Maokong Gondola Tour

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

The Maokong gondola opened to the public on 4 July, 2007, and is the first public transportation cable car of Taiwan.

Manufactured by the French company POMA, the gondola is powered by binary engines, with the first power system supporting it from Taipei Zoo station to the angle station 2, and the second power system supporting it from thereon to Maokong Station.

The Maokong gondola is a circulating system that stops at every station on the way. The cabins are not powered, but hang on cables that are driven by the power systems. It uses an automatic circulation system that travels around the stations counter-clockwise. The normal operation speed is 3-5 meters/sec, and allows for high flow, low cost transportation as well as entertainment functions.

The Maokong gondola has a total of 147 cabins, among which there are 31 crystal cabins, also known as the “Eyes of Maokong Gondola”. While regular cabins can carry up to eight passengers at a time, the crystal cabins, with their 200kg tempered glass bottoms, only carry up to five.

The Maokong gondola route starts at the west of Taipei Zoo, and goes up to the Maokong area, totaling 4.03km in length. The gondola has 25 piers, 47 columns, and the route is shaped like the number seven. There is a total of six stations, four of which, namely Taipei zoo, Taipei zoo south, Zhinan temple, and Maokong station, are for loading and unloading passengers. The other two stations, angle stations 1 and 2, are not for boarding, but for system monitoring and maintenance.

The Maokong Gondola is constantly working to improve its operation system to create a quality travelling experience for all visitors and to support business developments in the Maokong area.

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

In 1914, during the Japanese occupation, a flower and animal viewing area was built in Yuanshan and opened for public viewing. This was purchased by the Japanese authorities of the Taipei office the following year, making it a government owned business. Its official opening took place in 1916, upon which it was visited by up to 800 people a day. At a time when the population of Taipei City was no more than 170 thousand, the zoo was considered extremely popular.

After the war, only a few kinds of animals remained. In 1950, the zoo started putting on animal performances and animal exhibitions to attract visitors. These performances continued for almost 30 years, until they were cancelled in 1978.

In 1952, the zoo purchased a large amount of animals including elephants, leopards, bears and lions, and started trading, gifting, and purchasing animals from various Japanese zoos in 1961.

On September 14th, 1986, the animals travelled 14.3km down south to the new zoo in Muzha, with tens of thousands of Taipei citizens seeing them off along the way. Along the way, animal performances were held at the Yuanshan zoo gates, Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall freedom square, Taiwan University main campus gate, and the Muzha zoo front square.

With the new zoo all set up, the continued efforts of preservation and education were able to take root in Taipei, and have been growing steadily since with every passing year.

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

You can enter the Taipei Zoo not only through the main entrance but also from Maokong Gondola Taipei Zoo South Station, where you can take a shuttle bus directly to the Zoo. Some of these shuttle buses are designed to look like trains and are very cute, making them very popular with children.

Shuttle buses stop at the Bird World Station and Main Station. Attractions near Bird World Station include Bird World, Reptile House, Penguin House, Temperate Zone Animal Area, African Animal Area, and Desert Animal Area. Sections near Main Station include Koala House, Panda House, Pangolin Dome, and Tropical Rainforest Animal Area. Entry to the Taipei Zoo from Taipei Zoo South Station is restricted after 4pm; visitors should pay heed to entrance times as well as the departure time for the last shuttle bus.

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

Looking down from the cabins, you can enjoy a perfect view over the forest canopy. The canopy is the top level of the forest, where branches and leaves closely interweave to create a safe and comfortable sanctuary for many species. Research shows that close to 50% of the earth’s species reside in forest canopies. 300 years ago, when Maokong was still a hunting ground for indigenous people, the woodland you see from the Maokong Gondola used to be a vast natural forest composed mostly of Camphor trees, cedar trees, and mulberry plants. During the Japanese occupation, a large amount of charcoal and firewood was needed for roasting and processing the tea leaves, so a large number of Acacia trees were brought in to be planted here, which is why looking down at the forest now, you see mostly Acacia trees.

During the Gondola ride, you can observe many different species of fern growing in the forest. There are many common tree ferns growing in the open areas, and where there is shade, other types of fern such as the Taiwan spinulose tree fern grows. However, due to the low altitude and the early development of the surrounding areas, the forest has seen much human intrusion, and is mostly secondary forest now. Because of the frequent interference, most of the plant species here are fast growing and spreading ones. Many trees blossom in spring as well, such as the incense machilus and red machilus dominant in the Maokong forest. From April to May, the Acacia trees covering the mountains turn bright yellow. From June to September, plants such as Turn In The Wind blossom, adding new colors to the vast swathes of green; and the unique palm-shaped leaves of the Schefflera trees that compose the forest canopy attract many birds between October and December. Groups of phyllostachys bamboos grow in the secondary forest. These bamboos have a unique appearance, and grow only 3 to 6 meters tall. The green bamboo shoots that we often eat come from these bamboos. Many people are amazed by the sight of the tea gardens in the Maokong area, because tea trees use linear planting, and the gardens are highly visible from afar. The silvergrass that cover the hills also add a hint of vicissitudes of life to the winter scene. Starting from November, the blooming silver grass would sway in the wind, along with the sunrise and sunset, like sparkling golden waves. This is also another kind of feast for the eyes during the Maokong experience.

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

The Angle Station 2 is a control and maintenance station for the Maokong Gondola system. Here you can observe a maintenance workshop on one side with cars awaiting maintenance or repair. On the other side is a control center where operators oversee the operation of the system.

The Maokong Gondola is composed of two power systems running synchronously with Angle Station 2 acting as the junction between both systems. The view is spectacular, as you can overlook the highway and Taipei 101. Additionally, you can see two sets of stairs on the steep slope near the station. The stairs set within the groove are for draining water from the hill and play a valuable part in soil and water conservation. The other set of stairs is utilized by maintenance staff to allow them quick and easy access to pillars for service work.

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

The history of Taipei can be dated back to 30 million years ago; at the time, the city was just a submerged layer of strata. Roughly 5 million years ago, the collision of the Eurasian and Philippine Sea Plates pushed Taipei out of the sea. It wasn’t until 800 thousand years ago, when the Tatun Volcano Group erupted, that the stratum shifted and formed the Taipei Basin. The lava from these volcanic eruptions blocked the river water from entering the ocean, causing Taipei to become a large lake. Ultimately 30 thousand years ago, the northwestern side of Taipei collapsed. The water drained from the lake and the “Taipei Basin” emerged.

Most gondolas around the world only operate during the daytime, but Maokong Gondola is open until night in order to further tourism to Maokong and Zhinan Temple. During the day, you can take in the entirety of Taipei and the beautiful mountain view. At night, you will be surprised by Taipei’s astonishing nighttime landscape. Head to Maokong Gondola now! The rare opportunity to unhurriedly take in the most incredible scenic view Taipei has to offer is one you should take!

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

The Terra Lovers is situated on the hilltop next to Maokong Gondola Zhinan Temple Station. In addition to the stunning view of the Taipei Basin and Taipei 101, there is also the “Trail of Marriage.” Red elements and the true lover’s knot were incorporated into its design. Walking this path together symbolizes that a couple can endure any and all future obstacles together.

At the “Lovers’ Platform,” couples can write their names on a padlock and attach it to the fence on the “Concentric Lock.” There are also chairs in the shape of divination blocks, upon which you can take a rest and pray to the “God of Marriage.”

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

The Zhinan Temple, also known as “Xian-gong” temple, mainly worships the “Chunyang Master” Patriarch Lu. It is out of respect that people call him “Xian-gong, ”Immortal Elder”, instead of by his name.

In 1882, when the new governor of Tamsui County came from China for succession of the position, the Yongle Temple Xian-gong Lu from Shanxi Ruicheng was honored in Monga Yuqing Temple. Later, when there was a plague outbreak among the people of Jingmei streets, wealthy locals moved Master Lu’s sculpture to be worshiped in Jingmei, and the plague subsided. It was said that there were blind pilgrims who regained their sight, and barren couples who bore children after coming to the temple to worship Master Lu. And so, the temple’s popularity continued to grow.

Many of the wealthy locals donated land and funding out of gratitude and respect for Xian-gong Lu, which led to the building of the new temple at the current Zhinan Temple site in Muzha in 1890.

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

“Pothole river” is a unique geological phenomenon that is usually shaped during a river’s youth. When rain water continues to erode the bedrocks, bringing upstream rocks downstream, the rocks would land in the dents and holes of the riverbed. With long years of weathering, drilling into the dents, the landscape known as potholes is formed. Because the Maokong stream is founded on igneous rocks, along with humid weather and soft earth, created the perfect condition for pothole landscapes to form.

The “Maokong pothole” is roughly 20m in width, and close to 200m in length. When seen from afar, the potholes look like overlapping faces at the bottom of the stream. Due to this sight, these potholes are also known as “stone face pots”. In addition, the locals in the old days called this uneven pothole landscape “Zhoukeng (wrinked holes)” (pronounced liao-kang in Taiwanese dialect), and so during Japanese occupation period, when measuring and numbering the different regions, this region was named “Maokong”, which is similar in Taiwanese pronunciation.

**Reminder: Please press the gondola icon on the bottom-right corner after listening to the tour, so that the next introduction will pop up automatically.

Maokong refers to the entire Zhinan Mountain region. It is part of the Erge mountain range, and is located in Taipei’s Wenshan district. The locals are mostly descendants of the Zhang family from Anxi region of the Fujian province. The Zhinan industrial road is the main route that circles the mountain range, with the Stone Lion’s Foot, Zhanghu, Shipokeng, Maokong, and Caonan Village along the way.

Maokong used to be the area with the largest tea production in Taipei. There are many winding roads in these mountains built for the transportation of tea and related goods. The Muzha tea garden was founded in 1980 and has been served by community buses since then. The final stop – Maokong, and the pothole landscape nearby, often leave the strongest impressions on visitors; as a result, “Maokong” eventually became the new name of the Muzha tea gardens.

Agriculture in the Maokong area concentrates on the cultivation of Iron Guan Yin, followed by green bamboo shoots. Tea is available all year round, while bamboo shoots are a summer specialty. There are many tea houses in the area built for leisure and tourism, combining traditional tea tastings with Chinese cuisine. One cannot only enjoy fine tea here, but also fine dining.

Maokong is close to the Taipei suburbs, and is on the edge of the Taipei Basin. When the skies are clear, visitors can see the entire Taipei City from the mountain top. At night, the City comes to life under your feet with all its colorful lights, making Maokong one of the top destinations to enjoy Taipei’s romantic night view.