Joy Fang

FLIPPING through the photographs I had taken of Sun Moon Lake during a recent three-week trip to Taiwan has dampened my mood.

Not because it was a bad trip, but rather because I’m dying to return to the 7.93 sq km lake – Taiwan’s largest body of water – located in Nantou County.

The lake’s shimmering turquoise surface, surrounded by tall mountains and greenery below bright-blue skies, is a balm to anyone who is weary from the daily work grind. The utter peace you find at Sun Moon Lake steals right into your soul, leaving you no choice but to unwind.

You just have to see it to believe it. Here’s what you can do around the lake in 12 hours.

4.30am: Start your day early. If you reached your hotel – probably located at the Shuishe Visitor Centre, along the main belt of the lake – the night before, make the effort to wake up to catch the sunrise over the lake at about 5am.

It’s then that the full beauty of the lake slowly unveils itself. As the sky lightens, the colours of the lake change gradually, from dark to bright blue.

5.30am: Walk along the Hanbi Lakeside Trail, located along the main Shuishe Pier by the lake. Along the way, visit the Sanctuary of Christ to admire its classic Romanesque columns. Stop by Meihe Gardens which has an elevated view of the lake.

At the end of the 1.5km trail, you’ll see a pavilion. President Chiang Kai Shek – who died in 1975 – often visited this spot as part of a vacation. You can see an old pier he used to use, as well as a guard station. The spot provides an awesome view of the lake. You can also walk to the left of Shuishe Pier to check out Chaowu Pier. Spot people idly fishing or canoeing across the lake.

8am: Have breakfast at one of many restaurants by the lake.

9.30am: Buy a one-day shuttlebus ticket from Shuishe Visitor Centre. The bus goes around the lake, stopping at various attractions and ending at Syuanguang Temple (No. 338, Zhongzheng Road).

This temple is often full of tourists wanting to pose beside a famous rock that bears the name of Sun Moon Lake. The temple also houses a bone fragment of Chinese Buddhist monk Syuanzang, made popular by the classical Chinese epic novel, Journey To The West.

From the temple, you’re able to see Lalu Island, a small, circular piece of land in the middle of the lake which is considered to be the home of the Thao aboriginal people’s ancestral spirits.

Snack on a tea egg at the bottom of the temple at the famous Jin Peng Ah Ma store and admire the view from Syuanguang Temple Pier.

10.30am: Backtrack via bus to Syuanzang Temple (No. 389, Zhongzheng Road), a quiet, reflective spot. The three-storey structure is surrounded by tall Cypress trees and pagodas.

11am: From Syuanzang, trek up the hill along the Cinglong Mountain Hiking Trail to Cien Pagoda. It’s a long uphill climb of about 40 to 45 minutes, but worth the effort.

Nestled in the middle of a quiet field, the 46m-tall tower hosts a giant bell which you can ring. From the top, you can see the entire expanse of the lake with a 360-degree view.

1pm: Catch the bus to Ita Thao Shopping Street, the main settlement for Thao aborigines – Taiwan’s smallest ethnic group. Grab some lunch and browse the stores which sell bamboo and wood handicraft and homemade wine.

From here, you can walk the 0.9km-long Ita Thao Lakeside Trail to the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway Station. You can take a cable car up to the Farmosan Aboriginal Culture Village – a large amusement park with themed rides, though a day trip is recommended to fully enjoy this experience.

2.30pm: Take the bus to Wenwu Temple (No. 63, Zhongshan Road), a majestic palatial temple with three halls and a huge plaza flanked by two enormous red stone lions.

Look out for a steep flight of stairs near its entrance, which is lined with golden wind chimes blessed at the temple. Formerly named the Stairway to Heaven, it was used to access the temple from the pier when roads had not been constructed yet.

3pm: Follow the signs to the Songbolun Hiking Trail where you can see a white memorial arch and a bronze statue of the late president Chiang Kai Shek.

4pm: You can’t truly experience the lake without a ferry ride, so take the bus back to Shuishe Visitor Centre and buy a ferry ticket. The ferries depart every 30 minutes and stop at every jetty.

6pm: Head back to Shuishe and have dinner at any of the eateries there. Tuck into delicious dishes such as bamboo rice, mountain-boar meat, mountain vegetables and fish caught from the lake.

While away the time at the pier after that, enjoying the cool evening breeze.