Xiangshan in Taipeh: a steep stairway to the city skyline
Published on 09/07/2026 at 06:51 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS
Xiangshan in Taipeh is a low forested hill on the eastern side of the city, rising to around 183 m (600 ft) and threaded by a stone stairway that leads to platforms looking straight across at Taipei 101 and the Xinyi District skyline.183 m (600 ft) The hill forms part of the Four Beasts Mountain group, a line of green ridges that breaks the city grid and gives Taipeh one of its most accessible urban hikes.Four Beasts Mountain range
Stone steps, forest and platforms above Xinyi
The core of the Xiangshan experience is the stairway itself, a set of closely spaced stone steps climbing from the edge of the Xinyi District into thick vegetation and up towards a series of concrete and timber platforms. From the lower stretches, trees frame glimpses of residential towers and the steel form of Taipei 101, while higher up the view opens to wide angles over the business district and the broader basin that holds Taipeh.
The main hiking line from the western trailhead runs for roughly 1.5 km (0.93 mi), with the steps gaining around 180 m (590 ft) between the entrance near Lingyun Temple and the upper pavilions.hiking trail lengthdistance of about 1.5 km Along the way, named stopping points such as the Sheshou Platform, the Six Giant Rocks and the Photography Platform offer broad concrete decks or clusters of large boulders where visitors spread out with cameras and tripods.Six Giant Rocks and photography platforms
A city mountain with twin trailheads and temples
Xiangshan sits in the Xinyi District of Taipeh, close to the high-rise shopping streets around Taipei 101 and reached easily from Xiangshan Station on the Taipei Metro Red Line.near Xinyi Shopping District and Taipei 101Xiangshan Station of the Taipei Metro From Exit 2, the route passes through Xiangshan Park and then rises past Daitiandian Lingyun Temple, where one of the two main trailheads begins beside an entrance lined with concrete steps and metal rails.trailhead next to Daitiandian Lingyun Temple
An alternative approach starts from the eastern side of the hill, behind Songshan Fengtian Temple near Houshanpi Station, connecting local neighbourhood streets directly to the higher forest paths.trailhead behind Songshan Fengtian Temple These twin access points and the short total distance mean Xiangshan functions both as a quick viewpoint and as the entry to longer loops across the Four Beasts ridge, linking pavilions such as Yixian and Chaoran with further lookouts like Yongchun Gang Platform along undulating forest tracks.Yixian Pavilion, Chaoran Pavilion and Yongchun Gang Platform
Views over Taipeh and the Four Beasts landscape
From Xiangshan’s upper decks, Taipei 101 stands almost directly across the valley, its stacked pagoda form aligned with the platforms in a way that makes the hill one of the clearest places to understand how the tower sits within the city grid.views of Taipei 101 North and west, the view takes in office blocks, residential towers and the road network of Xinyi, while beyond them further ridges rise to frame the basin.
The wider landscape context becomes clearer with each platform: Xiangshan is one of four named hills, alongside Tiger, Leopard and Lion, whose wooded slopes provide Taipeh with a fringe of accessible green space inside the urban boundary.part of the Four Beasts Mountain range Short stairways, handrails and waymarked platforms mark out this section of the range as a city mountain rather than remote terrain, but the combination of elevation, forest and open views gives Xiangshan a character distinct from the surrounding streets.
Visiting Xiangshan: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- Xiangshan rises on the eastern side of Taipeh in the Xinyi District; the closest metro stop is Xiangshan Station on the Red Line, with the main western trailhead reached via Xiangshan Park and the lane beside Daitiandian Lingyun Temple.
- The hike follows a steep stone staircase with handrails, and the climb from the trailhead to the upper platforms involves several hundred steps; footwear with good grip is helpful, and those with limited mobility may find the gradient demanding.
- An alternative trailhead lies behind Songshan Fengtian Temple near Houshanpi Station, linking local streets to forest paths and allowing round trips that cross the ridge and descend by a different route.
- The path runs through dense vegetation on a relatively low hill at around 183 m (600 ft), and mist or low cloud can affect long-range views across Taipeh on some days.
- The official language is Chinese and the currency is the New Taiwan dollar; entry requirements depend on your nationality, UK travellers can check the FCDO travel advice at gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice, Irish travellers the Department of Foreign Affairs at ireland.ie.
Searching for Xiangshan on social platforms
These links open searches for Xiangshan on each platform.Frequently asked questions about Xiangshan
Where is Xiangshan and how is it reached from central Taipeh?
Xiangshan is a hill in the Xinyi District of Taipeh, reached most easily by the Taipei Metro Red Line to Xiangshan Station and a short walk through Xiangshan Park to the trailhead.
What should visitors expect on the Xiangshan hike?
The hike is short but steep, following a long staircase of stone steps through forest to a chain of platforms and boulders, with clear views of Taipei 101 and the Xinyi skyline at the top.
What makes Xiangshan distinctive among Taipeh’s viewpoints?
Xiangshan’s combination of low elevation, direct metro access, formal stairway and alignment with Taipei 101 makes it a compact city mountain where Taipeh’s high-rise district and surrounding ridges can be seen together from a single hillside.
