A half-hour’s drive south of the monument marking Taiwan’s geographical center, a shimmering body of water has been captivating sightseers and romantics for several decades.
Sun Moon Lake, which has a surface area of around 8 km2, owes its size and appearance to human intervention. During the 1920s and 1930s, the Japanese — who ruled Taiwan as a colony from 1895 to 1945 — built dams and installed hydroelectric infrastructure to exploit the lake’s location more than 700 m above sea level.
The bigger, deeper lake that resulted helped power Taiwan’s earliest industries, but a heavy price was paid by the local Thao indigenous people. The tribe lost much of its ancestral land, including a large portion of Lalu Island, which speakers of the Thao Austronesian language call Zintun.
Respecting the Thao belief that this is where their ancestral spirits dwell, outsiders are not allowed to set foot on this miniscule islet. Nor are visitors allowed to swim in any part of the lake, however inviting the sapphire waters might look, unless they register with four or more friends to take part in the one-day Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival. The entrance fee is NT$1,000 per person, and participation is conditional on obeying certain safety rules.
The 2024 Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival, scheduled for Sunday, September 15, is being organized by the Puli Four-Seasons Morning Swimming Association. Last year, 25,000 people from 33 countries splashed their way from Chaowu Pier on the lake’s northern shore to Ita Thao on the southeastern side, a distance of roughly 3 km.
Throughout the year, tourists can get out on the water if they sign up for a standup paddleboarding (SUP), canoeing, or rafting experience with a licensed outfit that provides instruction, insurance, and all the necessary equipment. Sunrise and sunset are especially popular times for SUP outings.
Groups of sightseers who would prefer not to get wet may want to charter a private motorized yacht, and let the captain guide them to the lake’s quieter corners. Combining these forms of water transportation is another option, but if you want a luxury yacht to carry you to an uncrowded spot for a SUP session and then enjoy a delicious meal on board, you should make arrangements at least a week in advance.
As its name suggests, Ita Thao is where some of the Thao tribe’s 800-plus members now live. For tourists, it is an excellent base. There are several accommodation options, and among the foods on offer are indigenous delights and mainstream Taiwanese fare. The community is served by Sun Moon Lake’s #6669 sightseeing bus and frequent ferries to the town of Shuishe.
Ita Thao is also within walking distance of the lakeside terminal of the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway. This gloriously scenic cable-car system is the best way of reaching the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village, a theme park that offers both intriguing presentations of indigenous heritage and the thrilling rides and roller coasters that younger visitors may prefer.
Like many other well-established destinations, Sun Moon Lake faces at least two knotty dilemmas. Because the great majority of Taiwanese travel enthusiasts have already been here more than once, the area’s prosperity depends on bringing people back to the lake for a third or fourth stay. There is also a risk that overtourism will degrade the visitor experience and undermine the appeal of Sun Moon Lake.
To meet these and other challenges and to create a roadmap for sustainable tourism, local stakeholders are pooling their expertise and resources via the Sun Moon Lake Tourism Union, also known as Sun Moon Lake PLUS. This government-backed destination marketing organization brings together hospitality businesses, public-sector entities, nonprofits, and tourism specialists who share a common vision.
One of the attractions the union is promoting is the Houtanjing Recreation Area on the outskirts of Nantou City. Ideally located for self-driving visitors taking a longer scenic route between Taichung and Sun Moon Lake, the recreation area features a 204 m-long pedestrian bridge that crosses a lush valley. When the sky is clear, sightseers can enjoy impressive views over Taiwan’s western lowlands. On the other hand, some say inclement weather makes for the best experience, as swirling mists create scenes like those in traditional Chinese ink-wash landscape paintings.
Yu-Hsiu Museum of Art is less than 1 km from Freeway 6 and Highway 14. The former road is used by many lake-bound motorists; the latter is popular with those exploring Taiwan on two wheels. To find out what’s being exhibited, check the museum’s website.
The museum is not the only reason to stop in this corner of Nantou’s Caotun Township. The 99 Peaks Forest Trail begins a few hundred meters from the building. A full circuit takes around two hours, during which hikers ascend from 280 m above sea level to an elevation of 485 m.
Those approaching the lake from the south are likely to pass through the towns of Jiji and Shuili. Train buffs will want to complete this section of the journey via the Jiji Branch Railway, which connects to Taiwan’s main north-south railroad at Ershui in Changhua County and terminates at Checheng. At the latter, an old logging settlement, travelers can catch the #6671 bus to Sun Moon Lake’s Shuishe.
One of Jiji’s most photogenic sights is the 4.5-km-long Green Tunnel. It dates from 1940, when the authorities required local families to nurture commercially valuable camphor saplings along Road 152. Just as Sun Moon Lake came into being to meet a need for energy, planting trees here turns out to have been a farsighted decision that unintentionally bestowed on Taiwan something beautiful.
Tourist Information
Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival (bilingual website)
Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area (multilingual website)
Sun Moon Lake Tourism Union (Sun Moon Lake PLUS) (multilingual website)
Yu-Hsiu Museum of Art (bilingual website)
Travel to Nantou (Nantou County Government) (multilingual website)
Tourism Administration (Ministry of Transportation and Communications) (multilingual website)
