Yuanyang Lake in Snow Mountain Mountains
Yuanyang Lake is a high-altitude lake located in the Xueshan Mountains. It is located between Tangsui Mountain, the main peak of Xuebei Mountain, and the surrounding mountains. It is within Xiuluan Village, Jianshi Township, but under the jurisdiction of Yilan County. Yuanyang Lake is located on Beiheng Forest Road 110, with an altitude of about 1,670 meters. The swamp area is 2.2 hectares and the deepest is 15 meters. It runs east-west and spans Hsinchu, Taoyuan, and Yilan counties. The gap is in the west and flows into Takjin Creek and Taigang. Creek, Dahan Creek, and finally merge into Shimen Reservoir.
Legend of Yuanyang Lake
There is a poignant love story circulating in Yuanyang Lake: it is because there are often mandarin ducks living on the lake. Legend has it that there was a pair of childhood sweethearts. The man accidentally died at the bottom of the lake due to hunting, and the woman was heartbroken. To express their unswerving love, He threw himself into the lake to die for his love. This move moved the lake god, who transformed the two into mandarin ducks and watched each other, swimming leisurely in the lake. This is the origin of the name Yuanyang Lake. It is a natural ecological reserve. There are dense forests around the lake and a rare moss symbiotic forest. There are many kinds of plants, which are divided into three major communities: aquatic, hygrophytic, and mesophytic, with a total of 138 species.
Yuanyang Lake: Nature’s Misty Beauty
Most of the birds are northern migratory birds, with a total of 9 families and 14 species. The most beautiful moment of Yuanyang Lake is in the early morning, when the water vapor flashes in the mist, and the landscape changes in countless ways, making you forget to leave. Especially in the cold winter when the snow is falling, the lakeside looks like pink and jade, forming a unique landscape. If you go to see it, you will appreciate the wonders of nature’s creations. Because it is located in the northeastern part of Taiwan and is affected by the northeast monsoon, the climate is often humid and rainy, surrounded by clouds and mists. Thick water vapor floats in the air from time to time.
The trees are covered with ferns and green moist moss. Although it is inland, the entire Yuanyang Lake looks like the land that has been soaked in water for many years. Wild birds and animals come here to drink water.
Climbing route
If you want to go to Yuanyang Lake, you can walk from Taiqi Qilan Station to Qilan Call Station and turn to Forest Road 110. The forest road is surrounded by dense forests, mostly cryptomeria forests, and artificial cypress forests. There is a concurrent management station 2.3 kilometers from the entrance of the forest road. General tourists can only go here, and only academic units and research groups can enter.