New Year's Eve madness: Maokong Cable Car extends operating hours, traffic control in Maokong

▲ The newly Hello Kitty-themed Maokong Cable Car will extend its operating hours until 2:30 a.m. on New Year's Eve. (Photo / fromTaipei Tourism Bureau's official Facebook page)

Tourism Center / Comprehensive report

Every New Year's Eve, tourist spots across Taipei that offer great views of the spectacular fireworks show at Taipei 101 are always packed with people. Among them, several hiking trails in Maokong have been listed as one of the city’s 19 best spots to enjoy the 101 fireworks. To ensure smooth traffic on the mountain roads in Maokong, the Taipei City Department of Transportation will implement traffic control on roads leading to the Maokong area on December 31.

The Department of Transportation stated that from 6 p.m. on December 31 until 2 a.m. on January 1, Section 3 of Zhinan Road—including the directions to Zhinan Temple and Caotun Bridge—will be under one-way traffic control. They also suggested an alternative route: “National Chengchi University → Intersection of Section 3, Zhinan Road, at alleys 34 and 40 → Maokong Cable Car Station → Intersection of Section 3, Zhinan Road, at alleys 34 and 38 → Tea Exhibition Center → Caotun Bridge → Alley 40 of Section 3, Zhinan Road → National Chengchi University.” Commuters heading to Maokong are advised to pay attention to traffic signs.

The Maokong Cable Car, which has recently been adorned with a new Hello Kitty livery, will extend its operating hours until 2 a.m. on New Year's Eve. The buses serving the route to and from Maokong—“Xiao 10” and “Brown 15”—will also extend their service until 2:30 a.m.