15. Mesa do Imperador x Vista Chinesa
Section: Mesa do Imperador x Vista Chinesa
Park where this section is located: Tijuca National Park
Summary
Short and with stunning views, ideal for beginners and families, this section connects two of the most beautiful viewpoints in the city and on the Transcarioca Trail, along the route that goes up and down an 800 m elevation between Vista Chinesa and Mesa do Imperador. At the highest point of the trail, a viewpoint offers views of Morro Dois Irmãos on one side and the Serra da Carioca massif on the other. A good option is to take advantage of the Mesa Redonda structure for a picnic, at the entrance/exit near Mesa do Imperador. The highlight of the section, Vista Chinesa deserves a few extra minutes to contemplate the view of the city's South Zone, with Christ the Redeemer on the left, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas in the middle and the sea on the right. On blue sky days, it is possible to see the beaches of the Niterói coast, on the other side of Guanabara Bay.
Orientation
1.6 km
40 min
Climbing: No
Direction
Mesa do Imperador x Vista Chinesa
Direction
Vista Chinesa x Mesa do Imperador
Technical Information
Difficulty
Moderate
Risk
Low
Sun
Low
Orientation
Easy
Signage
Good
Hydration
None
Attractions
Viewpoint
Fauna/Flora
Conservation
Excellent
Section Map
Interactive Map
How to Get There
This section can be reached from Mesa do Imperador, following Estrada das Paineiras. For those coming from Tijuca Forest, it is the natural continuation of the trail. The endpoint at Vista Chinesa can be reached by private vehicle. It is recommended to plan a pickup at the end of the route.
Trail Entrance
Mesa do Imperador
Trail Exit
Vista Chinesa
Route Description
West to East direction/ Barra de Guaratiba to Pão de Açúcar
For those starting this section coming from Mesa do Imperador, just continue to the right on the asphalt road (100 m) until you find, just to the left of the road, the Mesa Redonda square. Now just enter the trail following the yellow footprints/black base and walk uphill for about (800 m) to the top of the trail. From there, just continue on the main trail and go down for another (800 m) and soon you will be at the wooden stairs arriving at the asphalt, fifty meters from Vista Chinesa.
For those coming in the reverse direction, from Vista Chinesa to Mesa do Imperador, just follow the black footprints/yellow base and take the reverse uphill route, and in just over thirty minutes you will arrive at Mesa do Imperador.
Attractions
Being short (1.6 km), this section has only a few small viewpoints where it is possible to see the south zone and north zone of the city. Its main attractions are at its entrance and exit ends: Mesa do Imperador and Vista Chinesa.
Shops/Lodging
Currently there is no partnership between the Transcarioca Trail and local businesses.
On this section it is possible to find on weekends a kiosk with water, soft drinks, isotonic drinks and cereal bars near the stair plateau, very close to Vista Chinesa. The kiosk is run by a couple who serve the various athletes who frequent the Vista Chinesa track for sports practice on weekends.
Water Points
There are no water points on this section.
Photos
Historical Facts
The slopes of Vista Chinesa were deforested for agricultural purposes at the beginning of the 19th century. Tea planting was experimented there, with Chinese workers brought from Macau in 1812 by the Count of Linhares.
It was a dream of the Prince Regent, D. João, to transform Brazil into a major producer and exporter of the Asian herb, which at the time had an apparently more promising market value than coffee. D. João even cherished the hope that Rio could one day become the world's largest supplier of tea to the European market. About six thousand tea plants were then planted on that slope of the Park, harvested in three annual crops.
Still in 1822, the plantation was going strong, as we can see from the famous painting by Rugendas, which depicts Chinese workers in full planting activity.
The tea, however, did not thrive. Some authors attribute the failure to the poor quality of the labor from China, others to the lack of competitiveness of the product compared to the already established Asian production. Be that as it may, around 1828 the tea began to show signs of exhaustion in Rio.
At that time, according to a European traveler, "there were already extensive coffee plantations, interspersed with numerous orange trees, lemon trees and other bushes that seem more like a variety of forests than a mix of cultivated land with wild terrain…". Since 1844 a map of the area records a building called "Casa dos Chinas".
Later, Pereira Passos, who would go down in history as the greatest Mayor Rio de Janeiro ever had, was especially concerned with the Forest. He, who had been connected to the future Tijuca Park since 1884, when he was responsible for the construction of the Corcovado railway, now focused on beautifying: he restored Mesa do Imperador giving it its current form and built the pagoda that still adorns the Vista Chinesa viewpoint today, designed by architect Luis Rey, in mortar copying bamboo.
According to the website wikirio.com.br, "Since 1856 the Botanical Garden was connected to Alto de Boa Vista by a carriage road, opened under the influence of the Baron of Bom Retiro and whose execution and maintenance was contracted to Thomas Cochrane. This region presents an astonishing coincidence of Chinese presence, initiated with the arrival of D. João VI's tea planters. After the failure of this crop, according to Brasil Gerson, the Chinese would have spread throughout the foothills of Tijuca".
Adopter
Joel Miguel Camilo