Sun Moon Lake’s Xiangshan Visitor Center is a beautiful piece of architecture, with great views of Sun Moon Lake. With curves and pools inspired by the lake itself, it is a combination of nature and engineering. Lately, it has become a popular tourist destination for Instagrammers.
🛥️ Planning your trip to Sun Moon Lake? ⛰️
Here are some top travel tips for you:
- Best time to visit: Winter or Autumn when it is less rainy
- How to get there: Taiwan Railway and Inter-City Bus
- Best place to stay: Kirin Villa or Jenq Yang Hotspring Hotel
- Book tours and activities at Sun Moon Lake on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
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 Xiangshan Visitor and Administrative Center (向山行政暨遊客中心) is located on the opposite shore of the Hanbi Peninsula (涵碧半島) at Sun Moon Lake (日月潭) in Nantou County, Taiwan. Completed in 2010 and opened in 2011, it serves as both the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Headquarters and a major visitor center. Designed by Japanese architect Norihiko Dan (團紀彥), the building was inspired by the natural curves of Sun Moon Lake, featuring two sweeping concrete structures — the western one for visitors and the eastern one for administration. Built mainly with wood-textured exposed concrete and pre-stressed beams spanning up to 34 meters, the design creates wide, open spaces and blends with the surrounding landscape. Elevated above the lake, it includes an infinity pool that visually merges with the lake’s surface, offering panoramic views and a tranquil, minimalist aesthetic symbolizing harmony between architecture and nature.
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.
Our Journey:
We have been to the Xiangshan visitor center only once. It is kind of hidden near the back of the lake, but it is definitely worth checking out. There are also bike paths that connect it all the way to Toushe Dam. Don’t forget about it on your next trip to Sun Moon Lake.
The visitor center is not too far away from Shuishe Dam.
Even though Sun Moon Lake was originally a natural lake, its surface area has been greatly increased by the construction the the Shuishe and Toushe Dams, which were completed in 1934. The Shuishe Dam is now a popular scenic area along the lake, including a bike path and road that runs across it. It is a nice place to stop and enjoy the scenery. Check out our full blog on Shuishe Dam here.
The Xiangshan Visitor Center is huge, and there is plenty of parking here.
In front of the visitor center is a large, grassy field which can get really muddy after it rains.
You will see that lots of cyclists will make a stop here, but you cannot ride bikes into the building itself.
Another view of the entrance.
View of the main administration building.
Large crowds of people here.
View looking back at the parking lot. There is plenty of parking here.
Closer view to the main archway area.
Lots of cyclists parked in front.
There is really not much here except these giant concrete arches.
Reflection pool.
View of Sun Moon Lake.
View looking back at the parking lot.
Sun Moon Lake in front of the reflection pool. Maybe this would work better on a different day or with the sun in a different position.
But it didn’t stop people from taking photos.
Another view of the reflection pool.
There is a coffee shop here, but that is about it. Not much else to see. I was expecting an exhibit or museum here, but no.
Another view of the inner reflection pool.
You can check out more photos of this place in the gallery above.
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.
