Shueiuatou Hiking Trail

With a total length of over 500 meters, Shuiwatou Hiking Trail is a short walk going through the bamboo forest that stretches out to the water around Sun Moon Lake. It is full of surprises and ideal for all family members to enjoy the vibrant sights of butterflies, birds, fish and frogs. Mysteriously, there sits a statue in the water with nine frogs stacking on top of bigger ones. Any idea of what it is used for?

Sun Moon Lake serves as the upper container of a dam that produces hydroelectric power. Occasional water level fluctuations happen at different times of the day, and the statue of nine frogs is a water level indicator. At times of low electrical demand (usually at dawn), the excess generation capacity is used to pump water into the higher reservoir, where the half of frogs are submerged under water. When the demand becomes greater (usually at night), water is released back into the lower reservoir through a turbine, and the number of frogs that can be seen above water is the greatest. During your next visit to Sun Moon Lake, keep your eyes peeled for these sneaky frogs while strolling around Shuiwatou Hiking Trail.