Taipei 101 and Xiangshan Walking Tour (Self Guided), Taipei

The newest area of urban Taipei, the Xinyi district has technically existed only since 1990. Young as it is though, the neighborhood has earned a reputation of being one of the city's premier travel destinations.

Indeed, in Xinyi you’re never too far from experiencing something truly cool or iconic, be it the impressive Taipei 101 with its landmark observation deck or the breathtaking Elephant Mountain with its leafy hiking trail and scenic lookout. At the same time, this is also a place of historical reverence thanks to the point of interest like the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall.

Dominating the Xinyi commercial hub is the Taipei 101 skyscraper, formerly the tallest building in the World, from 2004 to 2010, and currently the 6th tallest building in Asia, at 509 m (1,671 ft). This high-riser is a home to the Taipei 101 Mall which features numerous international brands (Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Louis Vuitton, etc.), cafes like Häagen-Dazs, Barista Coffee, Dante Coffee, and the likes, plus a handful of fancy restaurants.

Close to Taipei 101 is Xiangshan (Chinese: Elephant Mountain or Mount Elephant), named so for its elephant-like shape. This is one of the "Four Beast Mountains" overlooking Taipei. At 183 m high, it has a hiking trail of about 1.5 km, which is one of the most renowned in the city for the vantage point it provides for photographers. The best time to hike the mountain is late afternoon, so as to catch the sunset.

The National Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Xinyi commemorates Dr. Sun Yat-sen who is regarded as the Republic of China's National Father and served as the Republic's provisional first president in 1912. The memorial was completed in 1972.

To explore all these attractions in more detail and at a comfortable pace, plus to enjoy the sweeping view of Taipei, take this self-guided walking tour.