Ci'en Pagoda

慈恩塔

A nine-story pagoda on the summit above the south shore of Sun Moon Lake. From the top you can overlook the entire lake, the best viewpoint around it.

Ci'en Pagoda stands on Shabalan Mountain on the south shore of Sun Moon Lake. It was built in 1971 by Chiang Kai-shek in memory of his mother. The pagoda is 46 meters tall, with nine stories, and sits on a summit at 954 meters above sea level, so the top of the pagoda is roughly 1,000 meters above sea level. From the parking lot, a forest trail of about 700 meters (around 15 minutes) leads to the pagoda. You can climb the interior stairs to the top for a 360-degree panorama of the lake and surrounding mountains, making it the best viewpoint around the lake. Climbing is free, and the pagoda closes before evening. The lake loop bus stops at the Ci'en Pagoda stop.

Opening hours

About 09:00–17:00

Pagoda · Scenic views · Trail

Nearby sights

Xuanzang Temple
Xuanguang Temple
Ita Thao
Xiangshan Visitor Center
Sun Moon Lake Bikeway
Hanbi Trail
Shuishe Pier & Village
Sun Moon Lake

Places to eat nearby

Lusi'an Restaurant
Nianji Made-Fresh, Never-Resold Mushroom Cabbage Buns
Liu Family President Fish Soup
Grandma Jinpen's Shiitake Tea Eggs (Xuanguang Branch)
Sun Moon Dining House