Wushe Reservoir, also known as Wanda Reservoir or Bihu, is formed by the Wushe Dam along the Wushe Creek in Ren’ai Township of Nantou County. The main function of the reservoir is to provide hydroelectric power. The area is a beautiful scenic location that is well worth a visit.
🛥️ Planning your trip to Nantou? ⛰️
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 in Nantou on Klook
- Stay connected with a local SIM
- Rent a car to explore distant sights
Background:
Wushe Reservoir (also called Wanda Reservoir or Bihu) is a hydroelectric reservoir in Ren’ai Township, Nantou County, Taiwan, built on the upper Zhuoshui River and managed by Taipower’s Wanda Power Plant. Construction began under Japanese rule in 1939 but was halted during World War II and completed by Taipower with U.S. assistance in 1960. The arch-gravity concrete dam is 114 meters high and 205 meters long, originally storing 146 million m³ of water for power generation. President Chiang Kai-shek named it “Bihu” (Emerald Lake) for its striking color, and the site was originally home to relocated Atayal and Seediq peoples. Decades of typhoons and erosion have caused severe sediment buildup—by 2021 about 75% of the reservoir was filled—making it one of Taiwan’s most silted and reducing its water and power capacity.
Specific research on Wushe shows modelling that by around 2037 the reservoir’s sediment deposit could reach the spillway level unless desilting or sediment-release measures are taken.
According to news reporting, the WRA says they are working on building tunnels or other structures to help channel silt away from the reservoir, in addition to continuing silt-pumping operations.
Price:
Free
Hours:
24/7
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.
How to get around Nantou:
As always, we recommend renting a scooter as the best way to see Taiwan. However, you can also a great deal of Miaoli by taking the train to Taichung and then switching to an inter-city bus, or local bus. Getting around in a car is also a convenient option as there is plenty of parking pretty much everywhere in this less crowded county.
Scooter Rental: 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.
Car Rental: 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.
By Bus: You can book tickets to travel to Nantou via inter-city bus on Klook here.
By Train: 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.
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.
Tours:
There are many tours and activities available in Nantou such as river Tracing, paragliding, Shanlinxi Forest Recreation Area 杉林溪, Cona’s Chocolate Castle, Shuiyuan Suspension Bridge, JOJOZOO Park, and Aowanda Forest Recreation Area.
You can find more tours of Nantou on Klook here or KKday here.
Where to Stay:
We have stayed at and recommend Jenq Yang Hotspring Hotel (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Trip.com here, or Klook here), a hot spring hotel near the mystical Lushan hot spring, and Maple Leaf Holiday Villa (you can book on Agoda here, Booking.com here, Trip.com here, or Klook here), a lodge with a great view and within walking distance of Cingjing Farm. I also have stayed at and recommend Kirin Villa (you can book on Agoda 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 accommodation on the islands.
Map:
Check out the map above.
Our Journey:
I have driven past the Wushe Reservoir about a dozen times on the way to and from Qingjing Farm and Hehuanshan.
In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful reservoirs in Taiwan. It has a vibrant light blue-green color that looks amazing, especially when it is full. The best way to view the reservoir is from near the dam on the south side.
View of the reservoir from the north side of Highway 14.
Another closeup on the reservior from Highway 14.
View of a dried-up reservoir from further down Highway 14.
The best views of the reservoir are on the south side from Nantou County Highway 83 or Da’an Road.
On the reservoir, you will also notice some floating houses, which I think are used mostly for recreation or fishing. You can see similar houses on Sun Moon Lake.
Closer view of a floating house and some debris.
Super closeup of the floating house.
Another floating shack.
Third floating house.
Fourth and fifth floating houses.
View of the road up to Qingjing Farm.
Wider view.
Driftwood floating on the surface.
A little bit wider view.
Verticle view.
There may also be some better views up these steps.
Check out our full guide to Nantou County here.
Check out our guide to Taiwan here.
