East Coast National Scenic Area

Yuedong is situated in Fengbin township in Hualien county, with Shitiping to the south and about 1 kilometer away from the Gangkou village. It is a natural stalactite cave, and in the eyes of the coastal indigenous tribes is a piece of natural land. In the cave, water has accumulated into a five-meter high lake, with the lake’s water level rising and falling in accordance with the waxing and waning of the moon. Therefore it became known as “Yuedong” (“Moon Cave”), known alternatively as “Yuejing” (“Moon Well”). It is said that within the lake there are many giant mottled eels, with one so-called millennium eel weighing more than 10 kilograms, as well as possessing an attacking nature, and therefore up to the present time still no man has dared dive into to the water to explore. Yuedong’s height is about 80 meters above sea-level, and is about 800 meters distance from the coast, with the cave’s entrance reaching to a height of about 25 meters. The cave’s entire length is about 176 meters. The cave’s carved shape is particularly uniquely: within the cave there is a left and a right cavern, the left side cavern mouth is comparatively wide at about 50 meters, and tapers as it reaches the top, at the summit providing habitat for hundreds of thousands of bats, adding a more mystical atmosphere. The right side cavern mouth is comparatively shorter at 40 meters. Within the cave it is mystical and dark, and the marks of stalactites can be found all over the rock walls, as well as a colony of bats above-head hanging down. There are also hidden streams, numerous droplets, stalagmites, swallow’s nest fossils, fish head fossils and other assorted sights. If you want to enter the cave to explore, it is necessary to ride in the boats of specialist navigators, and the illumination from the lighting upon the boats can give a rewarding tour. The temperature inside the cave is about 20 ℃. In winter warm and in summer cool, the cave is suitable for touring all year round.