Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) is more than a view. Round its shore are three temples worth the climb, Ita Thao (伊達邵), the home of the Thao people, a modern visitor center that is a sight in itself, short forest trails, and the tea hills of Yuchi Township (魚池鄉), where some of Taiwan's best black tea grows. This page helps you choose. For the bus from Taichung and the lake transport in detail, start with the main page. → Getting to Sun Moon Lake from Taichung
- Getting round Boats link Shuishe, Xuanguang Temple and Ita Thao piers; bus 6669 runs round the lake road from Shuishe to Ita Thao and Xuanguang Temple
- Most sights Open about 08:00 or 09:00 to 17:00; Wenwu Temple is open all day
- Time One full day for the highlights; two days to add tea, trails or Puli
Our pick for a first visit: take the boat from Shuishe to Xuanguang Temple, walk the short Qinglong trail up to Xuanzang Temple, then carry on to Ita Thao for lunch. In the afternoon, take bus 6669 to Wenwu Temple, or ride the bikeway to the Xiangshan Visitor Center.
Two ways to see the lake itself: the boats, which link the three main piers (→ Sun Moon Lake boats), and the lakeside bikeway, one of the best things to do here on a clear day (→ Cycling at Sun Moon Lake).
The temples
Xuanguang Temple (玄光寺)
Xuanguang Temple is a small temple on the water between the wide "sun" part of the lake and the narrow "moon" part. It is dedicated to Xuanzang, the Tang dynasty monk who travelled to India for Buddhist scriptures, and has a golden statue of him inside. The boats stop at its own pier, and you climb a short flight of steps from the water.
- Hours: 08:00 to 17:00.
- Getting there: boat to Xuanguang Pier, or bus 6669 to the Xuanguang Temple stop.
Xuanzang Temple (玄奘寺) and the Qinglong trail
Higher up the hillside, Xuanzang Temple was completed in 1965 in the style of the Tang dynasty, plain and calm, with carvings of Xuanzang's journey on its outer walls. Relics of the monk, first kept at Xuanguang Temple, were moved here when it opened. The Qinglong Mountain Trail (青龍山步道), a 560-meter path known as the pilgrims' path, climbs from Xuanguang Temple's pier to the temple, so you can link the two on foot.
- Hours: 07:30 to 17:00. The trail is open 09:00 to 17:00.
- Getting there: the Qinglong trail from Xuanguang Pier, or the Xuanzang Temple bus stop on the lake road.
Ci'en Pagoda (慈恩塔)
Ci'en Pagoda is the nine-story tower you see on the ridge from almost everywhere on the lake. Chiang Kai-shek had it built in memory of his mother, and it was finished in 1971. It is 46 meters tall on a 954-meter peak, so its top stands at 1,000 meters, and you can climb to the top for a view over both parts of the lake. A shaded stone path, about 700 meters, leads up from the road.
- Hours: pagoda and trail 09:00 to 16:30; the pagoda is lit from 18:00 to 22:00.
- Getting there: bus 6669 to the Ci En Pagoda stop, then the trail up.
Wenwu Temple (文武廟)
The big golden-roofed temple on the north shore is Wenwu Temple. It was built when the Japanese-era hydropower scheme raised the lake and two older lakeside temples had to move. It has three halls, rising up the hill: the front for the god of literature, the middle for Guan Gong and Yue Fei, and the rear for Confucius. From the temple, the Year of Steps (年梯), 366 stone steps with a date carved on each, runs down to the water.
- Hours: open all day; after 20:00, use the side entrance. The Year of Steps is open 09:00 to 17:00.
- Getting there: bus 6669 to the Wenwu Temple stop.
Ita Thao and the Thao people
The Thao (邵族) are one of Taiwan's 16 Indigenous peoples, and Sun Moon Lake is their home. The Council of Indigenous Peoples says most Thao live in Ita Thao, called Barawbaw in Thao, in Yuchi Township. Today Ita Thao is also the lake's busiest village, with a few short streets of shops, guesthouses and food stalls behind the pier, the base for the ropeway, and the place where most of the big lake events happen.
To learn about the Thao rather than just pass through, the Thao Cultural Development Association (邵族文化發展協會) runs community walks led by Thao residents, traditional clothing and craft workshops, and performances of Thao pestle music, the rhythm of wooden pestles struck on stone that marks the Thao new year. Book ahead by phone (+886-49-2850036). The Thao Ancestral Spirit Ceremony is held around the 15th day of the eighth lunar month; it is a ceremony first, not a show, so follow the community's lead if you are there.
Out on the water, the small island of Lalu (拉魯島) is the home of the Thao ancestral spirits. It was renamed from Guanghua Island after the 1999 earthquake, out of respect for the Thao, and visitors may not land on it. You see it from the boats and from the shore near Xuanguang Temple.
- Getting there: boat to Ita Thao Pier, or bus 6669 to the Ita Thao (Yidashao) stop.
- Ita Thao Visitor Center: 09:00 to 17:00 daily, at the pier; it sells boat tickets.
- From Ita Thao, the Ita Thao Lakeside Trail (伊達邵親水步道), about 0.9 kilometers and mostly flat, follows the shore to the ropeway station.
Shuishe and Xiangshan
Shuishe (水社)
Shuishe is where the bus from Taichung arrives: Shuishe Pier, the main boat pier, and a compact area of hotels, shops and restaurants. From here the Hanbi Trail (涵碧步道), about 1.5 kilometers of red-brick steps, runs along the hillside to a lakeside pier, with views of Lalu Island and Ci'en Pagoda across the water. Buy boat tickets only at the official booths; the Scenic Area warns against cheap tickets from unofficial sellers. → Where to stay at Sun Moon Lake
Xiangshan Visitor Center (向山遊客中心)
The Xiangshan Visitor Center, the Scenic Area's headquarters south of Shuishe, is worth the trip for the building alone. Designed by the Japanese architect Norihiko Dan (團紀彥), it is bare fair-faced concrete in two long curves that reach round toward the lake, with a grass roof you can walk up and an infinity pool that mirrors the water and hills. Inside are exhibitions, a café and visitor information.
- Hours: 09:00 to 17:00 daily. The roof closes when it is wet.
- Getting there: about 3.4 kilometers and 30 minutes by bike or on foot along the Xiangshan section of the bikeway from Shuishe, or the Taiwan Tourist Shuttle Checheng Line 6671, which runs from Sun Moon Lake via Xiangshan about every 80 minutes.
- On the way from Shuishe you cross the Shuishe Dam (水社壩), finished in 1934 for the hydropower scheme that raised the lake by more than 25 meters and joined its two parts; the bikeway runs along it.
The Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village
At the top of the ropeway, the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village (九族文化村) is a large private theme park: an area of houses in the styles of Taiwan's Indigenous peoples, stage performances of song and dance, a European-style garden and a full set of amusement rides. It is a big day out with children; if you only want the lake views, the ropeway alone may be enough. → The ropeway: hours and fares
- Hours: 09:30 to 17:00 on weekdays, 09:30 to 17:30 on holidays. Tickets are sold until 15:00 and last entry is 16:00.
- Entry: NT$1,100 adults, NT$980 students, NT$880 children under 12, NT$550 seniors 65 and over and children 3 to 5. The park offers the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway free to ticket holders, but says it may end that.
- Getting there: the ropeway from the station near Ita Thao, about 7 minutes.
Walking trails that are open
The Scenic Area's lakeside trails are short, well made and open 09:00 to 17:00. They close on typhoon days and for repairs, which the Scenic Area posts in its construction notices. Good ones beyond those above:
- Qinglong Mountain Trail (青龍山步道): 560 meters from Xuanguang Pier up to Xuanzang Temple.
- Ci'en Pagoda Trail (慈恩塔步道): about 700 meters of gentle stone path through forest to the pagoda.
- Songbolun Trail (松柏崙步道): 600 meters beside Wenwu Temple to a two-story lookout pavilion; bus 6669 to the Songbolun Footpath stop.
- Hanbi Trail (涵碧步道): about 1.5 kilometers from Shuishe, good for birds in the morning.
- Ita Thao Lakeside Trail (伊達邵親水步道): about 0.9 kilometers from Ita Thao to the ropeway station.
- Maolan Mountain Trail (猫囒山步道): 3 kilometers up through tea fields; see the tea section below.
Good to know: the Shuishe Mountain Trail (水社大山步道) has been closed since January 2026 after severe damage, and the Scenic Area also lists the Dazhuhu Trail and the Toushe Reservoir trail as under repair. Works on the Dazhuhu east bike path connection close the Dazhuhu entrance; the notice gives the end as 31 December 2026 in its text and 31 January 2027 in its title. Check the construction notices before you set out.
Black tea in Yuchi
The hills round the lake grow black tea. The Ministry of Agriculture describes the Yuchi basin as warm, humid and often misty, much like the tea country of Assam and Sri Lanka, and calls it the home of Taiwan black tea. Look for these varieties on the label:
- Taiwan Tea No. 8, Assam (台茶8號 阿薩姆): from large-leaf Assam plants; a strong, bright red tea that also makes good milk tea.
- Taiwan Tea No. 18, Hongyu or Ruby (台茶18號 紅玉): bred by the Yuchi branch of the Tea Research and Extension Station from a Burmese large-leaf tea and Taiwan's wild tea; ruby-colored, with notes of cinnamon and mint. This is the one Sun Moon Lake is best known for.
- Taiwan Tea No. 21, Hongyun (台茶21號 紅韻): a newer variety, also grown and sold round Yuchi.
Sun Moon Lake Old Tea Factory (日月老茶廠)
The Sun Moon Lake Old Tea Factory began in 1959 as the Yuchi tea factory of the Taiwan Agriculture and Forestry company. The old building still holds its tea-making machines, including the rolling machines and fermentation room, and there is a shop with free tastings and an organic restaurant upstairs that takes bookings.
- Hours: 08:00 to 17:00 daily. Guided tours need booking.
- Getting there: taxi from Shuishe.
Maolan Mountain Trail (猫囒山步道)
For the tea fields themselves, the Maolan Mountain Trail climbs 3 kilometers from beside Mingtan Junior High School past tea gardens to the Yuchi branch of the Tea Research and Extension Station (茶改場魚池分場) and the Sun Moon Lake weather station. Along the way are old Japanese-era station buildings and a memorial to Arai Kokichirō, honored as the father of Taiwan black tea. The top has wide views of the lake and is known for sunrise, mist and seas of cloud.
- Hours: 09:00 to 17:00.
- Getting there: taxi from Shuishe to the trailhead.
Tea to drink with lunch, and the dishes of Ita Thao: → The best restaurants at Sun Moon Lake
The seasons
These events come round every year, but dates change, so check before you go. The Scenic Area's annual events page has the current year.
- Cherry blossoms (January to March): the 2026 season ran from 15 January to 8 March. The Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village is the best-known spot, with a cherry blossom festival and evening viewing (31 January to 8 March in 2026); the Ci'en Pagoda Trail and the Ita Thao Lakeside Trail also have trees.
- Fireflies (April and May): the 2026 firefly season ran from 3 April to 31 May, with guided evening walks run by local groups round Yuchi and Puli, including Taomi, Shuishe and Toushe, most of them booked ahead. On the Ci'en Pagoda Trail, the Scenic Area says one kind of firefly appears from late April to early May and another in October and November.
- Sun Moon Lake Swim (萬人泳渡, around the Mid-Autumn Festival): held every year since 1983, a mass swim of about 3,000 meters across the lake from Chaowu Pier (朝霧碼頭). In 2026 it was on 20 September.
- Music and Fireworks Festival (autumn): fireworks over the lake set to live music. The 2026 series was on 12 September at Ita Thao Pier, 17 October at Shuishe and 14 November at the Xiangshan Visitor Center (18:30 to 20:30, with the National Taiwan Symphony Orchestra), with free shuttle buses. On fireworks days roads round the lake have traffic controls, so come by bus.
If you have more time: Puli
Puli (埔里), the town north of the lake on the road from Taichung, has two sights that make a good half day on the way in or out.
- Chung Tai Chan Monastery (中台禪寺): a huge modern Buddhist monastery, designed by the architect C.Y. Lee (李祖原) with Master Wei Chueh, with halls, gardens of stone and wood and an exhibition hall. Open 08:00 to 17:00; guided tours are booked online. On weekends and holidays the 6670C bus from Taichung to the lake goes via the monastery.
- Paper Dome (紙教堂) in Taomi: a church made of 58 paper tubes, designed by Shigeru Ban for a Kobe parish after the 1995 Hanshin earthquake and later moved here, where it stands for rebuilding after Taiwan's own 1999 earthquake. Taomi (桃米) round it is an eco village known for frogs and dragonflies. Open 09:30 to 17:00 (last entry 16:30), closed on Wednesdays (the site also lists Thursdays) except public holidays and school holidays; NT$70, which includes a NT$20 voucher to spend in the park. Bus 6670 to the Taomikeng (桃米坑) stop, then a 4 to 5 minute walk.
Further into the mountains, Xitou's forest is one bus ride from the lake on route 6801, and Cingjing sits higher up beyond Puli. → Xitou · Cingjing and Hehuanshan · Sun Moon Lake in 2 days · Sun Moon Lake from Taichung
Sources
Hours, history and getting there for the temples, trails, piers, Ita Thao, the Xiangshan Visitor Center, Shuishe Dam, the Old Tea Factory, Chung Tai Chan Monastery and Taomi from the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area's scenic spot pages: Xuanguang Temple, Xuanzang Temple, Qinglong Mountain Trail, Ci'en Pagoda, Wenwu Temple, Year of Steps, Lalu Island, Ita Thao, Ita Thao Lakeside Trail, Ita Thao Visitor Center, Shuishe, Hanbi Trail, Xiangshan Visitor Center, Shuishe Dam, Songbolun Trail, Maolan Mountain Trail, Sun Moon Lake Old Tea Factory (also the Hongyun variety), Chung Tai Chan Monastery and Paper Dome. Thao community tours and pestle music from its Tribal Tourism page; bus 6669, boats and the Checheng shuttle from its transport page; closures from its construction notices and scenic spot list; event dates from its pages for the cherry blossoms, fireflies, swim and fireworks. The Thao as one of Taiwan's 16 Indigenous peoples, living mainly in Ita Thao, from the Council of Indigenous Peoples; no landing on Lalu Island from the Taiwan Tourism Administration's Lalu Island page; 6669 stops from its pages for Ci'en Pagoda, Xuanguang Temple and Wenwu Temple. Culture village hours and fares from its official hours and ticket pages. Yuchi black tea and the Taiwan Tea No. 8 and No. 18 varieties from the Ministry of Agriculture. Paper Dome hours, fees and bus from its official site. Checked November 2026.