Taipei 101 from Elephant Mountain at Golden Hour

Taipei sits in a basin surrounded by hills: Yangmingshan National Park (1,120 m) to the north, and the Wenshan ridge to the southeast. Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan), at 183 meters, is the closest ridge to the city centre and faces northwest toward Taipei 101 (508 m, the world's tallest building from 2004-2010); the four rocky viewpoints on the southeast ridge align the tower against the city basin in a single frame. Tamsui River flows northwest through the city to the coast, where Tamsui Old Street faces west for sunset over the river mouth. Maokong Gondola rises to 300 meters on the Wenshan hills for panoramic city views; tea plantations on the upper slopes catch soft warm morning light. At 25°N, golden hour lasts about 25 minutes. October through March delivers the clearest skies.