Thousand Island Lake 千島湖

Share

---

Tweet

Thousand Island Lake (Officially Feitsui Reservoir 翡翠水庫 or Emerald Lake) is a reservoir in New Taipei that sits in Shiding District. It is a popular place to visit because the reservoir winding through the mountain valleys looks like many islands from a distance. It also has the largest concrete dam in Taiwan.

Background:
When it was seen in the 1970s that the Shimen Dam could not meet all the water needs of greater Taipei, the Taipei City government set out to build another dam along the Beishi River.
The Dam was completed in 1987 at a cost of 11 billion NT. 
The Dam holding the reservoir back is 122 meters high and 510 meters long, making it the biggest concrete dam in Taiwan by volume.
The Dam today serves over 6 million people in greater Taipei. Besides providing water, the dam also generates electricity. 
To ensure water quality, most of the Dam is closed off the the public, expect with a permit and accompaniment by a guide. The best place to see the Dam is from the tea plantations on the Shiding side (northeast). 

Hours:
24/7

Price:
Free

Tours:
You can book a tour to Thousand Island Lake on TripAdvisor here, Klook here or KKday here.  

Hotels in Taipei:
We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). 
We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda 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.

How to get there:
Car/Scooter: Take provincial highway 9 east toward Pinglin. Take a right down the mountain right before Taipei Garden Cemetery. There are a few restaurants and lookouts along this road.
Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? You can search on Klook here or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here. If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or  KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.  
Bus: Take Sindian Bus GR12 east to Shisangu Station. From there you can walk about half an hour down to the lookout. You can also book tickets to travel to Shiding via inter-city bus on Klook here. You can also book a Taipei Sightseeing: Hop On, Hop Off Open Top Bus on TripAdvisor 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 Sunset Riverside Bike Ride and Historical Tour, 4 Hour Cycling in Taipei, Ultimate 8-Hour Cycling City Tour, or Taipei City Bike Tour with Night Market Experience on TripAdvisor here. 
For more information, check out our Taiwan transportation guide here. 

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:
​
I have been to thousand island lake three times because it is one of the most beautiful places in Northern Taiwan. The drive to the lookout from my house is only about 45 minutes. 

You can book a tour to Thousand Island Lake on TripAdvisor here, Klook here or KKday here.  ​

Check out our drone footage of the lake above for reference.

The entrance to the lookout can be hard to find. I got lost in some tea plantations the first time looking for it. Just use Google Maps. 

Whenever I go there are always lots of hikers taking pictures. There is not a lot of parking for cars, so a scooter is the best choice here. 

One of the best place to see the views is the Qiandaohu Lookout (千島湖觀景臺). They also sell coffee and snacks here. 

The snack shop right near the lookout. 

View from the snack shop. 

Another view from the snack shop on a day with less water. If you keep going down the road there is another lookout which you can see at the bottom of the photo above. 

View from the lower lookout. 

Another view from the lower lookout. 

View from above via drone. 

Another view via drone.

For another amazing view of this reservoir, check out this blog by Josh Ellis.

You can book a tour to Thousand Island Lake on TripAdvisor here, Klook here or KKday here.  

You can also look for more activities in Taipei such as Rock Climbing, Surfing, Speedboat Surfing, Diving, Snorkeling, Cooking Class, Glamping, Motorcycling, and more on Klook here or KKday here. 

Check out our Taipei hiking and trails guide here. 
​
Check out our full guide to Shiding here.

Also be sure to check out our full guide to Taipei here. 

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

Share

---