Sun Moon Lake
A reservoir lake at 748 metres in the hills of central Taiwan, with a sacred island of the Thao people at its centre, temples on its shores and a hot spring found beneath one of its hotels.
- Arrival
- Taoyuan International · TPE
- To the lake
- About 140 km from Taoyuan as the crow flies
- Private jets
- Huan Yu VIP Terminal at Taoyuan
- Best time
- October to December
The city
A lake raised for power, kept for its views.
Sun Moon Lake took its present size from a dam built in 1919, which fed a hydroelectric plant finished in 1934. The rising water covered older shrines, and Wenwu Temple was built to take their place. At the centre lies Lalu, a small island the Thao people, whose home is around the lake, hold sacred; Ci'en Pagoda was raised in 1971 by Chiang Kai-shek in memory of his mother.
Swimming is not normally allowed, except once a year, when thousands cross three kilometres of open water around the Mid-Autumn Festival. From October to December the summer downpours are over, rain falls to well under half its summer level, and afternoons cool from 25 to 19 °C.
Arriving
Taoyuan for jets, Taichung for the region.
Two airports serve the lake. Taoyuan International, Taiwan's gateway, is about 140 km to the north in a straight line. Taichung International, about 54 km away, is closer but handles regional flights only.
- Hong Kong 1 h 20
- Shanghai 1 h 25
- Beijing 2 h 45
- Mumbai 6 h 45 long-range jet
- London 13 h 00 long-range jet
When to go
October to December.
Mild for its latitude, thanks to the altitude: highs reach 28 °C in July and August and fall to 17 °C in January. May to September is wet, with more than 300 mm a month at the height of summer. From October the rain eases, and November and December are the driest months.
- 17° J 76
- 18° F 107
- 20° M 123
- 23° A 127
- 25° M 207
- 27° J 310
- 28° J 307
- 28° A 329
- 27° S 201
- 25° O 107
- 22° N 86
- 19° D 66
What to see and do
Days in and around Sun Moon Lake.
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Landmark
Ci'en Pagoda
The pagoda Chiang Kai-shek ordered in 1971 for his mother, a landmark above the water.
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Landmark
Wenwu Temple
Built on the shore after the reservoir drowned the smaller temples it replaced.
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Landmark
The ropeway
Cable cars from the lake over the hills to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village.
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Nature
Sun Moon Lake Bicycle Trail
A 30 km loop around the lake, about three and a half hours by bike, with a short 3.4 km stretch from Shuishe to the Xiangshan Visitor Centre.
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Culture
Xiangshan Visitor Center
Designed by the Japanese architect Norihiko Dan and opened in 2010, its two curved wings frame the lake, with an exhibition hall and a café beside a reflecting pool.
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On the water
Sun Moon Lake boats from Shuishe Pier
Boats cross from Shuishe Pier to Xuanguang Temple and Ita Thao, the main village of the Thao people, one of Taiwan's smallest Indigenous groups.
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Nature
Mt. Maolan Trail
Climbing about 4.6 km through tea fields to a weather station on the summit, this path above the lake is a favourite for sunrise.
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Food & wine
Yuchi Black Tea Festival
Each October, over several weekends, Yuchi celebrates the Assam black tea introduced here under Japanese rule with plantation tours, tastings and tea markets.
Official site -
Culture
Jiji Line and Checheng
Fully reopened in June 2026, the 29.7 km branch railway ends at Checheng, a former logging village below the Mingtan dam with a wood museum.
Where to stay
On the shore, above the water.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- The Lalu The only hotel on the lake with a MICHELIN Key, a quarter of an hour's walk from the Shuishe pier.
- Fleur de Chine Two hundred and eleven rooms above the lake, most with their own hot-spring bath, fed by the spring found when the hotel was rebuilt.
- Grand Hilai Sun Moon Lake The former Wen Wan Resort, reopened by Grand Hilai in 2024 with a hot-spring pool on every balcony.
Where to dine
Dinner at The Lalu.
The MICHELIN Guide Taiwan does not cover Nantou. Both tables are the signature restaurants of The Lalu, the lake’s Key hotel.
- The Lake View Chinese Restaurant Signature restaurant, The Lalu Hong Kong and Shanghai The Lalu, Shuishe
- The Japanese Restaurant Signature restaurant, The Lalu Kaiseki and teppanyaki The Lalu, Shuishe
Elsewhere in Taiwan
More reasons to come.
- Taipei The National Palace Museum, night markets, and the Taipei 101 tower.
- Beitou Hot springs within the city limits of Taipei.
- Jiufen A hillside village of teahouses above the sea.
- Taroko Gorge Marble cliffs cut by a river, near Hualien on the east coast.
- Tainan The old capital, its temples and its street food.
Flying to Sun Moon Lake?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.