Cat Mountain Trail Introduction
❗️The restrooms and observation deck at the summit of Cat Lo Mountain Trail will be closed for maintenance and adjustments related to the meteorological station from April 1, 2025, on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays. Thank you for your understanding.❗️Cat Lo Mountain is one of the Four Beauties of Sun Moon Lake, with an elevation of approximately 1,020 meters. It is renowned as a hidden gem trail around Sun Moon Lake. The trail is about 4.6 kilometers long, features an easy difficulty level, gentle slopes, and is suitable for families and beginners to enjoy a leisurely hike, taking about 2 to 2.5 hours round trip. The trail environment is tranquil, with surfaces consisting of asphalt, stone steps, and dirt paths, allowing hikers to appreciate the serene beauty of nature and the mountains. Near the trail entrance stands a bronze statue of Shinpei Goto, a Japanese agronomist who came to Taiwan during the Japanese colonial period, honored as the "Father of Taiwanese Black Tea" for his significant contributions to the cultivation and improvement of Assam black tea in the Sun Moon Lake area. This statue was donated by Chi Mei Corporation Chairman Hsu Wen-Lung and is one of four statues, with the others located in Chi Mei Museum, the management office of Sun Moon Lake Scenic Area, and Gifu Prefecture in Japan, Shinpei Goto's hometown. The memorial pavilion not only marks the starting point of the trail but also symbolizes the history and development of Taiwanese black tea culture, becoming an important landmark for tourists to learn about tea culture. Visitors can start their hike from the stone steps next to the statue to immerse themselves in the tea fragrance and mountain scenery of Cat Lo Mountain. The trail is lined with vast black tea plantations, as well as well-preserved Japanese tea factories and the Tea and Beverage Crop Improvement Station of the Council of Agriculture. This research station has been dedicated to the trial cultivation and improvement of black tea since the Japanese occupation, having a profound impact on the development of Taiwan's tea industry. The observation platform outside the tea improvement station office is an excellent spot for sunrise viewing at Sun Moon Lake, where hikers can enjoy magnificent sunrises and sea of clouds in the early morning. Since the tea improvement station is a research facility, it has not accepted group visits from travel agencies since 2015. General visitors must apply in advance under an organization’s name, providing details about the visit and the number of participants for arrangements. The trail ends at the Central Weather Bureau's Sun Moon Lake Weather Station, which, at an elevation of 1,020 meters, is the third highest weather station in Taiwan. Equipped with various meteorological instruments, the weather station provides local weather observation data, becoming a unique attraction along the trail. Reaching the summit, visitors can enjoy breathtaking views of Sun Moon Lake in its entirety, Jiufen Two Mountains, and Jiji Mountain, with a broad vista that is magnificent and refreshing.
