The Chiaming Lake (Chinese: 嘉明湖; pinyin: Jiāmíng Hú; Bunun:Cidanuman Buan (mirror of the moon)) is a lake in Haiduan Township, Taitung County, Taiwan. It is the second highest lake area in Taiwan.
Chiaming Lake | |
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Chiaming Lake | |
Location | Haiduan, Taitung County, Taiwan |
Coordinates | 23°17′34.3″N 121°02′03.1″E |
Type | lake |
Native name | 嘉明湖 (Chinese) |
Max. length | 120 meters (390 ft) |
Max. width | 80 meters (260 ft) |
Surface elevation | 3,310 meters (10,860 ft) |
In Bunun language, Chiaming Lake is called "cidanuman buan", meaning "Mirror of the moon"; in Taiwan, it is traditionally referred as "Angel's teardrop" or, due to its deep blue color, "God's lost sapphire".
The lake was formed by glacial movement during the ice age.[1] The forest authority closed the mountain area for maintenance and restoration works on 10 December 2014 until 31 March 2015.[2] On 5 January 2018, the lake was closed for visitors and will be opened again on 1 April 2018 to allow the natural vegetation restoration of the area around the lake.[3]
This oval-shaped lake is located along the Southern Cross-Island Highway. The lake surface is 120 meters long and 80 meters wide at an elevation of 3,310 meters.[4] It is surrounded by emerald green forest plantation and wildlife.[5] The area surrounds the lake has lodges and hiking trail with a length of 13 km.