Sun Moon Lake

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".

Photo by Film Specification	Photo by Film Specification	Photo by Cheng Tsai-Fu

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.　Here, in clockwise rotation, is an overview of the trails and other attractions at the lake:

Mt. Maolan Trail:

Hanbi Trail:

	The Hanbi Palace used to be a restricted area where our famous president Chiang Kai-Shek stayed when he visited Sun Moon Lake.　Now things are much different.　The palace has been turned into the Lalu Hotel and the trail to the pier he loved is open to the public.　The red brick trail is less than a mile long (1.5 km).　It gives you a beautiful view of the lake.
Photo by Film Specification

Wenwu Temple:

This temple was built in 1938, combining two temples that had to be relocated when the dam was constructed.　It was rebuilt in 1969 into the style that we see today.　People come here to worship Confucius (the god of letters) and the martial gods Guangong and Yuehfei.　The pair of lions in front of the temple are the largest ones in Taiwan. Photo by Film Specification

Peacock Garden:

Songpolun Trail:

	This trail is only 2,000 feet (600 m) long.　It used to be an ancient path that people took to go back and forth from Puli.　Salt porters with picul sticks on their shoulders used to carry salt along this trail.　The Songpolun Trail is biologically rich with primitive plants, insects and birds.　A fish farm can be found at the end by the lake.
Photo by Film Specification

Dachuhu Trail:

Shueiwatou Trail:

Sun Moon Village (Idashao):

The Shao People have the smallest population among the twelve aboriginal tribes in Taiwan.　Though the population is growing, they are only about 400 today.　You can look at their wooden sculptures and handcrafts in this aboriginal village.　You won't want to miss the chance to try their fresh seafood dishes here or on Shuishe pier.
	Photo by Film Specification

Totingai Trail:

Hsuankuang Temple and Hsuan Tsang Temple:

	If you have read the “Journey to the West” or have seen its animation, you would not forget that the protagonist was led by a monkey, a pig and an ugly general.　In real life, Master Hsuan Tsang (605-664) did not have such a magical escort.　He was a Chinese Buddhist scholar, translator, and author of “Buddhist Records of the Western World”.　Between the years 629 and 645 he made a pilgrimage to India in search of authentic scriptures.　Pious, learned, and fluent in Sanskrit, he later translated the texts that he brought back with him.　Part of his relics were kept in the Hsuankuang Temple.　Later (1965) they were moved to the newly constructed Hsuan Tsang Temple.
Xuan Guang Temple Photo by Film Specification
Hsuan Tsang Temple Photo by Film Specification

Tzuen Pagoda Trail:

Tzuen Ta, the pagoda of filial virtue was built in commemoration of Madam Wang, the mother of Chiang Kai-Shek.　It is on the top of the Mt. Sabalan.　(An interesting fact: the mountain is at an elevation of 954 meters, so the pagoda was built 46 meters high in order to reach the elevation of 1000 meters!)　The trail gives us a great view of the lake.　It's less than a half mile (570 m) long and features a variety of ferns.　Fireflies can be seen on summer nights.

Photo by Film Specification

Swimming in the lake is normally prohibited for safety reasons.　But every September there is a mass cross-lake swimming event organized by the local county government and the Adult Swimming Association.　If you are interested in this activity, you can obtain further information from the Sun Moon Lake Tourism Bureau or the Nantou County Government.　(Click the links at the bottom).　But be forewarned: the distance across the lake is 3,000 meters (more than 1.8 miles!).

Photo by Tsai Mei-Chu	Photo by Zhao ShunJing	Photo by Wu LingTu	Photo by Film Specification

Sun Moon Lake is easy to get to.　It is one of many wonders along the Central Cross-Island Highway.　Other attractions include the Flame Peaks at Tasotun, the 9-21 Earthquake Museum at Nantou City (a modern multimedia museum dedicated to teaching visitors about earthquakes - especially the deadly quake of September 21, 1999), the 4 W's at Puli (Water, Wine, Women and Weather), the sheep at Chingjing Farm, and of course the great Taroko National Park. If you want to learn more about Puli and other scenic spots in Nantou County, a 19-minute Windows Video made by The Lalu can be viewed online.　It shows much of the scenery of Nantou.　Please click "Video: The Scenery of Nantou" to see it.
	Photo by Hsu Shih Jung
	Photo by Zhi-Huang You

Photos are provided by Tourism Bureau of R.O.C.

The Enchanting Town of Puli Lofty Mountains and Sweet Water

Video： The Scenery of Nantou

Nantou County Government

Service Center

More information please check: www. traveltaiwan.com