Where the Sun and Moon meets in Sun Moon Lake, Taichung, Taiwan

Sunset in Sun Moon Lake

Have you been planning to go to new places lately?

Our travel plans have been halted for a while due to the pandemic, but worry not the moon will eventually give way to the sun, and we will be prompted with a new beginning.

Please sit back and relax as I bring you to a dramatic world where the sun and moon meet. Yes, such a place exists, and I am sure you will be as thrilled as I am.

Taiwan is a country where it only takes eight hours to drive around the entire island, where instant noodles and bubble tea were invented, and the only 7-eleven has its mascot known as a national celebrity. Aside from these exciting facts, Taiwan has much interest, and that offers incredible natural sceneries. Figuring out what to visit first may be a big dilemma.

Let's skip the towering skyscraper and busy night markets. Let me bring you to the poetic scene of the Sun Moon Lake. Located in the country's heart, it is the largest freshwater that is usually a weekend getaway for locals. Sun Moon Lake is home to sacred aboriginal land. This island is known as Lalu Island. Lalu Island is much more significant that separates the lake into the shape of a crescent moon and round sun, thus giving its name. However, when the Japanese built a dam causing the lake to be flooded, part of Lalu Island has submerged underwater. Now the island was regarded as a sacred ground for the Thao tribe and can no longer be visited by tourists, and only witch candidates of the tribe can seek approval of their ancestor's spirit.

Aerial view of the sacred Lalu Island 

Sun Moon Lake is surrounded by mountains, streams, and verdant forest trees, which creates the place's beauty. The vast expanse of the lake provides romantic scenery for each season. Regardless of time and season, the green and explicit reflection of the surrounding serene landscapes is incredibly dramatic and breathtaking. Jog along the lakeside in the early morning and you will be rewarded by a dreamy setting. If you are not a morning person, get on a bike towards the cycle paths at dusk, and you will be mesmerized by the glow of the golden sunset.

Sunset in Sun Moon Lake

The famous legend of how the Sun Moon Lake has been discovered and the popular amongst tourists is that, long ago, the Thao tribe worked diligently on their farm when a massive sound of "boom" shook their land violently. The sun has disappeared, and the sky went pitch dark. The tribe then remains calm, hoping that the moon can comfort them. However, the same thing happens with the moon. Soon the villagers become wary. Without light, their crops won't grow, and by then, a young couple decided to volunteer to find the heavenly orbs. They trek long and far with just a torch with them until they reach the lake, where they find the two fierce dragons playing with the sun and moon. They wanted to bring the orbs back, but they were both afraid of the dragons. Suddenly they found smoke under a rock, and they followed the passageway under the rock only to find an old lady cooking in a kitchen, which she explains that she was being held captive by the dragons and is now cooking for their food. She also explained that they would never defeat the dragons until she realizes that a golden ax and golden scissors that they can find under the Ali Mountain can kill the dragons. With their new quest and determination, the young couple began their adventure digging into the mountain day and night and finally acquiring the two golden things. They proceed back to the lake and throw the ax and scissors toward the dragons making them scream horribly, killing the fierce beast with their blood dying the entire lake. The young couple rescued the old lady, but they soon faced another problem: how to put back the sun and moon in the sky. The old lady told them that they would have the dragons' strength by eating the dragon's eyeball. With that, they soon become giant and placed back the sun in the sky. As the world regained light, they put back the moon and gradually starts its course. The couple was afraid that the dragon would be back, so they stood guard around the lake until they become the Guardian Mountains.

View of Wen Wu Temple in the Sun Moon Lake with the two dragons depicting the famous legend

Another stunning landscape of Sun Moon Lake

A place with incomparable scenery with an altruistic bonus legend, Sun Moon Lake is a must tourist stop when visiting Taiwan. If you are interested in seeing this place, you may want to check out our Dynamic Taiwan, Fascinating Taiwan, and Discover Taiwan packages that offer other unique tourist attractions.

With the moon being the ongoing chaos and the sun symbolizes our burning passion for travel, a setting that looks absurd for now. But with our determination and involvement, the word impossible is just an opinion. Soon we will cope up into new normal, and we will be able to travel again.

Blog contributed by: Sachi Dollesin

Photos by: Rakso Travel 

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For more information about Sun Moon Lake, Taiwan, visit Rakso Travel's website at www.RAKSOTRAVEL.com, send an email to support@raksotravel.com, or call 8651-9000.

 

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