The legend of Sun Moon Lake
Long ago, in the mountains of Nantou, there lived a tribe called the Shao. The people mostly cultivated corn, rice, and taro on their farms and relied on fishing and hunting for their main source of food.
One morning, they heard a loud "boom" and felt the ground shaking. The sun had disappeared. Everyone was upset and crying, unable to believe that the sun had vanished. In the darkness, they could do nothing but find their way back home.
At night, when the moon appeared, they could see again and do some farm work. But suddenly, another sound was heard, nearly destroying their houses. And then the moon disappeared as well, causing people to cry once again.
Since that time, the sky was without the sun and moon. The whole world was covered in darkness. The plants in the fields died, the fish hid in deep water, flowers ceased to bloom, and the animals became lifeless. People wondered how they could survive without sunlight.
In the village, there lived a young couple named Da Jian Ge and Shui She Jie. They pondered a plan to bring back the sun and moon, for without them, everyone would perish. The next day, they set out on a journey through the forest, determined to find the sun and moon. They climbed mountains, crossed rivers and forests, but couldn't find any sunlight.
After a long walk, they reached the mountaintop, where they saw a faint light shining on a lake. They ran towards the lake and discovered two dragons playing with the sun and moon. They cried when they realized who had stolen them and that the dragons were afraid to take them back.
They sat on a rock, and suddenly, white smoke emerged from underneath it. They moved the rock aside and discovered a long and narrow pathway. They entered and, as the smoke cleared, they found an old white woman cooking in her kitchen. The woman was surprised to see other people. She told them that long ago, dragons had brought her here from the fields and wouldn't let her leave. They forced her to cook meals for them.
The young couple told her about the dragons stealing the sun and moon. She advised them that dragons were afraid of golden scissors and an ax hidden under Ali Mountain (Alishan). Throwing the scissors and ax into the lake would kill the dragons and allow them to bring back the sun and moon.
The couple headed toward the mountain, found two sticks, and began digging all day and night until they unearthed the scissors and ax. They picked them up and hurried back to the lake. After killing the dragons, the lake turned red with their blood, and the sun and moon floated on the water. The couple rescued the old woman and tried to figure out how to send the sun and moon back to the sky.
The woman told them that if they ate the dragon's eyeballs, they would become tall and strong enough to bring them back to the sky. The couple dived into the lake to find the dragon's eyes. After consuming them, they began to grow. When they emerged from the water, they were as tall as mountains.
Together, the couple held the sun and threw it into the sky, but it would fall back again. They tried multiple times, but both the sun and moon wouldn't stay in the sky. Then, the old woman advised them to use palm trees to hold them up. Each of them grabbed a tree, placed the sun on top, and began supporting it. The sun rose higher and higher. After a whole day of hard work, the sun resumed its normal function. They did the same with the moon.
The world became bright again, and the plants started to grow. People smiled once more. Fearing that the dragons might return, the couple stood beside the lake. After many years, their bodies became mountains - DaJia Shan and ShuiShe Shan - and the lake became known as SunMoon Lake.
To show their gratitude, the people dedicated a dance to this young couple. In the dance, people would throw colorful balls into the air and attempt to catch them with bamboo sticks, symbolizing their brave actions.
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