Elephant Mountain Trail

Xiangshan, the Elephant, is the nearest of the four small forested hills at the southeast corner of the Taipei basin, and it is the reason so many photographs of the city are taken from the same angle. From the trailhead the path is almost entirely stone steps, steep and unrelenting, and most people reach the first platform in fifteen to twenty minutes with their shirts stuck to their backs. The draw is a cluster of large boulders that people climb onto to be photographed with the tower behind them. Beyond that the path continues along the ridge through banyan and bamboo towards Nangang Hill, and within ten minutes the crowd thins to almost nobody.

What you actually see

• The photo boulders - a set of large rocks people queue to stand on, framing the city and the tower.
• The stone stairway - a continuous steep flight through subtropical woodland, the whole climb in effect.
• The ridge path onward - a quieter forest traverse towards the neighbouring hills of the Four Beasts.
• The city at dusk - the basin lighting up while the last of the daylight goes.

When to go

Late afternoon into blue hour is when almost everyone comes, so the platforms are at their fullest around sunset. Cooler months make the climb far less punishing. Early morning is quiet and clear more often than evening, when haze builds over the basin. The steps are lit after dark, so descending late is straightforward.

Honest expectations

It is a staircase, not a walk, and in summer humidity the climb is genuinely unpleasant. At sunset the boulders have a queue, people wait their turn for the same shot, and tripods take up the space. Air quality can flatten the view to a grey smudge. There is no shade on the platforms and no water for sale on the hill.

Nearby

The Xinyi district and the tower are at the foot of the hill, a short walk from the trailhead.