Situated in the Xindian District, New Taipei city, Mengmeng Lake became a picture-perfect spot in the greater Taipei area. In the 1960s, Mengmeng valley is known as a dating spot for couples in Taipei. However, After the dam was built, the valley has been filled with water, forming a lake.
Located in Datong Township, Yilan County, Songluo Lake, standing at 1,300 meters, is part of the Xueshan Range. Surrounded by the mountains, the lake with fog over the water seems like a shy 17-year-old teenage girl. That’s why the beautiful swampy lake is also known as “17-year-old teenage girl.” The trail length is 13 kilometers and the round trip takes about 7 hours. Most of the hikers would spend 2 days 1 night and camp by the beautiful lake.
Chia-Lo Lake, standing at 2,242 meters, is situated at the Central Mountain Range. The length of the trail is 17 kilometers. If you plan on visiting the lake, it’s better to spend two days one night on the trip. Legend has it that when a fairy was dressing up, she accidentally broke the mirror, and shattered mirrors pieces were spread all over mountains in Yilan. The pieces formed a beautiful high-mountain lake.
Meng lake in the Xizhi district, New Taipei City is one of the most instagrammable spots in Taipei. Meng lake, standing at 325 meters above the sea level, often gets foggy in the winter afternoon, creating a dream-like landscape. You can stroll around the lake and go for the hiking trail beside the lake. The round trail takes about 80 minutes to hike.
Situated between Taipingshan and Dayuanshan at 1,840 meters above sea level, Cueifong Lake is the biggest alpine lake in Taiwan. To witness this magical phenomenon, one can take a leisure walk on the Cueifong Lake mountain trail surrounded by tall oaks and hike to the viewing platform at the 800-meter point.
Located at 3,310 meters above sea level in Hairui Township, Taitung County, Jiaming Lake is the second-highest mountain lake in Taiwan. As Jiaming Lake is 26 kilometers in length, it’s recommended to arrange a four-day trip there for sufficient time and do physical training and adequate preparations before visiting this beautiful lake.
The Swallow Lake, the Meihua Lake and Mengmeng Lake in Xindian District, New Taipei City, is also known as the three major lakes of Xindian. Swallow Lake is an artificial lake with beautiful scenery and is a frequented by swallows, hence its name.
Surrounded by mountains, Meihua Lake, covering 20 hectares, is a natural storage reservoir. From the bird-eyes’ view, the lake is in a five-petal flower shape. That’s why it is named “Meihua Lake,” which means a plum flower. You can either bike around the lake, or take a ferry tour enjoying the scenery. A ferry ticket is priced at NT$50 per person. What’s more? You can cross a bridge on the east side of the lake to go to the small floating island at the center.