Carp Lake is a well-known scenic spot in Eastern Taiwan. It was named after Carp Mountain, which rises from it, together with Papaya Mountain, Bronze Gate Mountain and Longevity Mountain. Carp Lake originally was a natural basin where several rivers met. The lake abounds with fish. Among them, carp and eel are the most delicious. For some visitors fishing here is a great sport. Located at the Chih-nan village, the lake is 18 kilometers from Hualien City.
With few inhabitants nearby, Carp Lake has remained a tranquil, beautiful place. Here, nature exhibits its beauty, with grassland like a velvet carpet and trees branching out with thick foliage. The lake is oval, with a wider southern end. It covers a total area of 104 hectares (260 acres), with a circumference of 4,400 meters and an average depth of 15 meters. The lake remains unpolluted. Mountains and tree are mirrored on the water. There are weeping willows, pine trees and cypress around Carp Lake, and boats drifting slowly on its surface. All these remind visitors of the scenery of Southern China.