世界之旅:Sun Moon Lake(日月潭)

Surrounded by green mountains, Sun Moon Lake is the pearl of Central Taiwan.　Sun Moon Lake is the largest natural lake in Taiwan. The Eastern part of the lake is round like the sun, while the Western part is shaped like a crescent moon - hence the name "Sun Moon Lake".

日月潭是臺灣的“天池”，湖周35公里，水域9平方公里多，爲全省最大的天然湖泊，也是全國少數著名的高山湖泊之一。其地環湖皆山，湖水澄碧，湖中有天然小島浮現，圓若明珠，形成“青山擁碧水，明潭抱綠珠”的美麗景觀。清人曾作霖說它是“山中有水水中山，山自凌空水自閒”；陳書遊湖，也說是“但覺水環山以外，居然山在水之中”。300年來，日月潭就憑着這“萬山叢中，突現明潭”的奇景而成爲寶島諸勝之冠，馳名於五洲四海。　　

Inthe middle of the lake (between the "sun" and the "moon") is an island which has long been a sacred place for the Shao people. This island(Lalu) 珠仔嶼或珠子山 is off-limits to visitors. Only the Shao people can go there to worship their ancestors祖先.　(There is a ferry that passes by it, departing every hour from 9:00 to 4:00). But the beauty of Sun Moon Lake is not Lalu. The beauty of Sun Moon Lake is found in the surrounding mountains. From the lake, tier upon tier of countless peaks can be seen rising up into the sky.　The nearby mountains appear dark with vegetation. The mountains that echo farther and farther away appearless and less distinct until they fade into the sky.

日月潭美景如畫，春夏秋冬，晨昏晴雨，景色變幻無窮。尤其是秋天夜晚，湖面輕籠着薄霧，明月倒映湖中，景色更爲佳麗動人。每年中秋圓月當空時，高山族的青年男女扛着又長又粗的竹竿，帶着綵球，來到潭邊跳起古老的民間舞蹈。他們重演着征服惡龍的民間故事，把太陽和月亮頂上天，讓日月潭永遠享有日月的光輝。