MAOKONG TEA PLANTATIONS

As soon as you leave Taipei, with a breathtaking view of Tower 101, you are already in the countryside among the tea plantations. The Taipei Municipality designated this area as an official tea plantation area in 1980 to introduce the city's residents and tourists to these techniques, but the practice of tea making is much older on the very steep slopes (sometimes real cliffs) of Maokong. We come here to admire the landscape, the view, to breathe the fresh air, and to learn about the cultivation of oolong, this semi-fermented tea so particular to Taiwan, which is nicknamed "blue tea" here. Interesting detail, all the plantations are run by small farmers, who you will meet on the way, or in small shops and tea houses. Among the must-sees of your walk, we recommend the "pothole" and its astonishing rock formations in the small river (on the left from the station), as well as the camphor trail, its landscapes and its old houses (take the street in front of the station, then on the right). Several ancient temples can also be seen, perhaps the most famous being the temple of Zhangshan, which also has a superb view of the capital.

A small tourist office can provide you with information at the Maokong cable car station, including a map of the surroundings if you want to follow some trails.