Sun Moon Lake in Nantou, Taiwan
Sun Moon Lake
Sun Moon Lake is located in central Taiwan and nestled in amidst mountain ranges and dense forest, the Sun Moon Lake is arguably the most beautiful and most popular natural lakes in the country and near to the hilly restive destinations of Hehuanshan (Mount Hehuan) and Cingjing Farm.
Sun Moon Lake is located at about 760 meters above sea levels. The lake has clear sparkling blue water all against a picturesque mountain background. Apart from being the most beautiful, Sun Moon is the largest lake in Taiwan. The lake is divided into two by Lalu Island.
One of its parts resembles the moon and the other the sun. Surrounding the lake are hiking trails and bike paths that are considered as the most scenic on earth. If you are into biking, you will find convenient bike rentals near the visitor’s center. Around the lake are undulating mountains. It’s ranked one of the top Taiwanese tourist locations.
The lake is also a traditional spot where newlyweds come for their honeymoons and to take wedding photos to commemorate a special occasion in their lives. This in addition to being a center for aboriginal life for thousands of years.
If you are looking to get on the water, you can take a boat tour of the lake with stops at vintage sites. These include the main temple, aboriginal villages, and pagodas. Alternatively, you can rent a rowboat and explore the waters and places close to it at your own pace.
You might prefer going over the lake via the longest aerial tramway in Taiwan. This should give you a bird’s eye view of the entire area. You can further explore aboriginal culture by watching a performance at Culture Square or Naruwan Theater. If you come here, you will be among the six million annual visitors to the lake. Avoid crowds by visiting midweek. Also, you may not want to be part of the crowd during the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival.
Part of the Hehuanshan-Cingjing-Sun Moon Lake-Taichung Tour
Starting off from Taichung (or direct from Taipei to Cingjing), to Cingjing and Hehuanshan and Sun Moon Lake (or the other way around), tourists can hire a private taxi or go on a packaged tour to ease the hassle of finding out bus routes to these areas. There are shuttles between Cingjing and Sun Moon Lake which can also be purchased online, through portals like kkday.com (https://www.kkday.com/en-sg/product/1754)
Things to do in Sun Moon Lake
Being one of tourist destinations in Taiwan, this lake draws millions of visitors every year. On offer are a variety of activities to keep visitors busy and entertained. If you are coming to this area, there are a number of historical, cultural, and religious sites around the lake. You will definitely be spoilt for things to see and do when coming here for a visit. Here are some of the things you can do on a visit to Sun Moon Lake:
Cruising on a yacht
Get the opportunity to enjoy the scenery from the water and visit several lakefront sites. This is one of the easiest things you can do on Sun Moon Lake. The service that starts at 9 am runs till around 5pm. Take a boat at Shuishe and call at Xuanguang Temple Pier before going on to Ita Thao pier. The boat tours can be found on this website, and it costs about TWD300 per person.
There is a boat leaving Shuishe every 30 minutes. The ride on the yacht takes about 30 minutes with a treat of live commentary in Mandarin. You have the choice of staying on the boat and finish the 30-minute cruise or hop off at the any of the two intermediary stops. You can visit the sites on the shores of the lake and wait for the next yacht to continue with your journey.
The sites along the way are breathtakingly unavoidable. Stop at the Xuanguang Temple pier for a visit to the Xuanguang temple. It is a Buddhist temple built in honor of Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang. He is said to have made a 17-year journey to bring Buddhist scriptures from India to China and translate them.
Cable car across the lake
With the advantage of getting a bird’s eye view of the lake, the cable car is the best way to view the lake. Expect the car to ascend to over 150 meters above the lake’s surface. This will give you the most magnificent view of the lake and the mountains that surround it. If you think you have seen anything beautiful on the ground, wait till you are blown away by the view on the cable car. Only then will you know why the Chinese have written so much about this area. You get a view that’s just out of this world. Take in the turquoise lake surrounded by lush greenery and majestic mountains and you have a live Chinese painting.
Leisurely bike ride around the lake
Sun Moon Lake has one of the most beautiful cycling paths in the world. If you are a biking enthusiast, there is no reason why you shouldn’t try it here. You will, for sure, have a good time biking along the picturesque trail. You don’t have to come with your own bikes. Simply rent a bike near the visitor centers.
Lake-view at sunrise
Sun Moon Lake has a great view at sunrise. All you need is book yourself in a hotel near the lake, spend the night, and wake up to catch the sunrise. How great will it be to enjoy the lake’s tranquil beauty as the sun rises from the horizon?
What is the best time to visit Sun Moon Lake?
Scenery at the Sun Moon Lake is different in different seasons of the year. So you don’t want to miss any of its great views by restricting yourself to a seasonal visit. Seasons may change but this lake’s beauty stays intact. On rainy days, enjoy the rain while on a cruise on the water. Alternatively, come be up-close with the clouds on the mountains. On a lucky day, you might even see the rainbow up in the sky.
However, you might want to avoid coming to Sun Moon Lake on weekends on account of the sheer numbers of people turning up. Because of the high numbers, hotel room rates tend to go high on Friday and Saturday nights. If you visit on a weekday, you can avoid the crowds and also get the best deals.
The Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is the time you want to avoid visiting the lake. This is because of the very high numbers of domestic tourists coming over for the festival.