sun moon lake
DESCRIPTION
A brief introduction of Sun Moon Lake.TRANSCRIPT
Sun
Moon
Lake 2013 NCKU Cultural Trip
March 9
About
Sun Moon
Lake
Sun Moon Lake lies in the center
of the Shuishalian Area, which is a
part of Yuchi Township in Nantou
County. Situated in the western
foothills of Taiwan's Central
Mountain Range, between the
Western Plain and the mountains, it
lies at the center of Nantou County,
at a longitude of 120 55 east and a
latitude of 23 52 north, connecting
Puli Township in the north to Renai
Township in the northeast, Xinyi
Township in the southeast, Shuili
Township in the southwest and
Guoxing Township in the northwest.
Sun Moon Lake features the only full-range 3D tours (lake, sky and land) in Taiwan. The
lake cycling trail has been dubbed by CNNGO, CNN as one of the most beautiful cycling
trails in the world. Top scenic spots in the lake area include Lalu island, Weneu Temple, Cien
Pagoda, Lalu Island, Syuentzang Temple, Xian Mountain, Yongjie Bridge, Tongxin Bridge,
Christian Church, Meihe Garden, Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village and Snake Kiln, and
the 14 lake trails are the top choices for sightseeing and leisure activities; specialty
recreational locations in surrounding areas include (organized based on tour theme): Jiji and
Checheng (Railway Nostalgic Trip); Dili and Sangyong (Indigenous Village Tour); Lugao
and Seshui (Black Tea Pottery Tour) and Puli Taumi and Toushe Live Basin (Nature and
Ecological Tour).
Historical
Traces
According to legend, a long time ago a group of Thao
hunters chased a rare and beautiful white deer for days and
days, going up river valleys and across mountain ridges, until
finally they entered the mountains of a place called
Shuishalian. There they discovered the deep green waters of
Sun Moon Lake, and moved their entire tribe to this beautiful
place.
The entire area around Sun Moon Lake,
including today's Yuchi, Toushe, and
Puli, was once known as Shuishalian.
During the Qing Dynasty the original
Thao settlers were joined by large
numbers of Han Chinese and Pingpu
(plains) Aborigines who moved in to
cultivate the land, thus forming the
cultural diversity of the area.
When the Japanese occupied Taiwan they channeled
water from the upper Zhuoshui River into the lake for
hydropower generation, substantially raising the
water level and increasing the lake-surface area. The
roads built by the Japanese to facilitate hydroelectric
construction made travel to the area much more
convenient, stimulating tourism at Sun Moon Lake
and the development of the surrounding area.
After Taiwan was restored to China, the construction
or renovation of Xuanguang Temple, Xuanzang
Temple, Wenwu Temple, and Ci'en Pagoda attracted
even more tourists. This transformed Sun Moon Lake
from the homeland of the Thao into a hydroelectric
powerhouse and ultimately into a famous tourist
destination.
Scenic Spots Introduction
Scenic Spots Introduction
Ci En Pagoda (慈恩塔)
Ci En Pagoda was built by the late
President Chiang Kai-shek in memory
of his mother. It was completed in April
1971 and sits on the 954 meter-high
Shabalan Mountain.
The pagoda is 46 meters tall, bringing
its top to an even 1,000 meters above
sea level. It has an imposing traditional
Chinese style and is divided into nine
stories. Visitors can climb to the top,
where they have a magnificent view of
the lake and the surrounding mountains.
Wunwu Temple
(文武廟)
Wenwu Temple is located at
the shoulder of mountain where
is on the north of Sun Moon
Lake. It was built in 1938.
The architecture of the temple
has the palace style of northern
China. It is of a large and
imposing structure, with three
separate halls. On the second
floor of the front hall is a shrine
devoted to the First Ancestor
Kaiji and the God of Literature;
the central hall is devoted to
Guan Gong, the God of War,
and the warrior-god Yue Fei;
the rear hall is dedicated to
Confucius.
Meihe Garden
(梅荷園)
Before 1970, this site was a military police station. The
name “Meihe” means “plum and water lily”,
symbolizing the spirit of the military police. The Meihe
Gardens, situated to the west of Shueishe Wharf, were
constructed after the 921 Earthquake of 1999. Now it
has become the best viewing garden of Sun Moon Lake.
Tourists can now freely visit this new landmark.
Lalu Island
(拉魯島)
This little island located in the middle of the lake is considered to be
the home of the Thao ancestral spirits. Floating docks and fields
surround the island in the shape of the Eight Diagrams.
Xiangshan Visitor Center (向山行政暨遊客中心)
The Xiangshan Visitor Center is both for tourism and administration use. The uniquely
designed building has wood-patterned exteriors and wings that stretch like human arms
embracing the earth. In addition, the two giant canopy structures, 34 meters long and 8
meters tall each, allow people to enjoy beautiful views of the Sun Moon Lake on top.
Sun
Moon
Lake