Over 80% of Maokong teahouses lack licenses and may shut down; Taipei City Government: hard to attract repeat customers

▲Maokong tea drinking was once ranked among the world's top 40 attractions, but due to a rush of interest and licensing issues, it now faces closure and sluggish business. (Photo / from Eastern News)

By reporter Hsiao Wan-ning / compiled report
Drinking tea and enjoying the night view in Maokong is one of the memories many have of the Muzha mountain area, but it may soon become a thing of the past. According to a report by the United Daily News earlier today (14th), the development permits for the legal-in-place operations in the Maokong area expired at the end of October last year,Among the 67 businesses originally under regulation, only nine have entered the review process. Due to restrictions related to land ownership shares and building design regulations, it is feared that over 80% of the teahouse businesses may close.

According to the report, the city government announced relevant regulations in August 2008 (Year 97 in Taiwan’s calendar), requiring teahouse businesses in Maokong that wished to continue operating or open new ones to apply for development permits by October 31 of last year at the latest. The city also offered assistance to help them achieve legal-in-place status, with a requirement to complete renovations within three years after obtaining the relevant licenses. However, so far only nine businesses have entered the review process. Yang Chih-sheng, senior engineer at the Taipei City Government’s Development Bureau, said in a recent interview,The creation of the “Urban Plan for Specialized Recreational Agriculture Zones” was intended to help these businesses legalize their operations. Excluding one business that has already closed and about two that were rejected due to procedural reasons, the city will continue to provide guidance and assist with procedural corrections for the remaining 55 businesses that had filed applications before October last year..

But the challenges facing Maokong teahouses are not limited to licensing issues. In recent years, the declining business conditions in the Maokong commercial area have been the biggest challenge for these teahouses. Chen Yu-hsin, a specialist commissioner at the Taipei City Government’s Department of Information, said in a recent interview,Maokong has limited space and few distinctive activities in the commercial area, making it difficult to attract group tourists.. Meanwhile, Lin Yuyi, deputy director of the Taipei City Government’s Department of Urban Development, further pointed out that the Maokong commercial areahas low diversity among businesses and lacks distinct characteristics, which is the main reason it fails to attract repeat customers..