Lalu Island 拉魯島: Sun Moon Lake’s Sacred Island

Background:

Sun Moon Lake (aka Zintun in the local Thao language) is the largest natural lake in Taiwan and the home of the aboriginal Thao tribe. According to legend, a white deer led the tribe to the lake and is now trapped in a marble stone on Lalu Island, which is sacred ground to them.
Sun Moon Lake used to be separated by Lalu Island into two main bodies of water, Sun Lake and Moon Lake. These lakes were still technically one lake, but later, with the damming of the lake and raising the water level, the land on Lalu Island, which separated them, was mostly submerged. The reason why these lakes were so named is that one lake was murky and the other was clear. Also, one lake was more round like the sun, and the other lake was curved like the moon.

The first hydroelectric plant was built on the lake in 1919 by the Japanese, and it was later taken over by the ROC government. The hydroelectric power is part of a system of hydropower plants running from Wushe to Sun Moon Lake down to Shuili Township and includes at least 8 plants.
Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area was created in 2000. The lake attracts visitors from around the world year-round for its beauty and surrounding sights, and is also known for the annual Sun Moon Lake Swimming Carnival, which thousands of people attend each year.

Lalu Island (拉魯島), located at the center of Sun Moon Lake in Nantou County, Taiwan, is a sacred site for the Thao people (邵族), believed to be the dwelling place of their highest ancestral spirit. The name Lalu means “sacred mountain of the heart.” Historically, it was known by several names such as Zhuyu (珠嶼), Zhuzai Mountain (珠仔山), and Floating Island (浮嶼) during the Qing Dynasty, and Tamashima (玉島) or Water Island (水中島) during Japanese rule. After World War II, it was renamed Guanghua Island (光華島) before its indigenous name Lalu (拉魯) was restored. Once home to temples and Taiwan’s first shrine dedicated to Yue Lao (月下老人, the God of Marriage), the island became an important tourist attraction until it was destroyed in the 1999 921 earthquake (九二一大地震). It was later declared an indigenous sacred area and closed to the public. A restoration project in 2008 expanded and raised the island after erosion and earthquakes had reduced its size, though some believe its natural state should have been left unchanged.

Price:

Lalu Island is closed to visitors.
Scenic Area Entrance: Free
Parking: Around 100 NT per day for cars
Ferry Ride (starting at Shuitou Pier): 300 NT per person. You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here.
Paddle Boat Ride: 300 NT per person
Gondola Ride (Ropeway): 500 NT per person
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 980 NT per person. You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here.

Hours:

Lalu Island is closed to visitors.
Scenic Area: 24/7
Parking: 24/7
Boat Ride: roughly 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM every day
Gondola Ride: 10:30 AM – 4:00 PM every day
Formosan Aboriginal Cultural Village: 9:30 AM- 5 PM every day

Tours:

There are many tours and activities available at Sun Moon Lake such as SUP / standup Paddleboarding, Electric Boating, Canoeing, and Paddle Boarding, Water bike experience, Ebike Rental, and Kayaking
You can find more tours of Nantou on Klook here or KKday here.

Cherry Blossom Season:

Cherry Blossoms can be seen in the park from February to late March. Check out our full guide to Cherry Blossom Season in Taiwan here. 

Firefly Season

Firefly season at Sun Moon Lake is from May to June. Check out our firefly season guide here.

Where to Stay:

We have stayed at and recommend Kirin Villa (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here), a mountain resort in Puli near Sun Moon Lake.
Looking for a hotel? Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here. We recommend booking through Agoda here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation on the islands.

How to get there:

Bus: There are buses (Ubus/Kbus/etc) that leave all day from Taichung Station. You can book tickets to travel to Nantou via inter-city bus on Klook here.
You can book tickets to Taichung via high-speed rail (HSR) on Klook here or KKDay here, or book tickets via the normal train (TRA) on Klook here, then switch to a bus to Nantou.
By Car/Scooter: Take National Highway 6 from Taichung up to Puli, and then follow the signs on Highway 21 down to Sun Moon Lake. You can also take a car/scooter up Highway 21 from Shuili Township further south. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here. Looking for scooter rental in Nantou? Search Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
Boat: You can circle the lake via three spots: Shuise Pier, Xuanguang Pier, and Ita Thao Pier.
Bicycle Rental: Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can search on KKday here and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.

Map:

Check out the map above.

Drone Footage:

Play

You can also check out our 360-degree panorama above.

Our Journey:

Because Lalu Island is a sacred place for the Thao indigenous tribe, I have never set foot on the island. The closest I have ever been is on a boat or via drone. As of the time of writing this blog, there are currently no airspace restrictions for drones over Lalu Island. That being said, I am glad that this island is being protected as a sacred space, and not a tourist destination for the KMT. Taiwan did something right here.

Since none of us can visit the island in person, I will take you on a virtual tour via drone.

I think these outer floating platoforms mark the former extent of the island before it sank in the 921 earthquake.

Some boats, like this one, will sail close to the island to give visitors a better look.

There may be a way to visit the island in person, but it would require getting permission from the local Thao tribe.

Here you can see a statue of the sacred deer that led the original Thao people to Sun Moon Lake.

Here you can see a staircase to the top of the island and a large stone in the center.

The island is quite close to Xuanguang Wharf.

Another view of Lalu Island from Wenwu Temple.

Check out our full guide to Sun Moon Lake here.

Check out our full guide to Nantou County here.

Check out our guide to Taiwan here.