Moon Lake, the largest lake in Shilin County, is located 15 kilometers east to Stone Forest, having a circumference of 12.6 kilometers, a water surface area of about 3 square kilometers, and altitude of 1906 meters with the shape like a crescent moon.

Moon Lake Scenic Area consists of a group of big and small lakes and island rocks. The lakes are adjacent to each other with water flowing interactively. Each lake is an attractive scene with its own beauty.

Among these lakes, Moon Lake is the largest. Visiting Moon Lake in daytime, you can enjoy the lake and the mountains, the special karst landform, and the stones on southwest bank. Among green trees, these dark gray bare limestones look quite magnificent; however, if you take a close and careful look, you will find that they are all fossils of corals, spiral shells, and clams. These fossils are similar in color and quality to those in Lizijing Stone Forest, so it could be known that the age of the formation of Moon Lake is similar to that of Stone Forest. It is said that this place was a deep sea in ancient times with many sea creatures like corals and spiral shells. After many changes along with time, the deep sea rose to land and coral remains became fossils. On the southeast of the lake, there are undulating mountains with lush trees, making wave sound with along with breeze. On the north bank, white spiral shells scatter on green lawn with lovely pattern. By the lake, there grow reeds and white Ottelia acuminata with wadding floating with breeze.

There are three rock islands in the lake like the three embedded pearls. The big island looks like a semi-watered submarine while small ones look like boats in the wave.

Strolling along the lake, you may see rippling lake with vast mist. In the evening, there may be a few shocked birds flying up, and it can truly remind you of the picture “falling clouds flying with a solitary bird, and autumn river sharing a scenic hue with vast sky”. If you boat on the lake, tranquility will give you a peaceful environment while strong waves will cause a rolling adventure. Rowing in the evening will present you all kinds of wonders - clear sky with twinkling stars, waving reeds and trees, and shining ripples make such a wonderful picture for you that you will surely play A Moonlit Night on the Spring River to express your feelings as long as you can.

There are many fishes in the lake, mainly Cyprinidae, Carassius auratus, grass carp, and silver carp. As the lake water is non-polluted with excellent quality, fishes are big and tasty, attracting good fishers.

There is also a touching legend about Moon Lake.

Long long ago, local people called this place “Gadima” (flat wilderness in Sani language). The flatness was only an overview as the land was bumpy with stones if taking a closer look. There were no lakes at all. About hundreds of years ago, there was a temporary emperor in Luliang. One day he heard a place called Gadima, which shone brightly at sunrise and sunset, so people guessed that there might be treasures. Therefore the emperor used all his money to buy this place as well as 99 civilians to order them to dig for treasures. They dug for three years and three months to 33 meters deep but finally exhausted to death. Therefore that emperor went bankrupt.

This incident alerted god. In the next spring, a stream burst out high under an old pear tree. People shouted in amazement “treasures come out! Treasures come out...” Gadima was flooded by that spring with a few days. When the emperor heard the “treasures”, he went mad and died.

It was a also a coincidence that the entire flooded Gadima looked like a twinkling crescent moon, so from then on, people called this lake Moon Lake.

In order to commemorate this event, the people nearby kill pigs, cattle and goats for sacrifice every time water comes out. There is still a folk song about this:

“Moon Lake water, sweet water,

People create it, people enjoy it,

Heaven endows it, heaven supplies it.”

Today, every 15^th and 16^th day of lunar January, a wrestling event will be held on the edge of the lake twice every three years to celebrate this achievement of ancestors.