Shuishe Dam 水社壩

Background:

Sun Moon Lake (aka Zintun in the local Thao language) is the largest natural lake in Taiwan and 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.
The name “Sun Moon Lake” comes from the different colors of the water in the lake, some of it being murky, and in other parts of the lake, clear. Another account says that the name comes from parts of the lake being round like the sun, and other parts of the lake being 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.

The Shuishe Dam (水社壩), completed in 1934 along with the Toushe Dam (頭社壩), is a concrete-core earth dam located at the northern outlet of Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) in Nantou County. It stands 30.3 meters high and 363.6 meters long, guarding the lake’s only natural exit and preventing it from drying out. Together, these two dams transformed Sun Moon Lake into an off-channel reservoir and a key part of Taiwan’s most complex hydroelectric system, managed by Taipower’s Daguan and Mingtan power plants. Water is drawn from the upper Zhuoshui River (濁水溪) and its tributaries through the Wujie and Xinwujie tunnels into the lake, then released through three outlets to generate power at multiple stations before being cycled back during off-peak hours. Surrounded by greenery, Shuishe Dam is also a local scenic spot — a popular place for photography, stargazing, and enjoying the tranquil beauty of mist and sunlight after rain.

Price:

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:

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

Or check out our 360-degree panorama above.

Our Journey:

I have been to the Shuishe Dam many times. It is one of my favorite spots to stop and enjoy views of the lake. You can also ride a bicycle across the boardwalk, but on weekends and holidays, there might be too many people to safely ride across.

View of the dam and the boardwalk.

People taking selfies on the bridge. Notice tha most people are walking their bikes, which is the safe thing to do.

View of Sun Moon Lake.

Maple trees in fall colors.

There are also SUP rentals nearby. You can book an SUP experience for a discount on Klook here.

View of downtown Shuishe, which as the best hotels.

View looking toward Lalu Island.

Another view toward the middle of the lake.

View looking down at the dam.

There is also a glory hole near the dam that is used to funnel runoff water. You can also see it from the bike path here.
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more blogs on Sun Moon Lake to come!

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.