Posted 2018/11/14
Mount Ali and Sun Moon Lake are the top two natural scenic spots in Taiwan, China’s biggest island. They are also among the signature tourist attractions on the beautiful island.
Located in Jiayi County of Taiwan, Mount Ali is the sub range of Yushan Mountain and a general name for a total of 18 mountains including Mt. Dawulianshan, Jianshan, Zhushan and Tashan etc, with the main peak of Mt. Tashan topping 2,600 meters above sea level. In the east of Mt. Ali towers Mt. Yushan, the highest mountain of Taiwan. Mt. Ali is a world-famous scenic area renowned for the three wonders of forests, cloud seas and sakura flowers. Legend has it that over 250 years ago, a tribal chief named Ali came here on a hunting trip and returned with his hands full of game animals. His tribal men then followed suit and frequently came here hunting, all went away full handed. In order to honor the tribal chief, people named the mountain Ali after him.
Sun Moon Lake is in Nantou County of central Taiwan. It is the biggest and only natural lake in Taiwan. It’s a fault basin between Mt. Yushan and Mt. Ali covering 7.73 sq. kilometers with the average water depth of 30 meters. The lake is shaped like a first-quarter moon, as such, it was named “Sun Moon Lake” in the Qing Dynasty. The water of the lake is crystal-clear and the waves are as smooth as a mirror, reflecting the green mountains on both banks. It looks like a beautiful landscape painting. The lake was listed as "one of the top 8 scenic spots of Taiwan” way back in the Qing Dynasty.