This lake near Luodong isn't very big, but it's worth a visit if you're in the area. The lake is extremely popular on weekends, so it's not the place to get away from it all and commune with nature. But on weekdays it's usually fairly quiet.
There's really nothing in particular to do here - it's just a pretty place. Most people just stroll around the lake and enjoy the scenery. You can also ride a bike around the lake. But it's so small that you can zip around the lake really fast. If this is your main destination, it's probably better to walk and stop several times at the lakeside pavillions to take in the scenery and relax.
The lake isn't far from the Lanyang River Bike Path (see my post). You can rent bikes from shops on the road in front of the lake. To get to the riverside bike path, you ride down the access road to the lake and turn left at the corner. Ride uphill and cross the traffic roundabout. The bike path runs along the levee on the south bank of the river. This bike path connects with several other bike paths,
so you can ride quite far in several directions from here.
There are some shops lining the road leading to the lake which sell snacks and drinks. The specialty seems to be a special Taiwanese sweet which consists of ice cream and shaved peanut brittle wrapped inside a pancake. If you've never had one, it's definitely worth trying.
The lake is in Dongshan township, next to the foothills southwest of Luodong. To get there from Luodong, just take a road in the general direction and follow the brown signs to the lake. Road signs aren't Yilan's strongpoint, so I'm afraid it's not possible to give better directions than this. If you're afraid of getting lost, you can just follow the road next to the Lanyang River upstream. Turn left at the roundabout and go downhill to the lake. There is a huge temple on a mountain above the lake. The temple is easily visible from a long distance, so driving toward the big temple might help you get there.
This is an excellent urban cycling path - well built and maintained, and flat the entire way so it's an easy ride. The bike path runs along the top of the flood levy on the south bank of the Lanyang River. On one side you have a view of the Luoyang suburbs (mostly rice paddies and farm houses), and on the other side is the flood plain beside the river. Because the typhoons wash down rich topsoil from the mountains every year, the fertile flood plain is farmed after typhoon season ends. If you ride from fall to spring, you can watch the farmers tending their crops.
The bike path is pretty long, so you can start wherever you want. Riding the entire length and back takes about 2 1/2 hours. It runs from the mouth of the Lanyang River up to the foothills. Halfway along the route you pass by the Luodong Sports Park, which is a big popular park with many recreational facilities. You might want to make a detour and take a look. At the point where the bike path dead ends upstream, it's an easy ride along a local road to get to Meihua Lake (see my post), which is worth a visit. To get to Meihua Lake, ride upstream until the path comes to an end at a traffic roundabout. Cross the roundabout (be careful! - roundabouts are bad news for cyclists) and take the road going downhill. After a couple of minutes you will see a brown sign pointing the way to the lake. Turn right and follow this road to the lake. There are some shops along this road selling snacks in case you're hungry or thirsty.
One great thing about this bike path is its central location. It connects with several other bike paths, so from here you can get to quite a few places. If you cross over to the north bank of the river at the 
Qingzhou Bridge 清洲橋, you can get on the Annong River Bike Path 安農溪自行車道, which you can ride as far as Sanxing 三星,which is popular with Taiwanese tourists. Near the mouth of the Lanyang River, you can cross over to the north side and get on the Coastal Bike Path (see my post), which I highly recommend. Or, near the mouth of the Lanyang River you can turn right and follow the little local roads south to get on the short southern Coastal Bike Path, or else the Dongshan River Bike Path 冬山河自行車道 which runs through Dongshan River Park next to the Center for Traditional Performing Arts. You can also easily get to several smaller bike paths from here, or else explore the surrounding neighborhoods.
If you don't have a bike, you can rent one at Meihua Lake. To get to the river from the lake, just take the road away from the lake and turn left at the first corner. Follow this road uphill for a few minutes to the traffic roundabout. On the other side is the beginning of the Lanyang River Bike Path.
One problem with this bike path is that there's almost no shade - you're exposed to the sun almost the entire way. On a summer day, it will be a really hot ride. Be sure to put on sunscreen, wear a hat, and drink plenty of water.
The name of this place is misleading. Even though it's called Da Jiaoxi ("Big Jiaoxi"), it's not in Jiaoxi township. In fact this area is just south of Jiaoxi, over the border in Yuanshan,closer to the town of Zhenshan 枕山. Da Jiaoxi is a pretty valley covered with fruit orchards, mostly guava trees. There are some guest houses and other facilities for tourists. People come here for a scenic drive down the little country road through the middle of the valley,
The road you want is Yilan Road 13. First you need to go to the town of Zhenshan 枕山 northwest of Yilan City. Unfortunately, the start of Road 13 isn't well marked. One way to find it is to look for the big temple in the middle of town. Road 13 begins on the left side of the temple. You can also look for signs pointing the way to Huideng High School 惠燈高中, a private school on this road.
Once you're on Road 13, just keep driving and enjoy the pretty scenery. You might want to stop and buy something from the vendors by the side of the road. Of course you should buy some guavas. You can also buy homemade country-style preserved foods such as kumquats pickled in heavy syrup and femented black beans.
There are a couple of places to have a cup of coffee or tea where you can sit outside and enjoy the bucolic scenery.
There are several things to do on this road. The first stop can be reached by going down the road 
to the left of Hushan Elementary School 湖山國小. This takes you to a pleasant little lake called Wanglongpi 望龍埤, also known as Ruanpi 軟埤. You can either walk around the lake or else have a drink at the little cafe.
Head back to the elementary school. On the right side of the school is a little trail marked by a sign which reads "tiaofu budao" 挑夫步道. This trail leads up the mountain. Although well constructed, when I visited it had been mostly reclaimed by the forest. You can still walk to the top if you want to spend 15 minutes pushing your way through weeds. But it isn't worth the trouble. If the trail has been cleared, however, this would be a good chance to take a short walk through the forest. .
The final stop is at the end of the Road 13. Continue down the road, over the bridge, and follow the 
road as it veers to the left. You will see lots of signs pointing the way to a guesthouse called Left Bank (Zuo'an 左岸). Just beyond the guesthouse is a swimming spot where people go to splash around in the mountain stream. There isn't any shade here and the water isn't deep, so I wouldn't recommend stopping here unless it's a cloudy day or you have a big beach umbrella. But if you're prepared and just want to enjoy the beautiful natural setting, it's a nice place to spend the day. Since the water is shallow, it's a safe spot to bring small children.
so you can ride quite far in several directions from here.
