Cat's Alley Mountain Trail Introduction
❗️ The peak station facilities, including the public restroom and observation deck, will not be open on Saturdays, Sundays, and national holidays starting April 1, 2025, due to construction and business adjustments at the meteorological station. We apologize for the inconvenience. ❗️ The entrance to the Cat Mountain Trail is located next to the Fulilai Hotel and leads partially through the Agricultural Research and Extension Station for Tea and Beverage Crop Improvement and the Sun Moon Lake Meteorological Station, with a length of approximately 4.6 kilometers. The trail offers a tranquil environment and excellent views, allowing visitors to enjoy the lush Assam tea plantations, Chinese fir trees, and panoramic views of Sun Moon Lake. At the summit, one can see Jiu Fen Er Shan and Ji Ji Da Shan in the distance. The Sun Moon Lake Meteorological Station is positioned at an elevation of 1,020 meters, featuring outdoor weather measuring instruments. Early morning is the best time to stroll through Cat Mountain, winding up the path alongside the red tea terraces, flanked by the famous Assam tea. The tea improvement station, built on the mountainside facing the lake, is a fantastic spot for watching the sunrise over the sea of clouds and the morning mist. The shaded trail from the tea improvement station to the meteorological observation station offers a good workout, with the 3-kilometer route featuring the Olea europaea var. sylvestris pathway and straight Taiwanese cedar forests, all complemented by the sounds of insects and birds. At the summit, enjoy breathtaking views of the beautiful Sun Moon scenery, including Jiu Fen Er Shan and Ji Ji Da Shan. The tea improvement station from the Japanese colonial period is a building rich in Eastern flavor. Following the renaming of the tea improvement station to "Agricultural Research and Extension Station for Tea and Beverage Crop Improvement (Partial)", which expanded its research scope (without an increase in staff), the tea improvement station and its branches will no longer accept visits from domestic and foreign individuals arranged by travel agencies starting from April 2025. *Visitors wishing to tour the tea and beverage crop improvement station should contact the person in charge two weeks before the intended visit. After confirmation, the applicant must submit a formal request on behalf of their organization or unit, including the organization name, number of visitors, planned date and time of the visit, items to be visited, expected duration of stay, contact person, and phone number.
