Mount Jiantan, Taipei, Taiwan
I had planned to hike Mt. Jiantan (153m) a few days earlier, but the weather hadn’t been great. It’s just a short train ride from Taipei Station to Jiantan Station, followed by a brief walk to the trailhead.
The hike began with stairs but soon leveled out, and it didn’t take long to reach the summit. The real highlight, though, was the city view along the way. Most hikers continue past Mt. Jiantan to the Old Place Airplane Observation Deck, where you get an unobstructed view of Songshan Airport, Taipei 101, and the city skyline. I didn’t catch any planes taking off, but the deck featured paper airplane sculptures and other aviation-themed decorations.
I turned back from there, but you can continue onto other trails if you’d like. My route down led me toward The Grand Hotel, which was Taiwan’s tallest building from 1973 to 1981. Locals used to use it as a landmark to know they’d arrived in Taipei, and it once hosted visiting foreign presidents.
Visitors can explore the hotel’s interior even without staying there, with access to its coffee shop and souvenir store. The design inside was just as grand as the exterior — elegant and expensive-looking. I snapped a few photos before heading back to Jiantan Station.
After the hike, I took the train back towards Taipei Station and boarded another train towards Hualian.
Route Detail
Distance: 5.8km out & back from Jiantan Station
Total elevation gain: 273m
Time: 1h 33m (total time with breaks 1h 40m)
Difficulty: Easy
Peaks: Mt Jiantan 153m, Old Place Airplane Observation Deck 194m
Transportation
Train from Taipei Station to Jiantan Station NT$20
