Sit on the Left side of the plane for the best views on flights from Hangzhou to Taipei. The left side captures the most dramatic geography: the Hangzhou Bay and Qiantang estuary during departure, the open Taiwan Strait during cruise, and the Taipei Basin with Yangmingshan during descent. Right side offers good initial views but becomes less interesting over open water during the cruise phase.

During takeoff from Xiaoshan (HGH), sit on the Right side for the best views. Right side offers views of Hangzhou Bay and the Qiantang River estuary during the initial climb. Xiaoshan typically departs runways 20L/20R or 02L/02R; westbound departures on 20L/20R will bank right over the bay and coastal wetlands before turning southeast toward Taiwan. Notable sights include: Hangzhou Bay (broad tidal estuary with distinctive mudflat patterns), Qiantang River winding through Hangzhou city, West Lake (visible as a distinct freshwater body west of the city), Yangtze River Delta agricultural plains extending inland.

When landing at Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE), sit on the Left side for the best views. Left side provides views of the Taiwan Strait and the northern approach to Taipei. Aircraft typically descend on a northeasterly heading toward TPE's runways 10L/10R or 28L/28R; a left-side seat captures the strait crossing, Taipei Basin, and the Yangmingshan volcanic peaks north of the airport during final approach. Notable sights include: Taiwan Strait (the crossing itself, appearing as open water), Taipei Basin with the city grid and Taipei 101 visible at closer range, Yangmingshan volcanic mountain range (northern rim of the basin), Keelung River valley cutting through the northern approach corridor.

The flight from Xiaoshan (HGH) to Chiang Kai Shek International (TPE) takes Approximately 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes.

The flight path crosses the Taiwan Strait directly, passing over open water with no major landmarks visible at cruise altitude. The strait itself is roughly 100 nautical miles wide at this latitude. Pilots typically maintain 25,000–35,000 feet. On clear days, the northern coast of Taiwan becomes visible as a distant landmass on the horizon approximately 30 minutes before landing, with the Yangmingshan range appearing as a low ridge. The Penghu Islands (Pescadores) lie to the southwest of the direct route and are occasionally visible as small dark specks on the horizon if flying slightly south of the standard corridor.