August 31, 2019
Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) is heralded as one of the most beautiful places on an island literally named "Beautiful Island" by the Portuguese explorers who first discovered it. The lake, so named because the east side of the lake is round like the sun and the west is long and narrow like a crescent moon, is the largest body of fresh water on Taiwan. Intrigued by the beauty and the chance to get out of the city and into the stunning mountains of Nantou, my friends and I had an adventure on our hands.
Our morning started early. We caught the train at seven, then took an hour long bus ride to the lake. The further we wound into the mountains, the more awed I was. Born and raised in Seattle, I don't have a lot of experiences with tropical flora, but the churning hills were covered in palm trees and other plants, everything a deep vibrant green.
We arrived at nine and promptly took a quick stroll around Peacock Garden park. It was a beautiful day. The sun shone in a crystal blue sky, and the lake was placid, save for the cruising of a few boats. The walk was incredibly peaceful, that is until we say a warning sign for snakes and monkeys. (We ended up seeing neither)
After the quick jaunt, we headed back to the visitor center hoping to gather some more information about how to get around the place. We had done preliminary research, but hadn't completely worked out the details. Unfortunately the visitor center was a bust, so we stopped by a Starbucks (the only place open that early in the morning) and reconvened. Chaprece recommended renting electric bikes and we all agreed that it would probably be for the best. The closest temple was a 40 minute walk away.
Renting the bikes turned out to be the best decision made all day. When I say electric bike, I mean a scooter dressed up as a bike. We didn't even have to pedal. Just throw the throttle back and cruise along the bike path. I was suspicious at first, because we had been hounded after exiting the bus by hordes of people insisting we rent bikes or a boat. I can't speak to the boat part, but the bikes turned out to be the best way to see large swatches of the lake in a short amount of time. Ours were $250NT for the whole day.
We then set our sights on Wen Wu Temple (文武庙). We cruised along the edge of the lake, stopping occasionally to take photos (and when construction shut down the path), but we made it eventually. And what a sight! The temple sits high up on the mountain overlooking the lake.
The temple is just as beautiful as the lake. It has three halls, the first dedicated to the God of Literature, the second to the God of War and the final hall to Confucius. Every detail is ornate and beautiful. You could spend hours in the temple and never run out of things to see. We were even able to get a rooftop view of the lower temples looking out over the lake. Unfortunately the Year of Steps was closed for construction. It is the original path to the temple, before a road made access easy. There are 366 steps, each with the date, a famous historical figure born on that day and Chinese astrological information. The tradition is to climb the stairs to the temple, have small bells blessed and then walk back down and hang them on the stair that represents your birthday. We will have to come back again to complete the ritual.
After the Wen Wu Temple, we cruised back down and around the other side of the lake. Again, the beauty was unreal. Even the pictures don't do it justice. Zipping along the path, the wind blowing through my hair, against a backdrop of rolling mountains and towering pagodas, my life didn't seem real. For the first time since I'd been in Taiwan, I felt as though I had achieved a small part of the reason I came in the first place. I want to travel and explore and wonder at all the world has to offer.
If you are in Taiwan, I would highly recommend stopping at Sun Moon Lake. The area is also abundant with hiking, which we didn't have time for on this trip. Rent a bike, cruise around, see the temples, and relax. The lake is a wonderful place to come and catch your breath.
Directions:
From Changhua: Take train to Taichung HSR. From there, use exit 5. Take bus 6670. Fare is $195NT. Trip will last approximately 1-11/2 hours.