SunMoonLakeissurroundedbyMountShuisheandMountDajian.Thelakecoversanareaof7.7squarekilometersandhasanaveragewaterdepthof40meters.ThelakeisdividedintonorthernandsouthernsectionsbyanislandcalledGuanghua.Thelakegetsits
namebecausethenorthernsectionresemblesarhombus-shapedsunwhilethesouthernsectionlookslikeacrescent-shapedmoon.
Accordingtolegend,awhitedeercontributedtothediscoveryofthelake.Threehundredyearsago,agroupofpeasantswerehuntingwhentheydiscoveredalargewhitedeerrunningtothenorthwest.Theyfollowedthisamazingcreatureforthreedaysandnights,butitfinallydisappearedintheforest.Onthefourthday,aftertheyhadmovedthroughtheforest,theycameuponanimpressivevista.Theysawrollingverdantmountainsanda
shimmeringlakeshiningbrightlyunderthesun.Asmallroundislandcoveredwithtreesdividedthelakeintotwoparts.Onepartwaslikethesunandtheotherpartwaslikethemoon,sotheycalleditSunMoonLake.
OriginallycalledShuiShalianandLongLake,theSunMoonisthelargestnaturallakeinTaiwan.Theclimateinthisareaisquitetemperatewiththehighestsummertemperaturebeinglessthan22C(71.6F)andthelowestwintertemperaturebottomingoutat15C(59F).Withsuchapleasantclimate,itisatopchoiceasasummerresort.Besidesthecoolweather,visitorsaredrawnbythe
magnificentscenery.Thebeautyofthelakeliesinitstranquilcrystalwaterthatclearlyreflectsthesurroundingmountains.Rainorshine,
winterorsummer,thelakeoffersvisitorsaplethoraofpicturesquesights.Ifthesceneryofthelakewereawallcalendaramazingandbreathtakingpictureswouldbefoundbyturningovereachpage.Thelakeisextremelyattractiveatnight.Whenthewaterisbathedin
moonlighttingedwithalayerofthinfog,itgivestheappearanceofaplaceexistingonlyinlegend.
Manyplacesofinterestarefoundaroundthelake.Wenwu
Temple,locatedatthenorthofthelake,payshomagetoConfucius,thefounderofConfucianism.ItalsohonorsGeneralYueFeioftheSouthernSongDynastyandGuanYu,agreatgeneralofShuStatesintheThreeKingdoms.Thetempleistallandsplendidandisdesignedaccordingtothefeaturesofthesurroundingmountains.XuanZangTempleistheburial(埋葬)placeofXuanZang,themonkwhowenttoIndiaonfoottoseekthesutra.Finally,ontheisland,thereisapavilionnamedforOldManundertheMoon(thegodofmarriage).