Bishanyan (碧山巖)

In my first few years in Taipei, I only made my way to Neihu a couple times. It’s like a black hole – it’s just hard to get to most places in Neihu. You either have to take the Brown Line (the least liked among all lines) or drive because Neihu is spread out. But after living near Neihu, I got to appreciate its beauty, and now it’s grown on me as one of the prettiest places in Taipei.

Neihu is filled with a network of hiking trails and gorgeous scenery. In the middle of this network is a temple that is a prime sunset viewing spot, the Bishanyan Kaizhang Shengwang Temple. This temple’s viewing platform is the Elephant Mountain of Neihu, but a more peaceful option – there’s less people. From the platform, you will get a panoramic view of Taipei that you rarely get – on a clear day, you’ll see layered mountains looming above Taipei 101 in the background.

Couples sit on the benches here or stand along the guard rails and marvel as the clouds roll in above Neihu and downtown Taipei facing you and Shilin to the west. Directly to the west of Bishanyan is a mountain that may just block the setting sun, so you might not get a direct view of it for picture purposes. But still, the colors of the sky changing above downtown Taipei and the Keelung River, with mountains surrounding it, is a sight that you can’t miss. A lot of people also come here to see the magnificent night view.

Getting to Bishanyan is a short (but still windy and dangerous) mountain drive up from Neihu. There are multiple parking lots a short walk from the entrance to the temple. You can also take public transportation. From MRT Neihu Station, take the S2 or S2 Local Shuttle to the Bishanyan (Baishihu Suspension Bridge) stop, and walk a couple minutes up the hill to the temple. You can also check out the Baishihu Suspension Bridge across the street from the temple and the connecting hiking trails here if you have time.