Year Stairway Trail

Before the Round-the-Lake Road was built, visitors heading to Wunwu Temple for worship or sightseeing had to first take a boat to the pier below the temple, and then climb a very steep set of stairs on foot. This was quite arduous, earning the stairs the name "Stairway to Heaven" in its early days. Later, after the Round-the-Lake Road was completed, visitors no longer faced such hardship to reach Wunwu Temple, and the stairs below the temple gradually faded into oblivion. The Sun Moon Lake National Scenic Area Administration has since renovated these stairs. The revamped path, approximately 200 meters long, now features 366 steps, symbolizing the 366 days of a leap year. Along the way, at the mark for the first day of each month, platforms have been installed for visitors to rest. Additionally, information related to the 24 solar terms is engraved on both sides of the stairs, allowing visitors to learn about traditional Chinese folk culture as they slowly ascend. Consequently, these stairs are now known as the "Wunwu Temple Year Stairs" or "Year Stairway Trail". Walking along the Year Stairway Trail also offers an interesting experience: each step is engraved with a date and the name of a famous person, both Chinese and foreign, born on that day. You can try to find out which celebrity shares your birthday! Searching as you walk makes climbing the 366 steps feel less arduous.