Sun Moon Lake - Taiwan

Surrounded by green mountains, Sun Moon Lake is the pearl of Central Taiwan.　Sun Moon Lake is the largest natural lake in Taiwan.　The Eastern part of the lake is round like the sun, while the Western part is shaped like a crescent moon - hence the name "Sun Moon Lake".

In the middle of the lake (between the "sun" and the "moon") is an island which has long been a sacred place for the Shao people.　This island (Lalu) is off-limits to visitors.　Only the Shao people can go there to worship their ancestors.　(There is a ferry that passes by it, departing every hour from 9:00 to 4:00).　But the beauty of Sun Moon Lake is not Lalu.　The beauty of Sun Moon Lake is found in the surrounding mountains.　From the lake, tier upon tier of countless peaks can be seen rising up into the sky.　The nearby mountains appear dark with vegetation.　The mountains that echo farther and farther away appear less and less distinct until they fade into the sky.

The lake has not always looked the way it does now.　At one time Lalu was a much larger island, a pearl separating the "Sun Lake" from the "Moon Lake".　But in the construction of a hydroelectric power plant, the Japanese in 1934 deepened the lake by directing water from the adjacent lakes at Puli and Yuchih.　The depth changed from 6 meters to 27 meters.　The surface area of the lake changed from 1.8 sq miles to nearly 3 sq. miles (4.55 sq kms to 7.73 sq. kms).　The big pearl became a little pearl.　The Shao people were moved from their beloved Lalu to the upper Sun Moon Village.

Seven trails are available for hiking.　Even if you choose to stay overnight at Sun Moon Lake, you might not have enough time to hike more than three of them.　If this is the case, we suggest that you choose the Hanbi Trail, the Dachuhu Lake Trail, and the Tzuen Pagoda Trail.