Longtan Lake 龍潭大池

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Longtan Lake is a beautiful scenic lake in the middle of Longtan District of Taoyuan. Here you can find majestic scenery, stroll across five bridges around the lake, enjoy local cuisine, and marvel at the Longtan temple which sits on an island in the middle of the lake. It is also the location of boat races during the Dragon Boast Festival. It is a great place to spend an afternoon with the whole family. 

Brief Historical Background:
Longtan Lake is man made, and was created for irrigation purposes in 1748 by local leader Zhimuliu. During the Qing Dynasty, the lake was called Lingtanpi in honor of the local temple at the time, but was changed to Longtan during the Japanese era likely as a mistake since the name sounds the same in Taiwanese. 
​The Lake spans 18 Hectares and is about half a meter deep. 
After the construction of the suspension bridge in 1971 and Nantian Temple in 1972 on a man made island in the lake, the lake soon became a major tourist attraction in the area. 
In the summer, a child's splash pool opens on the southern side of the lake. There are also bike paths, a children's playground, walking trails, a music memorial hall, and paddle boat rentals. 
The area 
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Hours:
24/7

Longtan Dragon Boat Races:
June 8th-10th 2024
Check out our full guide to Taiwan's dragon boat festival here. 

Price:
Free

Where to stay:
Looking for a hotel in Taoyuan? We recommend the Novotel Taipei Taoyuan International Airport which has great service and is conveniently located right next to Taoyuan Airport, the MRT, and HSR station (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).  
We also recommend the Fullon Hotel Taoyuan which also has great service and is located in downtown Taoyuan City (you can book on Agoda here or Booking.com here).  
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.

Activities in Taoyuan:
Ice Skating, Rock Climbing, Mountain Climbing, Cycling, High Ropes, Ziplining, Archery, Vietnamese BBQ, Batting Cages, Glamping, Van Camping, Photo Shoot, Turkish Mosaic DIY, Thai Massage, Painting, Baking, Go Karting, Imax Theater, Japanese Style Buffet, Tourist Factory Experience, peach and fruit picking, Ring-making DIY, handmade popsicle DIY, and more on on Tripadvisor here, Klook here, or KKday here. 

How to get there:
By Car: Take National Freeway 3 to Longtan. The pond is near the city center. There is limited paid parking near Nantian Temple and also other paid parking nearby. 
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search  Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. 
By Scooter: Take Provincial Highway 3 to Longtan, then continue southwest until you reach the lake. 
Looking for scooter rental in Taoyuan? Search Klook here or KKday here to look for options.
By Bus: There are many buses that leave from Zhongli TRA station to Longtan. The ride takes about an hour. You can also take an inter-city bus from Taipei Main Station. You can book tickets to travel to Taoyuan via inter-city bus on Klook here. Book tickets via the normal train (TRA)  on Klook here.
By Bicycle: 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 use Taiwan's many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here. You can also book a cycling tour on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 
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Map:
Check out the map below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Longtan Lake twice. It is a nice place to take the family for a stroll or enjoy a bike ride. There are also paddle boats here for rent and there is a child splash area here in the summer. It is a fun place to hang out and enjoy the scenery. 

See a map of the area above. 

Nantian Temple sits in the middle of the lake on an artificial island. The temple was established in 1972, and combines elements of Taoism and Buddhism. It is a Taiwanese folk religion temple. The gods worshipped here are Guandi, Guanyin, and the Jade Emperor. 

There is paid parking in front of the temple that can fill up fast on weekends and holidays. 

Worshippers at Nantian Temple. 

View inside the main shrine. 

Worshipers in front of the main shrine. 

Statues on display inside Nantian Temple. 

You can see a few more photos of the temple in the gallery above. 

Outside the temple is a nice bike path that leads to the suspension bridge. 

View of Longtan Suspension Bridge. The bridge lights up with LEDs at night. 

View outside the temple looking at a day market that was set up when we visited. 

On the far southwest corner of the lake you can find paddle boat rentals. SUP rentals are also available. 

Closeup on the paddle boats. 

Closer view of the Longtan Suspension Bridge. 

View of the suspension bridge from the other side. 

You can see more photos of the area near the suspension bridge in the gallery above. 

Also on the south side of the lake is a children's splash area which is only open during summer break in July and August. 

Children's playground equipment. 

You can see more photos of the child play area in the gallery above. 

You can also check out our video of the wind blowing through bamboo here above. 

On the opposite side of the lake is a five turn bridge connecting the temple to the west side of the lake. 

You can see more photos of the bridge above. 

When I visited there was also a temporary market available.

Drink shop.

Fried snacks. 

A girl enjoying her phone. 

Flavored dried bean curd. 

Shimen Zongzi. 

Ring throwing game. 

Miaoli Dahu Strawberries. 

Mexican Tacos!

Oyster Omelet. 

Another throwing game. 

Another view of Nantian Temple over the lake. 

View of the suspension bridge from the south side of the lake. 

Pigeons on the side of the lake. 

Children riding bikes near the lake. 

Chinese garden on the south side of the lake. 

Elderly people playing chess on the south side of the lake. 

Cherry blossoms. 

Cherry blossoms in front of the temple. 

Ducks. 

Musical performance on the side of the lake. 

A lakeside restaurant. 

Another bridge over the lake. 

Another wooden bridge across the lake to the children's play area. 

Another view of the wooden bridge. 

View of the wooden bridge from the other side. 

View looking back at the two bridges. 

Another view of the children's play area from the other side of the lake. 

An area of land being torn apart. Before this area was bamboo. I am not sure what they are doing here. 

Chicken on a raft. 

Full Moon Bridge. 

On the north side of the lake there are also many places to stop and rest.

There was also a moon shaped platform maybe for some kind of performance at night.

Another view of the five turn bridge.

More photos of the area in the gallery above. 

You should also check out Rutou Mountain for some great views if you have time. 

​Rugu Mountain 乳姑山

Rugu Mountain in Taoyuan is popular for its amazing night views as well as panoramic views of the Taoyuan Plain. Here you can also find many tea and coffee shops on top of the mountain where you can enjoy the views. It is a great place to enjoy the landscape and natural scenery in Taoyuan...(read more)
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There are many other activities available in Taoyuan such as Ice Skating, Rock Climbing, Mountain Climbing, High Ropes, Ziplining, Archery, Batting Cages, Glamping, Go Karting, peach and fruit picking, and more on Klook here, or KKday here. 

Check out our full guide to Taoyuan here.

You can also check out our full guide to Taiwan here. 

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