A good hike at Xiang Shan （象山）

It was a beautiful morning; a perfect day for the Taiwanese National Day, the "Double Ten Day" (Oct 10th). We saw the Taiwanese flags everywhere. Blue sky. Temperature was at 25C or so.

As Taipei is surrounded by mountain ranges, it was an easy jog to a hiking trail hugging one of the many hills and mountains. We went to Xiang Shan this morning. A 10-minute jog. All of a sudden, full of trees, flagrant flowers, and stairs. Yes, stairs to climb all the way to the top of Xiang Shan. Xiang is "elephant", shan is "hill or mountain". This is one of four animal mountains named by a Taiwanese general in the late 1800 or so. The name was such because of the shape looked like an elephant. I couldn't see it even if I looked from Taipei 101's observatory. I guess I am not as artistic as I thought.

This is the map. The place at the lower right corner marked "A" is the elephant hill. Just left of the center of the map, you should see something "..101". That's the Taipei 101. Our hotel is just next to 101.