Taipei Basin

Keelung River upstream

Taipei is the bright blue and red area in the lower center of the image. A portion of the city sits on an island surrounded by the Keelung River and Danshuei River. Space Radar Map by NASA

Taipei Basin (Traditional Chinese:臺北盆地/台北盆地) is a geographic region in northern Taiwan. It is the second largest basin in Taiwan. The basin is bounded by Yangmingshan to the north, Linkou mesa to the west, and the Ridge of Syue Mountains (Traditional Chinese:雪山山脈) to the southeast. The shape of the basin is close to a triangle. The three vertices are Nangang, Hueilong of Sinjhuang, and Guandu of Beitou.

The main rivers in Taipei Basin include Danshuei River, Keelung River, Dahan River, and Sindian River.

In the prehistoric era, Taipei Basin was home to Ketagalan tribes. Han Chinese did not settle in the region until the 18th century. Today, Taipei Basin is within the boundaries of Taipei City and Taipei County and is the largest metropolitan area in Taiwan.