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.

Continue Reading »

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. 

Continue Reading »

Sunrise and morning at Sun Moon Lake

7 Jan 2016

One of the best thing about staying overnight in Sun Moon Lake is the opportunity to watch the sun rise and enjoy the calm morning scenery of the beautiful lake before the tour groups come in.

We stayed at the Mei Jen House and this minsu (B&B) organises a morning walk for guests to watch the sunrise every morning (weather permitting). On this day, there was no rain and a group of about 10 gathered at the reception at 5.30 AM. Tripods for cameras were available for free loan but I decided to shoot the sunrise with my new Canon G5X without it. Warmly dressed, we left the minsu promptly. Led by the lady who checked us in, we walked towards the lake. The sky was still dark, a little cloudy and our hopes of watching a glorious sunrise was not very high, to be honest. The minsu lady is a photo enthusiast and I wonder how many sunrises she has seen.

She brought along a torch light to help lit the dark path by the lake. We stopped briefly a few times along the way and she pointed out a few spots where we could come back later for good photos. We finally reached a clearing by the lake and settled down to enjoy the fresh cool morning air and wait for the sun to show.

The crescent moon and some stars were out but the sky was cloudy. Peaceful and silent, except for the clearly audible splashes of fishes on the lake, out in great numbers…hunting at first light.

Experimental shot with my newly acquired G5X of the moon over the lake. Not a good photo but the crescent moon soon disappears behind the clouds and I did not have a chance to take a second shot.

Moments before sun rises at Sun Moon Lake.

Faint orange glow of the sun could be seen near the horizon as our hopes rose. A few other photographers were also stationed where we were. So, this must be a good spot for sunrise watching.

A local photographer on a stake out. He looked like a regular here.

I was having trouble with the settings of new camera and did not managed to get the autofocusing right in this shot of a fellow photographer. But I like the composition.

Clouds and more clouds. No sunrise this morning but we could still enjoy the fresh morning air and took some nice photos.

Fishing craft on the Sun Moon Lake.

Line of Happiness at Sun Moon Lake. Make a wish and it will come true here.

We soon dispersed and made our own way back towards Shuishe Pier along the lakeside trail that we took earlier in the dark. Along the way, we saw Sun Moon Lake at its natural best.

This is what we came for. Peaceful stroll by the misty lake. Quiet, except the sound of lapping water and splashes of fish hunting on the surface. Apparently, this trail was one of the favourites of Chiang Kai Shek. We saw his pavilion, his boat, his special jetty and even fishes named after him.

Jetty used by Chiang Kai Shek on his visits to the lake.

I believe these local fishes in the lake are named the President fish. Often fished by the local Thao tribe and served in the restaurants at SML. I did not try eating this fish as I read that it has a lot of tiny bones.

Not too well maintained boat used by Chiang.

Scenery of SML as seen from the CKS Memorial Pavilion.

Misty waters at dawn as viewed from Sun Moon Lake lakeside trail.

Shuishe Pier in the early morning, without the tourist hordes on the lake cruise boats, was so much nicer!

A perfect way to end the morning walk and start of the new day is to enjoy the Taiwanese rice porridge and condiments served by the minsu. The minsu also provides oranges, hot soya bean drink and a sweet, spicy, hot ginger tea plus tea and coffee.

Rice porridge with condiments of salted duck egg, roasted peanuts, fermented tofu, spicy squid, pickles. Self served and choose what you fancy.

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.

Continue Reading »