Getting closer to the Nine Frogs: a new Shuiwatou Platform is open now
Introduce
The new Shuiwatou Platform has been refurbished and it was reinaugurated on July 31. The new platform is closer to the Nine Frogs, with more open views, and safer and more comfortable. It is now a must-visit since the lifting of travel bans at the Sun Moon Lake.
The old Shuiwatou Platform was built 20 years ago in Nantou County. Its base sank and its plastic floor easily became watery and slippery. Moreover, the platform was rather far from the Nine Frogs. When the water level is high, visitors could fall down on the platform. When the water level is low, some visitors would take risks trespassing the platform railings to watch the sculptures.
Chien Ching-fa, director of the Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration, said that the new Shuiwatou Platform takes the shape of an arch around the Nine Frogs. Visitors can capture the beauty of the Nine Frogs - hailed as the best of the Sun Moon Lake’s Eight Views - with their cameras from all angles. The two-section new platform also makes it easier for visitors to take pictures with the Nine Frogs. The platform’s grid floor ensures that visitors can safely watch the sculptures even when the water level is high. On both sides of a hiking trail, bicycle railings are installed for cyclists to reach the platform via Provincial Highway 21A, and then ride to the Sun Moon Lake Ropeway Station. In the near future, the newly established Ita Thao Waterfront Bicycle Path will be linked to this hiking trail, so that visitors can ride directly to Ita Thao Pier and Ita Thao Visitor Center. The Administration hopes to make the lake area a cycling-friendly place.
The Administration would like to remind visitors that they should still fight COVID-19 by wearing surgical masks and keeping a social distance. An outdoor monitoring system, SPOTCAM, will be installed to provide safety tips for visitors. From 8am to 5pm daily, live streaming will also be on, for those staying home to watch the Nine Frogs of the Sun Moon Lake.
SPOTCAM Nine Frogs Live Streaming
(The system is operated by solar power. We apologize if signals are off.)
