Sun Moon Lake

There are many things you can do here; riding a bicycle/motorcycle (you can stroll around if you want to), taking photos, taking cable car, taking boat (it comes in intervals, it’s printed on the ticket), visiting temple, shop night market & souvenir shops, etc. This place is so beautiful, the lake is very bluish and cleaned. It gives off a very peaceful atmosphere. Will definitely remember this place :)

We visited Sun Moon Lake which is near Taichung city. We took the boat rides on the lake which were pleasant. There are also shopping streets and temples to visit around the lake. We spent the best part of a day here and enjoyed it.

This lake is extremely beautiful, and clean! You can ride a bicycle around the lake, take a shuttle bus that goes to the lake, or even a cable car! You can catch the sunrise/sunset here if you are lucky, and it takes about 2 hours to cycle around the entire lake. One of the more popular locations near the lake is Shuishe Pier, there is a market there with different eatery options! Overall, this is one of the more peaceful places that I've visited, and I would highly recommend your friends to come here if they visit Taiwan!

If you visit Taichung; then this place is a must detour. While you can do a day trip, to fully enjoy the place, one or two nights stay is recommended as there are simply many things to do and see.

Gorgeous lake, especially when the sun is going down. I recommend doing the 1500 meter out and back trail, it only took me 40 minutes but I walk quickly. There are bikers who use the trail often, so be aware while walking. There is a warning for wild monkeys, snakes, and bees. I actually saw three wild monkeys! Don’t feed them, but they are quite fun to just observe.

Ahh! Breathtaking views! So clean! It was drizzling when we had the tour so the fog/mist made it more magical! So many food stalls to choose from and souvenir shops.

Beautiful lake. We rented a mountain bike and cycled around the whole lake (around 30 km including the Ci'en pagoda). In advance we read that a lot of people did the whole tour in 2-3 hours. It took us 6 hours but therefore we had a few breaks to enjoy the view and eat something. In our opinion you don't need an electric bike and we enjoyed cycling around slowly. As there are a few passages you have to carry your bike a few stairs up we were glad to have light bikes.

Sun Moon Lake is a breathtaking destination, renowned for its serene waters and picturesque mountain backdrop. The lake’s beauty is complemented by scenic trails that wind through lush forests, offering stunning views at every turn. Walking along the trails, I was surrounded by the tranquil sound of rustling leaves and the occasional call of birds. The reflections of the sky and mountains on the water created a mesmerizing scene, especially at sunrise and sunset. Whether cycling, hiking, or simply enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, Sun Moon Lake’s blend of natural beauty and serenity makes it an unforgettable place to visit.

One of the largest inland bodies of water in Taiwan, Sun Moon Lake is the ancestorial home to the Thao tribe. One of Taiwan's aboriginal tribes that still reside there to this day, and operate the various businesses around the lake catering to the tourists. Designated as one of Taiwan's "Eight Beautiful Scenic Attractions", Sun Moon Lake is host to a large volume of local and distant tourists throughout much of the year. In the middle of the lake is Lalu island, which is crescent-shaped on one side like the moon, and round on the other side like the sun. Hence where this lake's name came about. In addition to enjoying the beautiful lake itself, there are quite a few activities to partake of throughout the different regions surrounding the lake itself. If you would like to do some leisurely biking, there is the 400-meter long Shuishang Bikeway. Which was designated by CNNgo as one of the world's top 10 most beautiful bikeways. There are different ferries you can take that transport visitors to different parts of the lake. Quite a few different and famous temples surround this area. And there is definitely no shortage of local shops selling food, drinks, and various locally crafted indigenous items. We stayed overnight at Sun Moon Lake, and felt a 1-day overnight trip was just about the right amount of time to take in most the local sights.

This place is beautiful and I would say it's one of the "must visit" places in central Taiwan. Besides the temple, which is absolutely stunning and full of foreign visitors, I also recommend taking a boat ride, which is very economical and drops you off at different locations with exceptional views of the lake.

Beautiful part of Taiwan. Good for honeymoon or trips if you are in mid-Taiwan area. Do your research before coming here or take spontaneous walks.

A must visit place, scenic and as such expect crowds everywhere. Things that are must do! 1) bike and ride a portion of the shore line 2)Take the boat to one of three stops 3)stop and do the hike to the temples. It is a two hours or so from dock, well with it 4)eats and shopping at Ita Thao!

such a beautiful area that offers a lot of peace and naturesque scenes. highly recommend to get away from the cities! it was peaceful and quiet and check out the cien pagoda when you get a chance!

The absolute highlight of my trip to Taiwan. My husband, sister and I rented bikes, and biked all over the city. We stopped to take pictures by the beautiful lake and at sunset, saw temples, and grabbed some great street food. Most bike companies provide helmets, which are a must--as sometimes you'll bike alongside cars. A beautiful way to explore Taiwan. People come from all over the world to enjoy the views at Sun Moon Lake and it's highly worth it if you're coming to visit Taiwan!

This is a bit of a hike from Taipei but if you have a couple of days to check it out, it is worth a visit. The drive took us about 4.5 hours with stops but we had kids with us. Or you can take the high speed rail from Taipei to Taichung. It is a famous place to visit and I had some cousins who grew up in the area but no longer live there. The lake is beautiful and you can take a boat tour, take a bus tour around the lake, or ride a bicycle around the lake. There is also a ropeway to take you above the lake so that you can see the whole area. There are street markets along with restaurants but things close on the early side. It's a beautiful area with lovely scenery.

Best way to experience this lake is to put on your coldplay playlist (something existential) like "Adventure of a Lifetime" and charge down the bike path at the highest speed possible. Obviously wear a helmet and stay safe, but the bikes are touristy non-racing bikes so you'll go about the pace of a tortoise in any case. Try to take in the colors- there's not just blue but all the reflections of the surrounding green hills in the water. Such a dreamlike place to be and definitely a must-see if you're in Taiwan! 体验这个湖的最佳方法是放入您的感冒游戏播放列表（存在的东西），例如"一生的冒险"，并以可能的最高速度降低自行车道的速度。 显然要戴好头盔并保持安全，但是这些自行车是观光类非竞赛性自行车，因此无论如何您都会像乌龟一样步履蹒跚。 尝试吸收各种颜色-不仅有蓝色，还有水中周围绿色山丘的所有倒影。 这样一个梦幻般的地方，绝对是您在台湾必看的地方！ La mejor manera de experimentar este lago es poner en tu lista de reproducción de Coldplay (algo existencial) como "Adventure of a Lifetime" y cargar por el carril bici a la mayor velocidad posible. Obviamente use un casco y manténgase a salvo, pero las bicicletas son bicicletas turísticas que no son de carrera, por lo que, en cualquier caso, tendrá el ritmo de una tortuga. Intenta disfrutar de los colores, no solo hay azul sino todos los reflejos de las verdes colinas circundantes en el agua. ¡Un lugar de ensueño para estar y definitivamente una visita obligada si estás en Taiwán!

I boarded the HSR (High Speed Rail) at MRT Taipei Station for the NT $700 trip to Taichung Station 50 minutes away. Upon arrival at Taichung Station, I purchased a NT $700 Sun Moon Lake Pass package which included: NT $200 on a iPASS card for a Bus Shuttle to/from the Nantou Bus Station, a boat tour to Xuanguang Pier, a Round-the-Lake Bus voucher, and a Bicycle Rental to ride around on my own. Time to enjoy this gem in Taiwan!

Sun Moon Lake is about a two hours drive from Taichung where one can easily drive to. There's several activities such as cycling, riding boat to the old streets where street foods are abundant. We arrived around noon on a weekday and it wasn't that crowded. There's four boat firms you can choose from and prices are all competitive. Took the boat to the old streets and bought some tea leaves eggs from the grandma. Visited the temple after walking up many stairs. It was a must see side trip and can easily spend a few hours roaming around. There's a few hotels and restaurants. When we left around sunset, the view reminded me of Capri, Italy.

Sun Moon Lake is definitely one of the most beautiful places in Taiwan. It was the highlight of our 7-day, 1400-kilometer road trip around the entire country of Taiwan. We arrived on Saturday afternoon and took the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway (a gondola service), which offered spectacular views of the whole lake and surrounding countryside. The roundtrip gondola ride was 300 NT$ per person. I highly recommend the ropeway, as it is one of the few ways you can get a full aerial view of the lake. After a wonderful night's stay at Fleur de Chine, one of Taiwan's finest 5-star hotels, my cousin and I woke up at 4am the following morning to go stand up paddle boarding in Sun Moon Lake. We booked the excursion through our hotel, and the tour guide picked us up from our hotel and drove us to the pier. We got a short lesson and then set out on the water. Sun Moon Lake is one of the few places in Taiwan where you can go standup paddle boarding. The water is very calm, especially in the early morning. During our 3-hour excursion, we came across 2 other SUP boarders, 2 kayakers, and a fisherman. Sun Moon Lake was peaceful, quiet, and serene, and we felt like we had the entire lake to ourselves. The sunrise was absolutely spectacular, one of the most beautiful sunrises I have ever witnessed. The morning air was cool and fresh, with a light breeze. Our tour guide explained that a small island divides the lake into 2 parts, the sun and the moon. Motor boats, fishing boats, etc are not allowed on the moon side. This provides a safe, quiet, and unpolluted area for kayakers and SUP boarders to enjoy the natural beauty of the lake. During the afternoon we went on a motorboat cruise around the sun part of the lake. Despite the many motorboats, the lake was still pretty clean and unpolluted. The locals do an excellent job of taking care of the lake. Clean-up boats patrol the lake 3 times a day and pick up trash and rescue hurt animals. Many people rent bikes and spend a couple hours riding around the perimeter of the lake. Unfortunately we didn't have enough time to do that, but I plan to next time I'm back. Having explored many parts of Taiwan, I must say Sun Moon Lake is probably one of the most beautiful and unpolluted bodies of water. Even if you have limited time, Sun Moon Lake is definitely worth stopping for.

This is one of Taiwan's most popular tourist attractions and a real cultural treasure for the people of this beautiful country. Locals and tourists alike love to visit this area, not only for the beautiful lake itself, but also for the various activities that you can enjoy here. There are many places to stay in the area - ranging from bed and breakfasts to modest/older hotels and a trio of 5-star resorts. The experiences are all different and it's really based on your budget and what you're used to. If you're used to staying at Western-styled resort hotels, then the 5-star options are really best for you. If you're used to backpacking then it's not a bad idea to consider the cheaper options (some of which are located in areas just as good as the 5-star locales). There are many things to do when you are here. For some (like me) I simply enjoy relaxing in a spa resort while checking out the amazing vistas from my room. Boat rides are also popular here and it's easy to hop on a boat that takes you to the various lakeside towns that feature little local shops and various temples that dot the region. Bike riding is also another great way to enjoy the scenery. I rented a bike and was able to see a lot of great sights along the way. Note - not all of the lake has a dedicated bike path so be ready to ride on the streets at some points. Also it is a pretty hilly area so unless you rent an electric bike or a moped .. be ready to do some climbing. If you do decide to bike, it will take someone in decent shape about 2-2.5 hours to circumvent the entire lake if you opt not to stop anywhere. This place can get pretty crowded so make sure you keep that mind if you plan on visiting on a weekend. The local specialty here is the red/black tea from the Yuchi township region (near Sun Moon Lake) so try to check that out if you get a chance. There is also a well-known Aboriginal culture center nearby as well as a famous gondola ride that takes you up one of the local hills and those are fairly popular attractions as well. Note - the weather here is finicky and changes easily. It tends to be clear in the mornings (and that's when you usually get the best views of the lake) and the clouds tend to settle in around midday and beyond. It also rains a lot here so if you plan on doing stuff make sure you try and make the most of the (usually) clearer mornings.

One of the most popular attractions in the central area of Taiwan, expect a lot tourists all over the places, best to come during weekdays when less crowded and smooth traffic.

Highlight: Taiwan is full of evergreen mountains (EVA airlines means evergreen airlines btw) with gems of lakes and escapes from the city. If you want an affordable but lush nature mountain experience with pineapple fields, Tribal culture, palm trees, and forests, then you want to come to this lake. Travel: You can take a bus from the Taichung High Speed Rail train station for about 10$USD round trip. The bus takes you all the way to Yuchih county where this lake is found. The ride is about 45 mins and takes you to the top of this mountain. You can alight there and find a hotel. Should not be hard to find a hotel right now b/c there are less tourists recently due to some embargo on Chinese/Taiwanese relations. All hotels are close to each other, so you can walk to any hotel from the bus station. We stayed at the Ma Tou Hotel which is about 100 USD a night and had pretty good accomodations. Accomodations: You should aim to stay 1 night at least... it would be a waste to not see the sunrise and sunset of this lake. Dining: Plenty of options- walk around and there's local tribal dishes and Taiwanese dishes! Things to do: 1. Walk round the main port- sample local treats like tribal mountain food (bamboo rice can be found on the island), pineapple tarts, mango ice desserts, and buy cheap fruit that has already been cut for picnicking. 2. Touristy stuff is found ont he island across from the main harbor. You can buy tickets at the harbor for 10$ a person... or honestly, walk by any stall selling tea eggs by locals and they will sell to you half off... it seems locals hoard a pile of these tickets. 3. Cable cars through the mountains- 10$ USD and then if you want, 20$ more, go to the 9 Tribes Village to seee Taiwanese village life if you are into that- it's got an amusement park in there. Your cable car ticket takes off the 10$ from the original 30. 4. Grandma's famous tea eggs- get off at the harbor with the temple- temple is super high on hill, so go at your own leisure. Tea eggs are worth getting- 50 cents each- try it. 5. Biking- for only 20 USD$ for 2 hours, you can rent electric bikes and manual ones to go biking through the trails.

From the USA This place was kind of cute. I was told that 4 out of the 10 bottle water brands got their water from the lake. Idk if it was just because I mainly went to the area that has the temple and because I'm not Buddhist but it was still a pretty cool place to check out. It looked like they were putting together care packages for the local community. They also have stamps here if you're collecting stamps throughout your Taiwan travels!!

In my opinion, one of the coolest and most beautiful places to visit in the world has to be Sun Moon Lake. Deep in the heart of Central Taiwan, high up in the mountains, is this beautiful and pristine lake. The waters range from a light blue to a deep green and is just fantastically clear. Surrounding the lake is many tall mountains that make this place one of the most scenic and peaceful places in all of Taiwan. When you come here, you really do feel like you are taking a break from the hustle and bustle of fast paced city life. You just feel the stress leaving your body as you gaze upon natural beauty. I think one of the best parts of the lake is the numerous bike trails surrounding the lake. The trails help give you some fantastic exercise while also giving you the opportunity to really experience the lake from many views and angles. A tip I have: go biking around the lake just when the sun is rising. You get lots of empty trails and some of the most beautiful views around. Trust me, this is a place that you have to visit! :)

Gorgeous!!! What a beautiful lake~ You can do water activities on the lake, yes... might be crowded during weekends. Not only it is main tourist attraction spot but local people love to come here as well. There is bike lane, you can rend a bike and ride around the lake, pretty nice! Many shops and restaurants in the downtown area. The traffic can be terrible. There is a big parking lot with small fee.

This place is beautiful no matter what time you go. In the morning you can capture the fog and mist on the lake before the sunrise. At night you can capture the sun going down with the beautiful dusk. The only problem? It's too crowded. The government should control the traffic and the amount of people that can visit at once. I have a feeling that if the amount of people keep coming, it will soon be very polluted and natural resources will be damaged. If you follow the Taiwanese news, some of the hotels don't have proper sewage drains and have been draining directly into the Lake. Please do your research and do not support those groups. As a tourist your able to tour the lake via a boat. Problem? Be sure to not support those who walk around trying to haggle you with prices. Don't cheap out and pay some ridiculously cheap price. You can walk around and these hagglers would tell you difference prices. The cheapest I found was literally $100NT per person. But? If you ask the local street vendors, they tell you that some of these boat crews don't have proper insurance. Another thing that the government should regulate. Overall, for beauty and scenes, this place is perfect.

Sun Moon Lake is a popular tourist destination in Taiwan. I visit here almost every time I come back to Taiwan! There are plenty of walking and biking trails around the lake. The view is fantastic and great for photos. Trails can get a little crowded at times and there are some areas where the trails end and you have to cross several streets to get to the other end. There are also plenty of shops as well as bike rental areas!

Great place for a little hike good views great place for picnics with families lots of tourists in this area nice ocean views.

Sun Moon Lake is a beautiful place and a prime holiday destination for locals and foreigners alike. The lake is gigantic and it takes a while to do the whole loop around, but it's definitely worth it. The bike trails give some gorgeous views, and the gondola takes you all the way up.