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Qilin Lake, originally named “Dashuiku,” is a small pool at the foot of Dongding Mountain. It is the first stop on the way into the Phoenix Valley Scenic Area. Its sparkling waters reflect green mountains and red-tiled roofs; the scenery rivals the lakes and mountains of Switzerland and is hailed as one of Nantou’s Eight Great Sights. Ringed by low hills, terraced tea bushes stand in neat rows along the lakeshore. The lake is stocked with fish for angling. At dawn and dusk a thin mist drapes the surface, making the view enchanting. A stroll around the lakeside trail lets you take in the natural landscape of water and mountain; wild ducks and swans glide across the water, and Dongding Mountain is layered in veils of mist. From the summit above Qilin Lake the vista opens wide: looking down you can see the entire “Big Water Hollow,” north to Jiji on the Zhuoshui River, west to Zhushan Township and the Jianan Plain, east to the Phoenix Range, and across to the Dongding Terrace opposite—all beautiful scenery spread before your eyes. Qilin Lake: originally a small pond beneath Dongding Mountain. About 150 years ago villagers of Yonglong took advantage of the three-sided encirclement of hills to build a dam for storing irrigation water; the lake gradually expanded into an expanse of jade-green water. It now covers roughly 13 hectares, surrounded by tea gardens. Morning and evening a light mist drifts over the surface, creating exquisitely beautiful scenery acclaimed as one of Nantou’s Eight Great Sights.