Xiangshan, Taipei

Xiangshan, also known as Elephant Mountain or Mount Elephant, is a mountain in Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is close to the Taipei Metro Xiangshan Station. It is 183 m high and has a hiking trail to the peak, covering a distance of about 1.5 km. Taipei 101 can be seen from the trail. The Six Giant Rocks on the peak are a tourist attraction in Xiangshan, and there are platforms for photographers.

Name
"Xiangshan" means "Elephant Mountain" in Chinese. Xiangshan's name comes from its elephant-like shape.

Geology
Xiangshan is one of the Four Beast Mountains (四獸山), which also include Lion (獅山), Leopard (豹山), and Tiger (虎山) mountains in the Nangang Mountain System. It is mainly composed of sandstone. Plants include the ferns Cibotium cumingii and Cyathea lepifera.

Transportation
The trail to the mountain summit and observation platforms is accessible by walking south from Exit 2 of Xiangshan Station of the Taipei Metro, proceeding along Xiangshan Park to the western trailhead next to Daitiandian Lingyun Temple.

As an alternative, hikers may proceed from the eastern end, starting from the trailhead behind Songshan Fengtian Temple, which is a short walk south from the Houshanpi station.