Sun Moon Lake
Nestled at 760 meters, this lake is famous for its clear, sparkling blue water set against a picturesque mountain backdrop. This is the largest lake in Taiwan and a traditional spot for newlywed couples to take their honeymoon. It has also been a center of aboriginal life for thousands of years, with aboriginal people involved in its tourist industry since the 1930s.
Wenwu Temple
The biggest temple on the Northern bank of the lake. The temple consists of three halls. The first hall, located on the second floor of the front hall, is a shrine devoted to the First Ancestor Kaiji and the God of Literature. The central hall is devoted to Guan Gong, the God of War, and the warrior-God Yue Fei. The rear hall is dedicated to Confucius.
Chinese guardian lions are located in front of the temple, one male and one female. Lions have not been found at Wen Wu Temples in Mainland China.
Ci-en Pagoda
This Chinese style pagoda is a must and the best place to overview Sun Moon lake. President Chiang Kai-shek decided to construct the pagoda as a memory to his late mother Wang Caiyu. The octagonal pagoda was constructed with a traditional Chinese architectural style on top of Mount Shabalan with an elevation of 954-metre. The height of the pagoda is 46-metre. The lower 3 floors were painted in white and the upper 9 floors were painted in golden red. It was completed in 1971 and sits on the hill southeast of the lake.
Ita Thao
Once known as Dehua Village, this is the main Thao settlement. Traditional Thao performances and cultural exhibitions are offered here, as well as a shopping area full of Thao atmosphere. This 0.4-kilometer trail starts opposite the Youth Activity Center and completes near Ita Thao Wharf. Sounds of insects and birds are incessant along this lakeshore board walkway, and the smell of wild ginger blossoms fills the air.
Lalu Island
Lalu Island is located in the middle of the lake. Lalu ("Lake Island") is the name the Thao tribe, the original inhabitants of the area, gave to this sacred land, though it was changed to Guanghua ("Glorious China") during Chiang Kai-shek's rule of Taiwan. After 1999's September 21 earthquake the Taiwanese government, attempting to show greater respect and political awareness towards the Thao, reverted the island's name back to its original Lalu.
Antique Assam tea farm
An operating tea farm that's also a showcase for the reinstatement of tea shrubs to Sun Moon Lake. The speciality here is Assam black tea, introduced to the area from India by the Japanese. In its heyday, this factory had over 200 workers, but it was forced to close down in the early 2000s due to farmers' preference for cultivating the more lucrative betel nut. A handful of veteran workers persisted and began growing organic Assam; they also turned the factory into a tourist attraction.