Elephant Mountain Trail

象山親山步道

A small hill 183 meters high on the edge of Xinyi District. A 20-minute climb up stone steps leads to the Six Giant Rocks platform, the classic spot for photographing Taipei 101 and the city at night.

Elephant Mountain is one of the Four Beast Mountains (Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Tiger) on the south side of Xinyi District. It stands only 183 meters high and gets its name from its elephant-like shape. From Elephant Mountain MRT Station, walk to the trailhead and then climb the stone steps for about 15 to 20 minutes to reach the famous Six Giant Rocks viewpoint. Several large boulders here are safe to stand on for photos, facing Taipei 101 and the Xinyi skyscrapers. It is Taipei's most iconic photo spot on social media. Five minutes further up, there is a photography platform and the Yixian Pavilion, which offer a wider view with fewer people. The entire trail is paved with stone steps and is quite steep. It is about 1.5 km long, and the round trip takes about an hour. Pavilions and street lamps line the route, so it is safe to walk up and down at night. The best time to arrive is 40 minutes before sunset, so you can see the daytime, the blue hour and the night lights in one visit. On New Year's Eve, people start claiming spots early in the morning. Admission is free.

Suggested route: combine this with Taipei 101, Eslite Xinyi and Sisi Nanchun for a half-day outing. Go up in the late afternoon, come down, and then have dinner near 101. Getting there: take Exit 2 from Elephant Mountain Station, the terminus of the Danshui-Xinyi MRT Line, and walk about 10 minutes along Lane 150, Xinyi Road Section 5, to the trailhead beside Lingyun Temple.

Notes: the entire trail consists of steps, so wear sports shoes and bring water. Stone steps become slippery after rain. The Six Giant Rocks have photo queues on weekend evenings. Mosquitoes are numerous in summer, so bring repellent.

Elephant Mountain Trail

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