Maokong Gondola Introduction
The Maokong Gondola, which spans 4.03 kilometers, is the first cable car system in Taipei City. A one-way trip takes approximately 20 to 30 minutes and has four stations: "Zoo Station," "South Zoo Station," "Zhinan Temple Station," and "Maokong Station" for passengers to board and disembark. It's easy to ride the Maokong Gondola from Zoo Station; just take the Taipei Metro Wenhu Line to the last stop, "Zoo Station," and you can walk to the gondola station to transfer to the Maokong Gondola. South Zoo Station is the first stop of the gondola, where visitors who have finished exploring the zoo can take a shuttle bus to South Zoo Station and then ride the gondola to Maokong. Zhinan Temple Station is the second stop of the gondola, where the Zhinan Temple features five main halls that attract visitors from various places for worship. There is also a tea pavilion, offering Wenshan Baozhong tea, Tieguanyin, and more, providing tourists a place to relax. Maokong Station is the terminal of the cable car, surrounded by tea gardens and tea houses, where many people come specifically to enjoy tea and chat. When night falls, one can also overlook the night view of the entire Greater Taipei area from here. If you visit Maokong, it's worth finding a tea house to enjoy the famous "MuZha Tieguanyin" and "Wenshan Baozhong tea," while savoring delicious specialty tea meals and admiring the beautiful scenery of the Taipei basin. The three most beautiful moments to ride the gondola are during the post-rain fog, the evening glow at dusk, and the brilliant night view. As you ride the gondola, you can see the moving Taipei Metro trains, the riverside park along Jingmei Creek, Taipei 101, and the Giraffe Incineration Plant as you traverse the ups and downs of the mountain. When you reach Corner Station 2, there is a significant turning point where the view opens up, allowing you to overlook the traffic on the highway. After passing Zhinan Temple Station, you will enter a V-shaped steep slope, which is the climax of the cable car journey, a feeling you will remember for a lifetime.
