National Geographic Traveller India – July 2019

42 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | JULY 2019

RICHIE CHAN/SHUTTERSTOCK

FLY ME TO THE SUN AND MOON

AT THE FOOTHILLS OF TAIWAN’S CENTRAL MOUNTAIN RANGE LIES A RELAXING AND BEAUTIFUL PIT STOP
BY SEJAL MEHTA

T

he name of Taiwan’s Sun Moon
Lake—half shaped like the sun, the
other half curved like a crescent
moon—implies a good backstory.
A variety of folklore tales each
differently explain how the largest
freshwater lake in Taiwan came to be
so auspiciously shaped, one even citing
mischievous dragons. However, the
alpine lake was actually two separate
bodies of water that were joined in the
1930s when Japanese occupiers decided
to build a dam, merging the round sun
and the crescent moon together. Dotting
the centre of this union lies Lalu Island,
meaning ‘later’ or ‘after’ in the region’s
indigienous tribal tongue.
The idyllic isle has changed names and

even its shape under its various rulers

and timelines: ‘Jade Island’ under the

Japanese, ‘Kuang hua’ under the Chiang

Kai Shek’s Nationalist government,

and now, a return to its original name,

Lalu, out of respect for the local Thao

tribe. Throughout the 1800s, some Thao

even lived on it, before they were ousted

by Chinese settlers. It took almost a

century for their ancestral home to be

returned to them, which only happened

after an earthquake in 1999 shrunk

a considerable portion of the island,

spurring the local government to return

what land remained on the lake to its

original inhabitants. From the number

of boats that idle around the now-

protected islet, encircled by pontoon

gardens, it seems everybody likes a

good backstory.

Two hours from Taichung, this

tranquil lake at the foothills of Taiwan’s

central mountain range, in Nantou

County, is a restful pit stop made up of

forest trails (some filled with fireflies),

mountain hikes and a highly acclaimed

34-kilometre cycling track that loops

the lake.

The track is so popular it is common

for people to carry their own bikes and

make a trip purely for the three-hour

experience. On the ride, bikers pedal

past thick forested areas along the blue-

green hues of the water (spring visitors

will also ride past cherry blossoms).

The natural beauty of the area is also

THE ITINERARY TAIWAN

Sun Moon Lake sees

millions of visitors

each year from across

the globe, all eager to

drink in its beauty.