Trip to Sun Moon Lake and its Surroundings
General Description
Sun Moon Lake is located about a three-hour drive south of Taipei in central Taiwan (about two and a half hours from Taipei's airport). It is the largest lake in Taiwan and considered one of the country's most popular tourist destinations. The beauty of the lake, set in a mountainous environment, can be experienced especially from high vantage points overlooking it, such as from Wenwu Temple or from the heights of the site's cable car.
Guided tour in Taiwan including the lake, available for booking on Viator:
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5-Day Best of Taiwan Tour -
5Days Best of Taiwan: Sun Moon Lake, Tainan, Kaohsiung, Hualien
The lake got its name because of its shape; its eastern part resembles the sun and its western part resembles a crescent.
Swimming in the lake is prohibited except for one event per year in September when a mass lake-crossing swim is held, for which advance registration is required.
A common activity at the site is a scenic cruise across the lake between the town of Shuishe, where most tourists arrive, and the visitor center at Ita Thao.
In the town of Shuishe, there are many hotels, and you can take a short walk on the main street with its restaurants and shops, and go up to another vantage point overlooking the lake and the boat pier.
During the cruise, you pass by a small island in the lake surrounded by floating flower planters, and you can see temples and a pagoda in the surrounding mountains.
In the southern part of the lake is the Xuangzang Temple, which offers a beautiful view of the lake. Near it is the Ci’en Pagoda, which requires climbing a path with more than two hundred steps to reach.
On a hill in the northern part of the lake is the impressive Wenwu Temple, which, as mentioned, offers a beautiful view of the lake.
In certain sections around the lake, there are dedicated bicycle paths. In the town of Shuishe, you can rent a bicycle or scooter and tour around the lake.
In the western part of the lake, the Xiangshan Visitor Center was built in a large and unique building overlooking the lake. The site features an information center, a conference or wedding center, and a cafeteria.
Video about Sun Moon Lake:
Recommended hotels at Sun Moon Lake
You can stay in several places around the lake. Here are some successful hotels:
The Richforest Hotel
A quality 4-star hotel. Its original wing is built entirely of wood and is more unique and authentic, and staying there is recommended. (There is a new wing in a standard building). The spacious rooms feature a coffee machine with capsules, and it is recommended to book a room with a lake view. There is no elevator, so it is recommended to choose a room on the ground floor. Good breakfast in the dining room with a lake view. Indoor pool, hammam, billiards, karaoke.
LeaLea Garden Hotels - Moon Lake
A 4-star hotel. The rooms have lake views or mountain views. Free minibar in the room. The hotel has a pool, spa, gym, a restaurant with a lake view offering both Asian and Western menus, billiards, a chess room, and karaoke. Free shuttle to the visitor center.
The Wen Wan Resort Sun Moon Lake
A 5-star resort with panoramic lake views. The hotel features a pool based on hot spring water, a gym, a spa, and a restaurant. All rooms have a balcony.
Sun Moon Lake Ropeway
The cable car is one of the main attractions at the lake. From the cable car, you get a charming view of the lake and its surroundings.
The cable car has two stages. The first stage leads to an open-air museum about the culture of the tribes in Taiwan, the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.
If you continue on the cable car, it ends at a large amusement park.
It is recommended to get off after the first stage of the cable car and continue on foot downhill through the open-air museum. At the open-air museum, various activities and demonstrations are held in each tribe, such as playing with a top, colorful hair braiding, archery, and more. In this museum, each tribe has a characteristic building that you can visit. Various folklore shows, dances, and songs are also held at the site.
Along the way, there are also various restaurants with characteristic foods. Along the path, there are many cherry trees, sculptures, and gardens. It is breathtaking during cherry blossom season, usually in March.
At the end of the route, there is a large amusement park suitable for both little ones and the more daring, with many amusement rides.
You can reach the park by car and not just by cable car. You can return from the amusement park by cable car or bus to the starting point of the cable car.
Video about the Aboriginal Village and Amusement Park near Sun Moon Lake:
Painting Paper Mill
About 16 km north of Sun Moon Lake in the town of Puli, you can visit a special paper mill for painters called Guang Xing Paper Mill.
You can tour the production line at the mill and watch several stages of paper making. Most of the production work is done by hand.
We begin by processing the ground paper pulp mixed with liquid.
The solution with the paper suspension is poured onto a fine mesh that filters out the liquid and leaves a thin layer of paper pulp on the mesh. The mesh is removed and flipped over, and then when the mesh is lifted, only the wet paper layer remains.
This is how dozens of layers of paper are stacked one on top of the other. They are transferred to a compression surface that presses them and squeezes out most of the liquids. Afterwards, they are transferred to a manual separation stage for each layer, which is placed on a hot metal surface for drying. The site offers a variety of handicraft options, ranging from making the paper itself to making fans and other paper products, including painting them.
Puli Winery Museum Shop
In the town of Puli, the wine shop features a museum-like display of a famous traditional local wine called Shaoxing wine, named after the region in eastern China where it originated. This is a wine produced from rice fermentation. You can taste wines and spirits here and buy whatever you like. There is no production line tour at the location.
Old Railway Station in Checheng
About a half-hour drive southwest of Sun Moon Lake, in the town of Checheng, you can visit an old railway station that was used for freight trains transporting timber.
Furniture and wooden objects were also manufactured here. You can experience assembling wooden furniture and toys at the site.
The old station features a display of train cars, and tourists take pictures on the tracks. Nearby is the hydroelectric power plant powered by Sun Moon Lake water.