Sun Moon Lake 日月潭
One of Taiwan’s most popular tourist attractions, Sun Moon Lake is a scenic 90-minute drive from Taichung 台中 city, the closest major city. The area is perfect for short-day trips from Taichung.
How did Sun Moon Lake get its name? Well, Sun Moon Lake surrounds a tiny island called Lalu. On the eastern side of the Island Lalu, the lake is shaped like a round sun, and on the western side, the lake is shaped like a crescent moon. That was how it was called Sun Moon Lake.
Sun Moon Lake is Taiwan’s largest lake and is located 748 m above sea level. Surrounded by mountains of the Central Mountain Range, this 7.93km2, 27m deep high-altitude lake is stunningly beautiful, especially in the early morning and early evening.
The area surrounding the lake has many trails for walking and hiking. The 8-storey Sun Moon Lake landmark Ci-En Pagoda 慈恩塔, Wen-Wu Temple文武廟, Xuang-Guang Temple 玄光寺, and Xuang-Zang Temple 玄奘寺 are popular Sun Moon Lake sights.
The Sun Moon Lake Ropeway 日月潭缆车, located near Ita Thao 伊達邵 village, connects to the Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village 九族文化村 and Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village Observation Tower 九族文化村观山楼. These are other popular Sun Moon Lake attractions.
Shuishe 水社, on the northwest shore of the lake, is the main tourist village where most people arrive. Its ferry pier Shuishe Pier 水社码头, is one of the three ferry piers on the lake to serve regular ferries on the lake. The other two piers are Xuang-Guang Pier 玄光码头, which provides access to Xuang-Guang Temple 玄光寺, and Ita Thao Pier 伊達邵码头, which is the pier of Ita Thao 伊達邵 village on the southeast shore of the lake. Taking a ferry across Sun Moon Lake to the three piers is a popular thing to do at Sun Moon Lake.
Ita Thao Pier 伊達邵码头
Ita Thao Pier 伊達邵码头 is an important yacht port and is one of the three ferry piers on the lake to serve regular ferries on the lake.
The pier and the Ita Thao Pier Square 伊達邵码头广场, where Ita Thao Visitor Centre 伊達邵遊客中心 is located, is where many Sun Moon Lake events and ceremonies are held. The adjacent Ida Thao business district 伊達邵商圈 is the place where the largest number of aboriginal Thao ethnic group 原住民邵族 lives. The streets of Ida Thao business district have many gift shops, homestays, resort hotels, restaurants, and street food stalls, drawing many tourists.
The Walk – Ita Thao Pier 伊達邵码头 to Sun Moon Lake Cable Car Station 日月潭缆车站
The flat walking paths built above water and by the bank of Sun Moon Lake from Ita Thao Pier to Sun Moon Lake Cable Car Station offer walkers great opportunities to appreciate the extraordinary beauty of Sun Moon Lake and its surrounding mountains.
The one-way distance from Ita Thao Pier to Sun Moon Lake Cable Car Station is approximately 1.5km.
Don’t miss taking the cable car uphill to enjoy panoramic views of Sun Moon Lake and its surrounding mountains.
Want to discover more great walking locations around Perth? Check out the “By the Waters” blogs.
Ita Thao Pier 伊達邵码头 is an important yacht port and is one of the three ferry piers on the lake to serve regular ferries on the lake.