Back to Taiwan and Sun Moon Lake

6 January 2016

Our last visit to Sun Moon Lake at Taiwan, back in December 2011 was relatively brief. During that trip, we had booked a taxi to take us from Taichung to Cingjing , with a stopover at Sun Moon Lake just long enough to experience what a typical tourist in a group tour would experience, which is not very much….  i.e. visit to the Wenwu Temple and a cruise on the lake from Ita Shao to Shuishe Village for lunch and Xuanguang Temple Pier for a visit.

This time round, we planned to take it slow and easy, with two nights stay at the lake. This would allow us to enjoy the lake at its best - the sunrise, sunset and also cycling around the lake.

Getting to Sun Moon Lake was easy and there are many reliable information to be found in the internet and various travel blogs. We arrived at the Taoyuan International Airport via TZ202 Scoot flight at 5 AM. Surprisingly, there was no delay in this budget airline flight to Taipei and the flight landed slightly ahead of schedule. We wanted to buy the prepaid data SIM card at the airport and the shop was only opened at 8 AM. We had ample time to have a breakfast of beef noodle soup and coffee while waiting for the shop to open, making use of the free airport wifi in the meantime.

The plans on offer from various Telco shops are pretty similar, so we just picked what was needed to meet our needs for our stay in Taiwan. We bought the 500 NT prepaid plan which included 10 days unlimited 4G data and 100 NT of voice calls. Comparing this to what we pay at home, this was a very good deal.

Soon we were on the HIgh Speed Rail (HSR) train bound for Taichung. The Taoyuan HSR station is located a distance from the airport and we need to take a shuttle bus for a 20 minutes ride to the Taoyuan HSR Station. There was no need to pre-book the train tickets, just buy the tickets for the next available train. Simple as that. Ticket costs 540 NT each and travel time to Taichung was 45 minutes.

Arriving at Taichung HSR Station, we decided to take an early lunch as the bus ride to SML would be about 1.5 hours. Following the signs for the bus station, we found the counter selling tickets for the Nan-Tou bus. Cost 190 NT one way to the final stop at the Visitor Center at Shuishe Village. Our accommodation for the next two nights is the Mei Jen House, a small minsu located in the heart of the small Shuishe Village.

It was too early for check-in and the lady at the minsu told us to leave our bags with her and provided us with a map and some information on how to enjoy SML. After the briefing and checking the weather, we decided to go visit the Cien Pagoda via the Round the Lake Bus and time permitting, visit Wenwu Temple as we were told it is a good place to see the sun set over the western part of the lake.

The Round the Lake Bus Pass costs 80 NT for unlimited rides on the hop-on and hop off bus prying the route from the Shuishe Pier to the Xuanguang Piers. Not all the buses make stops at Xuanzang Temple. We were in luck. The next bus to leave Shuishe Village at 2 PM was one of the few that would make a stop at Xuanzang Temple where we planned to alight to walk to the CIen Pagoda.

The bus does not stop at the Cien Pagoda. To get to Cien Pagoda, we should alight at the Xuanzang Temple bus stop and walked onwards a few hundred metres to start of the 900m marked trail leading to the pagoda. We spoke to the driver and he was kind enough to drop us off at the start of the trail head. There was only one other person who alighted with us and he walked really, really fast up the trail. We soon lost sight of him.

It was a gentle trail up with some steps. Not too strenuous and the weather in January was perfect for a gentle workout at a nice 16 degrees C.

First view of Cien Pagoda, completed in 1971. It was built by Chiang Kai-shek in memory of his mother.

Traditional door knocker at the pagoda.

Spiral staircase to the top of the pagoda.

Our hard work climbing the spiral staircase to the top of the pagoda was rewarded with a magnificent view of the entire Sun Moon Lake and the surrounding Central Mountains of Taiwan. We met the lone traveller at the top of the pagoda. He was a quiet fellow, focused on taking pictures and did not interact with us. Luckily for him and us, the clouds cleared mostly during the time we were there and we can see the blue sky and the blue lake. Else, it would be grey and gloomy.

The pagoda offers 360 degree view of the lake and the surrounding Central Mountains.

Panorama of Sun Moon Lake. The lake is supposed to be in the shape of a circle (Sun) joining a longish stretch (Moon) hence the name. Would need some fancy imagination looking at the entire lake to picture that.

Besides enjoying the views, taking photos, there is a very big and very LOUD bell to be rang for peacefulness. According to the sign, we are to strike it 3 times while saying “Amita Buddha” each time. We rang it loudly 3 times as instructed. Hopefully did not disturb the peace for our photo-taking traveller too much.

Ringing the bell for peacefulness at the top of Cien Pagoda.

After getting down from the Cien Pagoda, we walked to the XuangZang Temple.

Outside the XuanZang Temple containing the relic of the monk XuanZang. The graphic outside the temple depicts his silhouette, on his journey to the west.

We did not go into the temple as we wanted to catch the next bus leaving Xuanguang Temple and Pier which is at 4.30 PM. After snapping a few photos, we headed down the trail from the XuangZang Temple to the Xuanguang Temple and Pier.

Going down the Qinglong Mountain Trail from XuanZang Temple towards Xuanguang Temple.

The trail (part of the Qinglong Mountain Trail linking Cien Pagoda to the Xuanguang Temple) was mostly downhill. It was well-marked, well paved path, cutting through vegetation and some betek nut palms. We got to the temple with plenty of time to spare before the next bus.

A look inside the Xuanguang Temple.

This was the place we visited on our last trip and is the place to eat the the famous and tasty tea boiled egg. It was so good that we have 2 eggs per person while waiting for the bus.

Tip: Check the bus schedule to determine the timings of the buses leaving Xuanguang Pier and ItaThao Village to avoid missing the last bus.  Most of the buses operate between Shuishe Village to ItaThao Village. Only selected service goes to Xuanguang Temple.  Also, Cien Pagoda closes at 4.30 PM. It is an easy 2.5 km walk from the Pagoda down to the Xuanguang Pier. So, it is advisable to visit Cien Pagoda and XuanZang Temple first, then walk down to the Pier to take the bus or boat back to our hotel. Also, don’t confuse Xuanguang Temple with XuangZang Temple. Sounds quite alike but they are different temples in different locations but located close together.

We took the 4.30 PM bus leaving Xuanguang Temple and heading back towards Shuishe Village. We figured that the timing was just right for us to stop at Wenwu temple (文武廟) for an hour to see the sunset before catching the another bus leaving Itashao for Shuishe Pier.

Cien Pagoda from Wenwu Temple, across the lake. Before long, the pagoda is enveloped by the low clouds.

Sun about to set over Sun Moon Lake as view from Wenwu Temple. A nice spot to see sun set.

As the sun set over the western part of the mountains, we could see the clouds rolling in and covering the Cien Pagoda directly across the lake. Thankfully, there was no rain in the evening.

Photographers’ delight with the dramatic clouds over the lake at dusk. Time for some fancy shots.

Stairway to Heaven path with its 365 steps leading from the pier below.

Wenwu temple looked so different at dusk as compared to the morning when we last visited in 2011.  This is a very magnificent temple and is a must see when visiting Sun Moon Lake. A good time to visit in the evening when it is more peaceful, quiete and desolated.

The temple looked very nice at night with the lightings.

Clouds rolling in. Hopefully the weather would be good tomorrow.

The sky gets dark early in January and it was dark by the time we caught the 5.55 PM bus back to Shuishe Village.

We went to check out the restaurant recommended by our minsu lady but it was closed. So we walked around the small Shuishe village to check out other eating places. Compared to other parts of Taiwan, I must say the eating options in SML is few.  We picked a eating house that seems well patronised and ate a simple meal of steamed rice and local dishes including fried chicken and pig stomach soup. The restaurant was pretty generous with the quantity of sliced pig stomach in the soup. Nice and with a herbal taste instead of the peppery soup we get back home.

Smallest chicken wing I ever seen. Maybe it was a pigeon disguised as a chicken.

There was not much to do at SML in the night, Thankfully no rain despite the clouds we saw.  So, early to bed and early to rise the next day for a morning walk to catch the sunrise by the lake.

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Recommended place to watch the sun set at Sun Moon Lake

6 January 2016

As the sun sets in the west, a good place to watch the sun set and experience dusk over Sun Moon Lake is the Wenwu Temple. It is located on a high ground, on the eastern shore of the lake and offers panoramic view of the lake with the Central Mountains in the background. T

here is a large viewing deck just outside the temple. Many photographers could be seen on this day, some with fancy equipment and tripods stands. The deck is wide enough to accommodate everyone. Alternatively, go inside the temple and climb to the highest spot where one can see the lake over the roofs of the temple.

Access to the Wenwu temple is by the Round the Lake Bus, taxi or private car. If taking the bus, do note the timings for the last bus.

The viewing deck outside the Wenwu Temple could be seen just behind the entrance. The red figurine at the lower corner is that of a monkey as 2016 is the Year of the Monkey.

Sunset over Sun Moon Lake as viewed from Wenwu Temple.

Low clouds rolling in just after the sun set. Shot in Black and White.

Wenwu temple was also nicely lit after dark. 

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Cycling at Sun Moon Lake

7 Jan 2016

Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) is reputed to have one of the top 10 best cycling trails in the world. Cycling on this trail was one of the planned activity for our stay during this trip. Our minsu (B&B) host from Mei Jen House told us the Merida shop (one of the recommended bicycle rental place) is located near the big car and bus park behind the minsu.

On our way to the car park, we were approached by a staff from a bicycle rental shop so we stopped to check it out. The friendly lady staff quoted us 200 NT for 2 hours rental per bicycle which was what I had read and expected to be the going rates. And we got to choose any bike in the shop that we fancied.

The last time we cycled was a few years ago while staying at Banyan Tree Phuket where the resort provided free bicycles for us to move within its vast premises. We are not experienced cyclists. We spent some time to try out a few bicycles and also to polish up our rusty skills before finalising the rental. The staff even suggested we take a doubles bike, seeing that one of us (ahem…wonder who) is not so steady but I have confidence that we could both cycle on our own.

We selected a mountain bike for men and a smaller bike with a basket in front for women.

Map given by the shop. Recommended cycling route is marked is light green colour. More experienced cyclists could cycle round the lake within a day but the mountain roads are narrow and curvy. Not a good idea for novices.

Selecting our bike in the shop, along with other customers as well. Business was good on a nice day like today.

Using a Sun Moon Lake cycling trail map, the staff briefed us on the recommended route. She told us it typically takes about 75 minutes non-stop to go to the end of the route and back.  We figured that we will take longer than that and 2 hours rental sounded just right, with some stops along the way for photography.

Once the paperwork was done, 400 NT rental fees paid, we set off on the trail which starts at the car park. 50 metres along the trail, we saw the Merida bike rental shop.  So, we did not rent from Merida after all.

The trail from Shuishe Pier to the Shuishe Dam was relatively flat and easy. Some parts of the trail was on a boardwalk over the turquoise lake. All along the trail, nice views of the lake and mountains in the background could be seen. Thankfully, the weather was perfect for this activity, cloudy, cool, low humidity with some blue sky to be seen through the clouds. No sweat even with the exertions.

Since this was a weekday, the trail was not congested with walkers and bikers. It was a pleasant and fast ride to the dam where we made a brief stop for photos.

Quite interesting to watch people enjoying themselves and taking selfies and group photos.

For safety reasons, there was a sign instructing bikers to dismount and walk across the dam. Some bikers just don’t understand this and put themselves and others at risks by cycling across the dam.

After the dam, the trail slopes a little and we soon came to 2 nice bridges. The white Tongxin Bridge‘s design is based on the 4-hand dipnet used by the Thao tribe for lake fishing. Similar to what I saw and photographed earlier this morning. TongXin means “Together heart” and this bridge is a popular location for shooting wedding photos.

TongXin Bridge along the cycling trail.

The 54m long and 3m wide steel curvy Yongjie Bridge.

There was a good rest area and flower garden just after the bridges.  This garden had some trees in Autumn colours even though it was Winter in Taiwan!.

Nice romantic spot for couples.

The XiangShan Visitor Centre(向山遊客中心) is just after this small park. The building has a nice architecture and is on higher ground, overlooking the lake. This is a nice place for a lunch break. 

We started out at 10 AM and by the time we reached the XiangShan Visitor Centre, it was about noon.

Xiangshan Visitor Center.

Nice architecture of the Xiangshan Visitor Center offers a few photo opportunities.

Lunch time at the cafeteria - We chose to sit outdoor to enjoy the views and fresh air,

Taking photo of the lake and TongXIn Bridge, next to the infinity pool at Xiangshan Visitor Center.

The cafeteria was quite popular. It was relatively empty when we first arrived but soon got crowded as the lunch time approaches. Lunch was Taiwan beef noodle soup and special brew Sun Moon Lake coffee.

Taiwan Beef Noodle Soup.

Sun Moon Lake coffee.

After lunch, our next stop was the Xiangshan Scenic Outlook. This was a detour off the main trail but it was worth the short ride to go see it.

Cantilever structure of the XIangshan Scenic Lookout Point.

The lookout point was built on a steel cantilevered structure, hinged and supported by a cable. It actually moved a little with load, and made us feel as if we were standing on a diving board over the lake. It offered 270 degree views of the lake, the Shuishe Dam and the Qinglong mountain with the Cien Pagoda and temples we visited yesterday.

After enjoying this engineering marvel, we backtracked to the Xiangshan Visitor Centre and continued on the trail. The trail at this stretch was more undulating and steeper. We had to get off our bikes for some steeper uphill stretches. It was actually not bad to get down to push the bikes as our butts were beginning to feel the effects of the hard saddle.

There were lesser bikers and walkers on this stretch of the trail. We made another stop at the Toushe Dam to enjoy the nice views and peacefulness of  the surroundings.

Resting by the trail at Toushe Dam. Shueshe Village could be seen in far distance.

We soon came to the end of the recommended trail. By now, we had way exceeded our 2 hour rental period but no worries…we were enjoying ourselves, so we were prepared to pay more for the rental extension.

We saw some flowers that looked like Cherry or Plum Blossom on our way back.

The word on the road means SLOW in Chinese. It was slow going, pushing the bike up the slope.

By the time we arrived back at the rental shop in Shuishe Pier, it was just after 3 PM. The nice friendly lady staff said something like “ you guys are really super riders huh..” in Chinese; half in jest and possibly half in relief to see us back safely. We were 3 hours late.  We returned the bikes to her, collected my deposit and part ways. She said goodbye to us and did not charge us a single cent more for the time extension. So nice of her and her colleagues at the shop. 

A good way to relax after the cycling was to chill in a pier-side restaurant and enjoy some desserts and hot tea. And watched the hordes of tourists and day trippers coming and going at Shuishe Pier.

Waffles and Fruit at a restaurant next to Shuishe Pier.

View of Shuishe Pier from the restaurant.

Just then, the rain clouds rolled in and provided some intermittent rain. Thankfully, the rain soon stopped and we were able to spend some time browsing through the few souvenir shops near the pier before walking back to our minsu to freshen up before dinner.

Where we stayed at Sun Moon Lake:

Mei Jen House is a small minsu (homestay or B&B) located near Shuishe Pier and bus station providing clean rooms and nice Taiwanese breakfast. In mornings with good weather, the owner brings guests to the best spot by the lake to photograph the sunrise.

Check the latest availability and prices.

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