Sun Moon Lake
Misty water, forested hills, and a lakeshore cycle path rated among the most beautiful rides on earth.
Sun Moon Lake is the largest body of fresh water in Taiwan, set high in the central mountains of Nantou county, and named for its shape — a round “sun” half and a slender crescent “moon” half, divided by a small island. Mornings here are often wreathed in mist, with the surrounding peaks fading into soft grey layers; by afternoon the water turns a deep jade. It is the most popular lake resort in the country and a centre of Thao aboriginal culture — the Thao are one of Taiwan’s smallest indigenous peoples, and the island in the lake, Lalu, is sacred to them. Quiet, scenic, and easy, it is the classic two-day mountain break from the cities of the plain.
What to do at Sun Moon Lake
The single best thing to do is cycle the lake. A dedicated waterside path — much of it on boardwalks out over the water — has been ranked by international media among the world’s most beautiful cycle routes, and bikes are easy to hire at the main village of Shuishe. Beyond the saddle, ride the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway, a cable car that climbs over a ridge to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, and take a passenger ferry that hops between the three piers. Two landmarks stand out: the ornate, red-and-gold Wenwu Temple on the north shore, guarded by a pair of huge stone lions, and the Ci’en Pagoda, a nine-storey tower on a hilltop that crowns the lake at its highest point.
- Lakeshore cycle path — flat boardwalk riding over the water; rent in Shuishe.
- Wenwu Temple — grand hillside temple with sweeping lake views.
- Ci’en Pagoda — a hill-climb to a nine-tier pagoda above the shore.
- Sun Moon Lake Ropeway — cable car over the ridge to the culture village.
- Ferry hops & Ita Thao — cross to the Thao village for aboriginal food and crafts.
How to get to Sun Moon Lake
The simplest route is to take the High-Speed Rail to Taichung station, then catch the Nantou Bus direct to Sun Moon Lake — a scenic climb of roughly 1.5 hours up into the hills. Buy a Sun Moon Lake Pass at Taichung for combined bus, ferry, and ropeway travel. From Taipei the whole journey, rail plus bus, is comfortably under three hours.
It slots neatly into a central-and-southern loop: continue up to the cypress forests of Alishan, or carry on down the High-Speed Rail to the old capital at Tainan.