Taipei 101, Elephant Mountain (Xiangshan) and Liberty Square

Running along the Red MRT Line from the glass towers of Xinyi to the civic plazas of Zhongzheng, this east-to-west corridor links Taipei's three most recognisable landmarks: the skyscraper spire of Taipei 101, the forested sandstone ridge of Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) and the marble expanse of Liberty Square.

Taipei 101 and the 660-tonne tuned mass damper

Rising 508 metres (101 floors above ground) in Xinyi, Taipei 101 held the title of tallest building in the world from 2004 until 2010 and remains a triumph of earthquake- and typhoon-proof engineering. Designed by C.Y. Lee & Partners to resemble a stalk of bamboo divided into eight segments of eight floors each, the tower is anchored by piles driven 80 metres into bedrock. Pressurised double-deck lifts whisk visitors from the 5th-floor ticket hall to the 89th-floor indoor observatory in 37 seconds for 360-degree views across the Taipei basin and out to the outdoor 91st-floor terrace. Do not miss the centrepiece in the middle of the viewing gallery: the exposed 660-tonne golden steel sphere (tuned mass damper) suspended from steel cables between the 87th and 92nd floors, which sways to counteract typhoon gales and seismic tremors.

Hiking Xiangshan (Elephant Mountain) for sunset

To photograph Taipei 101 rather than standing inside it, ride the Red MRT Line one stop east to its terminus at Xiangshan Station (Exit 2) and walk ten minutes along the park edge to the trailhead. A stone staircase climbs steeply through banyan roots and giant tree ferns up the 183-metre sandstone ridge in 20 to 25 minutes. Stop at the Six Giant Rocks (Liujushi) and upper viewing platforms before sunset to watch the bamboo tiers of Taipei 101 light up against the twilight sky. Bring water and mosquito repellent.

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, Liberty Square and Yongkang Street

Four stops west on the Red Line, exit at Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall Station into Liberty Square. Entered through a five-arched white marble gate, the plaza is flanked by the golden-yellow curved roofs of the National Theatre and National Concert Hall. At the eastern end rises the 70-metre white marble Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall, topped with an octagonal blue glazed roof and reached by 89 granite steps. Between Liberty Square and Taipei 101, stop at Dongmen Station to stroll Yongkang Street for soup dumplings and mango shaved ice, or walk east to Da'an Forest Park. Compare hotels along the Red Line in where to stay in Taipei.