Heaven Meets Earth at Sun Moon Lake

(Photo courtesy of Taiwan.net)

Three hundred years ago, a group of people from the Thao tribe was seeking food and hunting wild animals in the hills and mountains of Formosa, when they spotted a great white deer running across the hills.1 With great determination and the desire to see more of this wonderful omen from the heavens, the hunters followed the deer. For three days and nights they tracked the great animal until it entered a forest where they lost traces of this seemingly ethereal apparition. Never giving up, the hunters continued with their quest and dared to enter the forest.

They finally got through to the other side, and what beheld them was like heaven on earth. A lake reflecting the brightness of the sun lay before their eyes with a backdrop of lush mountains and virgin forests. In the middle of the lake was a small round island, with the southern part shaped like the crescent of a new moon, while the northern part appeared like the sun. The hunters named the island Lalu and the body of water Sun Moon Lake because of these features. Due to the rich surroundings and magnificent scenery, the tribe decided to settle and live there.2

Located in the middle of Nantou County in Taipei City and rising above sea level at 748 meters is the only natural big lake in Taiwan. The lake has an average depth of 40 meters and covers an area of 7.7 square kilometers. 1 The lake is surrounded by Mount Shuishe and Mount Daijan, appearing like enormous guardians watching over this magical place, which is considered holy ground by the Thao tribe. 2 The emerald green waters of the lake that is almost crystalline in its clarity, reflects these mountains and other hills that the Japanese named Lalu “Jade Island” during their occupation of Taiwan at the height of World War II.

Sun Moon Lake is a very popular tourist attraction in Taiwan, with natural forests ideal for nature lovers and bird watchers. Blessed with an abundance of natural resources and vegetation, the region near the lake teems with birds, insects and other wildlife.3

The combination of mountain and water scenery creates a natural beauty that is often depicted in Chinese landscape paintings that has survived the ages. Visitors are enchanted with the various changes in mist formations at different times of the day, creating a variety of moods that is impossible to capture in one single view. This reason alone makes visitors and tourists prolong their stay in an attempt to see and experience the beauty of the lake in all its forms. 4

The early morning mist at dawn covers the surface of the lake with an eerie blanket that signifies something great and magnificent lies hidden beneath this veil. As the sun slowly rises, the mist gently dissolves revealing the utter beauty of the lake as it reflects surrounding images while the community around the lake wakes up to the sound of music from Mother Nature’s singers. At dusk, the sun settles but leaves rays of brilliant gold shimmering across the surface of the lake. 4 As the evening comes to a close, the fading cacophony of lights and sound ebbs away, appearing like a scene from a brilliantly produced fantasy movie. However, no human creation will be able to reproduce the natural beauty of this piece of heaven on earth.

Aside from its natural beauty, the region around the Sun Moon Lake is home to various cultural and historical sites that makes it a prime tourist destination from visitors from around the world. Famous scenic spots include the Itashao, Lalu Island, the Syuentzang Temple, the Tsen Pagoda and the Wenwu Temple. The Wenwu Temple, which is located in the northern part of the lake, pays homage to Confucius, the founder of Confucianism. This tall and splendid temple that was designed following the features of the surrounding mountains also pays homage to General Yue Fei of the Southern Song Dynasty as well as to the great general Shu States of the Three Kingdoms.

The following diagram shows scenic spots that are located along the periphery of the lake. The lake can be reached by bus directly from Taichung or from Taipei. If by car, the lake can be reached by the major freeways which interconnect to the provincial highways leading directly into the lake. 3

Scenic Spots Surrounding the Sun Moon Lake
(Photo courtesy of SunMoonLake.gov.tw)


REFERENCES:

Δ Travelchinaguide.com: Sun Moon Lake
Δ Wikipedia: Sun Moon Lake
Δ Taiwan.net: Tourism
Δ SunMoonLake.gov.tw

======

Peter Allan C. Mariano

Talakayan at Kalusugan - DWBL1242 4-5pm Mon-Fri
The Big NM - Network Management for Filipinos
Links2Prosperity - Web Marketing : Web Content : Web Design
Entreplink Philippines - Moderator

Follow me on TWITTER:
Join my FACEBOOK Family: