Cat Lũng Mountain Trail Introduction
The entrance to the Maola Mountain Trail is located beside the Fullon Hotel and provides access to part of the Agricultural Research and Extension Station for Tea and Beverage Crops and the Central Weather Bureau's Sun Moon Lake Weather Station. The trail is approximately 4.6 kilometers long. The surrounding environment is tranquil, and the views are excellent, allowing visitors to appreciate the vast Assam black tea gardens, cryptomeria trees, and the panoramic view of Sun Moon Lake. At the summit, one can also enjoy distant views of Jiufen Second Mountain and Jiji Mountain. The Sun Moon Lake Weather Station is situated at an elevation of 1,020 meters, with outdoor meteorological instruments. Morning is the best time to stroll around Maola Mountain, where the path winds up beside the red tea terraced fields, flanked by the renowned Assam black tea. The tea experimental station on the hillside is an excellent spot for watching the sunrise, sea of clouds, and morning mist over Sun Moon Lake. The shaded trail from the tea experimental station to the weather observation station is a refreshing walk, featuring a 3-kilometer route with the Zilan olive tree path and straight Taiwan cedar forests, accompanied by the sounds of chirping insects and birds. At the summit, enjoy the magnificent scenery of Sun Moon Lake. The tea experimental station, located halfway up the mountain, features buildings left over from the Japanese colonial period, showcasing a strong Eastern aesthetic. Since the name of the tea experimental station has changed to "Agricultural Research and Extension Station for Tea and Beverage Crops," with an expanded research scope (without an increase in personnel), starting from April 2015, the tea experimental station and its various sub-stations no longer accept visits organized by travel agencies for domestic and foreign visitors. *Those wishing to visit the Tea and Beverage Crop Improvement Research Station should contact the person in charge at least two weeks before the intended visit date. After confirmation, the applicant must submit a formal application on behalf of their agency or unit, including the unit name, number of visitors, date and time of the visit, items to be observed, expected duration of stay, contact person, and phone number.
