Maokong Gondola in Taipei (Video 8)

Opened on July 4, 2007, the Maokong Gondola operates between Taipei Zoo and Maokong. The 4.3 km (2.7 mi) line has four stations. Since March 30, 2010, 30 cabins have been retrofitted with 48mm thick glass bottoms, each weighing 213 kg. They operate with a service interval of three minutes. The capacity is limited to five persons per cabin. Crystal cabins, also called “Eyes of Maokong Gondola”, have their own waiting queue and a computer managed ticketing system, instructing passengers to enter the queue at a specified time. Currently, the price for taking a crystal cabin is NT$50, or the same as that of regular cabins. The cost of each cabin modification was NT$200,000. The Zhinan Temple (指南宮), with its own station, is one of the most important of Taiwan's early Taoist temples. Its dedicated to main deity Lu Dongbin, one of the Eight Immortals, and various other deities. There are numerous tea gardens in the Maokong and Muzha Tea Plantations area. Many tea makers have tasting rooms for sampling the latest teas, or will do so by appointment while the Taipei Tea Promotion Center offers introduction to tea picking, processing, brewing and free taste testing.