Elephant Mountain - Elephant Mountain

Located in Nangang District, Elephant Mountain is one of the most ideal destinations to get a panoramic view of Taipei in the morning and evening.

Xiangshan takes its name from the mountain's exterior ("xiang" means elephant in Chinese) and is located in the southeastern part of Xinyi county. Its composition is mainly sandstone, similar to that of Hushan, where there are rough cliffs and giant rocks along the road. Elephant Mountain is also home to plants and birds, making it like a natural ecological paradise, a great place to enjoy outdoor leisure time and soak up the beauty of nature. nature.

Elephant Mountain has an altitude of 183 meters above sea level and the road leading up to the mountain is about 7km long, passing through Tiger Mountain (虎山), Leopard Mountain (豹山), Lion Mountain (獅山), Thumb Mountain (拇指).山), Nangang Mountain (南港山) and Peak 9-5 (九五峰). To reach the top of the mountain will not take too much time, visitors can walk while enjoying the beautiful scenery on both sides of the road. Standing on the top of Xiangshan, visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy the scenery of the entire Taipei basin appearing before their eyes. The extension of the mountainside extends to Zhongqiang Park of Xinyi District, for that reason, it has become a favorite evening stroll among locals and a great place to rest and relax.

Along the trail leading up the mountain, there are signs explaining and providing information related to the environment for visitors. The varied cliffs and slopes provide an excellent environment for plants of the fern family, especially the Taiwan Chestnut (Cibotium taiwanianum) and the flying monkey fern (Cyathea lepifera). In the olden days, the Taiwanese chestnut tree was popularly used as a way to stop bleeding. On the other hand, the flying monkey fern is the most valuable ecological feature of Taipei City.

After about 10 minutes of walking, the first stop when coming here will be “Photographers Platform” (攝手平台). A flat place but at an elevated position, ideal for taking panoramic photos of the city. However, due to its convenient location and easy access, this stop will be quite crowded. To take pictures, visitors will probably have to wait a short time in line.

The next stop is the “Six Giant Rocks” (六巨石). This is also the place where tourists take and post the most photos when coming to Elephant Mountain due to its unique perspective with the same height as the Taipei 101 tower. Visitors will have the opportunity to take very beautiful photos in this area. this position.

The third photo stop about a minute after the rocks is the main observatory called Giant Rocks Platform (六巨石觀景台). In this location, visitors will have great views and even have a roof to enjoy the view even when it rains.

Visitors can visit Elephant Mountain at any time of the day. However, prepare yourself with suitable shoes and clothes for easy movement. Although the way up the mountain is not too long, it will have to go through more than 600 steps, so prepare yourself with suitable shoes to move comfortably. Visitors can also come here to catch the sunrise, but for some people, it may feel a bit tired because of having to wake up early. In return, visitors will not have to crowded and wait long to take photos because the space will be empty and quieter than other times of the day. Besides, watching the sunset at Elephant Mountain also brings unforgettable moments for every visitor. After sightseeing and watching the royal spirit, visitors can choose to have a meal or take a walk at the local night market. There are several night markets near this area, namely Tonghua Night Market (通化夜市, nearby Linjiang Street). To reach this night market from the foot of the mountain, walk west for about 25-30 minutes on Xinyi Road (信義路) and turn left onto Tonghua Street (通化街). Alternatively, visitors can take the red MRT line 2 to Xinyi Anhe (信義安和) .

Elephant Mountain should be one of the destinations that is always on the list of activities and attractive destinations when coming to Taipei. Visitors can not only admire the panoramic view of the city from above, but also consider this a relaxing stroll in a short time. In addition, this is also the ideal place to take beautiful and special photos, everything is completely free. If you are visiting Taipei and do not plan to visit the mountain, you are definitely missing out on a great experience.

Opening hours: daily

Entrance ticket: free