagoda, and Xuan Guang Temple.

　　    Legend: Long ago, there were two evil dragons in this large lake who snatched the sun and the moon, playing with them like balls in the water. As a result, the world was plunged into darkness, making life impossible for people. Later, a Gaoshan youth named Dajian Ge, with the help of a boat girl named Shuishe Mei, came to the lake. One struck the dragons’ heads with golden arrows, while the other pierced their eyes with an embroidery needle, reclaiming the sun and the moon. But no matter how hard they tried to throw them back into the sky, the sun and moon wouldn’t rise. Eventually, they pulled two palm trees from Jade Mountain and managed to lift the sun and moon back into the sky. Dajian Ge and Shuishe Mei then turned into two mountains that guard the lake—Dajian Mountain and Shuishe Mountain. People later noticed that the island in the lake divided the water into two parts, one shaped like the sun and the other like a crescent moon, so they named the lake “Sun Moon Lake.”

　　 Nantou County, Taiwan

Sun Moon Lake