Sun Moon Lake 日月潭

On my way back to Taipei I had the opportunity to do a day trip to Sun Moon Lake. Originally, I was thinking of cutting this location from my itinerary to save on time. But a friend of mine who has visited Taiwan insisted that Sun Moon Lake was worth it. I am so glad I listened because even just a one day visit was still amazing.

What stood out to me the most was the atmosphere of the lake. The weather was perfect. The water a brilliant blue that felt so soothing to the soul and the sky was always filled with clouds, never to completely block the sun, but always there to provide a beautiful texture to accompany the luxurious blue of the lake.

I was staying in Taichung, not too far from the a stop where I could take a one and a half hour bus ride to the lake. Once I arrived I hired a bicycle with my original plan to cycle the full 30 km around the lake and stop at points of interest along the way. However, I took it slow on the first few sections of the journey and so, when I was still not yet halfway around the lake, I was more than halfway up in my allocated time. So I returned back the way I came to finish in time to catch the bus back to Taichung. Turning back, however, was not a bad thing, as the proper attitude to Sun Moon Lake is to enjoy it, and not to hurry around it.

For the first kilometer or so I was cycling right along the shoreline and I could not help but stop every few minutes or so to take pictures. This was my first experience of the lake and it was truly spectacular, a wonderful start to the day.

I stopped by the Wenwu temple. To get there I had to climb a series of steep steps up the mountain, but it was well worth it for the view, and the temple was beautiful to look at.

The temple's building complex was situated on the hillside, so as I went further into the temple there were always more steps to get to the next building or shrine. Towards the back of the temple I found a sign for a rooftop observation deck where I had a fantastic view of the temple and the lake beyond.

I continued on the pedestrian path through lush green forests. The path climbed higher so I was no longer level with the lake but I always could see it to my right. I especially loved the moments when the sun filtered through the tree canopy to create dabbled shadows on the path.

My next stop was at a cable car station where I had a bite to eat before riding on the gondola. This rope way provided access to an aboriginal cultural village. While I did not have time to visit this village I did get some excellent, high up, views of the lake while on the gondola.

I pretty much just did a there and back trip on the rope way. On my way back there were small sections at the top of the window open for ventilation. I carefully used these to get some pictures of the scenery without glare from the plastic window.

For the next part of my journey I had to cycle along a road shared with cars. This was a little scarier but when there were no cars I could go faster down the hills with the extra space the road provided.

I stopped here at the Ita Thao town and walked along its shopping district. The place was full of people and there were many tourist stores open. At the wharf there were boats that I assume could take tourists out on the lake, I didn't have the time to find out.

Here I was perhaps four tenths of the way around the lake (a bit over a third, but not quite halfway). Because I took longer getting here than I had initially thought I decided not to continue around but rather return the way I had come. I reasoned that I would be less inclined to stop for photos while cycling on a path I was already familiar with, and therefore hopefully make it back to the bike shop on time.

I found a sign with the Chinese characters for Sun Moon Lake, and that is how I learnt the characters for "sun" and "moon" (In theory for lake as well but the other two characters are much easier to remember).

Leaving Ita Thao I had to cycle on the road for a couple of kilometers. During that section I focused just on cycling and letting the cars go past me on the winding mountain road. Once I made it back to the dedicated pedestrian and bike path I could slow down. Once again I could enjoy the serene beauty of the lake (and of course take more pictures).

I had one final stop, on my way back, where I walked down a peninsula to a lookout spot. At this time the afternoon sky looked absolutely fantastic. Hundreds of little clouds filled the heavens, all clustering together as if conspiring to fill the sky yet failing to do so leaving ribbons of blue between them. The entire scene was lit up by the sun, making the sky blue brighter and the white clouds seem to glow. It was truly beautiful, a vision the image above can only hint at and one I am struggling to describe through words. It is a memory I will always treasure.

Returning back the same way can often be a blessing as I noticed things I had missed earlier. In the morning I had completely missed these beautiful flowers in the trees and I only noticed them on the way back. I remember seeing these flowers and marveling at their beauty, and wondering how I could have missed it when I had passed by just a few hours before.

While maybe not the best panorama I have taken, I wanted to include it as it does best encapsulate the full view I had as I finished my cycling trip.

I returned my bike to the shop in Shuishe. Then I went back to the lake for one final view before I took the bus back to Taichung. As the sun was beginning to set I beheld the lake and felt so thankful to God for such a wonderful day, and a beautiful world.

I loved my time at Sun Moon Lake, especially the brilliant blue colour of the water and the puffy white clouds. Together, with the gentle waves, these elements combined to create one of the most serene and tranquil places I have ever visited.

Thanks for reading – Edward

Written 5th of February 2025