Maokong is Taipei's tea mountain — a hillside of tea plantations, temple gardens, and traditional teahouses south of the city that is accessible by a 4-kilometre gondola ride from Taipei Zoo station, providing aerial views of the city, the zoo, and the forested mountains before depositing you at the top of a hill where Tieguanyin oolong tea has been grown since the late 19th century.
The gondola itself is the experience — the 25-minute ride in glass-bottomed 'crystal cabins' (for those without vertigo) passes over jungle canopy, tea terraces, and the city sprawl receding below, providing a transition from urban to rural that is more dramatic for being accomplished by cable rather than road. The gondola runs from morning to late evening, and the night ride — with the city lights visible below and the tea mountain dark above — is one of Taipei's most romantic experiences.
The teahouses at the top serve Maokong's own Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess) oolong — a roasted, fragrant tea that is the local specialty — in the traditional gongfu style (multiple short infusions from a small clay teapot, each revealing different flavours). The teahouses range from simple outdoor terraces overlooking the city to elaborate traditional establishments where the tea ceremony is performed with the meditative attention that Chinese tea culture demands. The Taipei skyline visible from the mountain — Taipei 101 in the distance, the city spreading across the basin below — provides the backdrop that makes tea-drinking on Maokong a distinctly Taipei experience.
Verified Facts
The gondola ride is approximately 4 kilometres and takes 25 minutes
Tieguanyin (Iron Goddess) oolong is Maokong's specialty tea
Crystal cabins have glass floors for views below
Tea has been grown on Maokong since the late 19th century
Get walking directions
Wenshan District, Taiwan
