Sun Moon Lake (; Thao: Zintun) is a lake in Nantou County, Taiwan. It is the largest lake in Taiwan. Sun Moon Lake is one of the Eight Views of Taiwan. The lake was named because the east side of the lake looks like a sun, and the west side of the lake looks like a moon.

The lake is famous because the scenery looks very beautiful. In the morning and evening, there are clouds and mist with the rising or setting sun. The area around the lake is one of Taiwan's national scenic areas.

History

The land around the lake is home to the Thao tribe. They are an aboriginal people. According to legend, Thao hunters discovered Sun Moon Lake after chasing a deer. The deer led them to the lake. They found that the lake was beautiful and had lots of fish. An island in the middle of the lake is thought of as the worship place for the Thao people.

The lake was called Lake Candidius in the past. It was named after the missionary Georgius Candidius. The lake was first called Sun Moon Lake in 1821, in a book called Travels to Shueilishe by Deng Chuan-an. In the Qing dynasty, Chinese people began moving to the area around Sun Moon Lake. Many people wanted to open restaurants, hotels, and stores there.

When Taiwan was ruled by Japan, they made many changes. The first power plants were built in 1934. It was being built for 15 years and the project began in 1919. The Jiji Line railroad was built to help the construction of the power plants. Lalu Island was renamed "Jade Island". The Japanese built a large dam in 1931 that made the lake much bigger. In 1946, the new Chinese government renamed the lake "Kuanghua Island". The name stayed that way until the 921 earthquake in 1999 that damaged the island. After the earthquake, the island was renamed Lalu Island. It was renamed because the Taiwanese government wanted to help preserve the Thao culture.

In 1967, an Aboriginal Culture Centre was created to help preserve the Thao culture. In 1975, the centre was opened. In 1990, a yacht turned upside down while in the water. It caused 57 people to die. Only 25 people survived. In 2012, a picture of Sun Moon Lake was used in the People's Republic of China passports. It made the Taiwanese government angry because they say that Taiwan and Sun Moon Lake is not part of the People's Republic of China.

Geography
Sun Moon Lake is  above sea level. It is  deep. Many mountains and forests are around the lake.

The water of the lake is very clear and crystal-like. There is an island in the middle of the lake that is called Lalu Island. The public is not allowed on the island because it is only allowed for aboriginal uses.

Climate
Sun Moon Lake is in a warmer area. The average temperature there is 21 °C.

Attractions

There are many museums and monuments around the lake. The town Ita Thao has many shops and businesses. They are mainly owned by people of the Thao tribe. The Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is very close to Sun Moon Lake. It opened in 1986 and helps teach about Aboriginal culture. It has beautiful gardens and forests. There is a gondola that people ride over the forests next to the lake.

People can ride bicycles around the lake. There are many bike trails around the lake. There are also many hiking trails around the lake that go up Mount Maolan.

References

Other websites

 Official website 
 Official website  

Geography of Taiwan
Lakes of Asia