Ecology concerns over proposed cable car for Yilan’s Mt. Matcha

After gaining a new moniker from a Japanese photographer, a mountain in Yilan''s Wufengqi Scenic Area has become one of the nation''s hottest hiking destinations. Now county councilors are suggesting building a cable car, to make the peak more accessible, and cut the number of mountain rescue operations launched each year. But with many saying nature should come first, an environmental impact assessment looks like it''ll keep the project on hold for at least a year.

With its incredible, lush green slopes, Mt. Matcha has become the darling of Instagram in recent years. But its taxing climbs are not for the faint of heart. A county councilor has proposed building a cable car to enable more visitors to reach the peak. That’s drawn mixed responses.

Traveler
I think it’s great. Because lots of people would like to come somewhere as beautiful as Mt. Matcha. But they’re stopped by the climb, their health won’t permit it, so they can’t come and that’s a shame.

Traveler
I think it’s better to preserve its original ecology. The problem with tourism is it destroys the ecosystem and the environment. It’s not great.

Up on the mountain, the Catholic Sanctuary of our Lady of Wufengqi五峰旗 sits at 900 meters above sea level. The 11 kilometer trek there and back is more than 20,000 steps and takes five hours on average. Many pilgrims give up halfway. Some struggle on farther than is wise.

In 2019 there were 14 mountain rescue operations on Mt. Matcha, and in 2020, 36. Its precipitous paths and steep staircases are unfriendly to vehicles, meaning rescue crews have to carry survivors down on foot. One rescue will occupy a dozen rescue workers for at least two hours.

Chih Teng-lien
Yilan Business and Tourism Dept.
We will ask a professional consultancy to come and do a holistic appraisal of all the environmental and transportation impacts the public is concerned about. These will all be considered from numerous angles by a feasibility study.

An environmental impact assessment will probably take one or two years. The cable car is still far off, if it’s coming at all. For now, Mt. Matcha is only a match for the fit and strong.