Sun Moon Lake

When it comes to lake and reservoir scenic areas in Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake in Yuchi Township, Nantou County easily steals the spotlight. Covering around 827 hectares with a 33-kilometer shoreline, the lake gets its name because its northern half looks like a sunny orb, while the southern half resembles a crescent moon. Its water actually originates from Mount Hehuan, flowing into the upper reaches of the Zhuoshui River before feeding into the lake.

Originally, Sun Moon Lake was just a small, natural pond. Back in the Japanese colonial era, engineers wanted to harness power from the water. They built a dam at Wujie—the closest point on the Zhuoshui River to the lake—and dug a 15-kilometer underground tunnel right through Shuishe Mountain. This diverted the river into the basin, flooding the surrounding hilltops and creating the massive lake we see today.