A good reason to get hot in Beitou – hot springs!
For the weary city dweller – or over-shopped traveller – staying in the midst of Taipei’s crowded business districts, Beitou at the northernmost district of Taipei City is the ideal escape that is perfect for a relaxing day trip. Locals and travellers alike come here for a quick soak in its hot springs, whose sulphurous waters have lured pleasure-soakers for centuries. It is also the closest hot spring resort to Taipei conveniently located by train (just 30mins away).
Getting to Beitou is a piece of cake
Take the Red Line subway to Beitou station (heading towards Danshui) and change trains at Beitou Station to the Pink Line Xin Beitou Station just one stop away. The journey from Taipei Main Station will take 30 minutes and cost about NT30.
Never leave home without a good travel guide, and an even better travel companion :)
Beitou Station
Go down one flight of stairs and up another to change platforms to the Pink Line to Xin Beitou.
Look out for the cute decor while waiting for the Xin Beitou train – great photo op!
The remodeled train to Xin Beitou reminds me of the Disney train – it comes with large theater screens introducing the area, as well as computerized tables in the shape of hot tub barrels providing information on everything from sights, dining to hot springs.
Directional signs are aplenty at Xin Beitou – you’ll not worry about getting lost.
The name Beitou originates from the Ketagalan aborigine word Kipatauw (“home of witches”) due to the smell of sulphur and the constant rising of geothermal steam from the hot springs which resembles the appearance of a witch’s cauldron. In its early days, Beitou was a renowned red light district where men would go to soak in the hot springs, feast and be entertained by young female performers.
The government cleaned up the area in the late 1980s, and today it is one Taiwan’s major tourist attractions offering dozens of hot spring options – from simply soaking your feet for free along the roadside creeks, very affordable public hot springs to luxurious private baths in hot spring resorts coupled with optional massages and meals.
Beitou Public Library 北投圖書館
Apart from its famous hot springs, Beitou is also home to Taiwan’s first “green” library designed to be eco-friendly with its use of solar power and natural light. This distinctive structure is located in the lush green environs of Beitou Hot Spring Park, near the Beitou Hot Spring Museum. It is also the first building in Taiwan to receive the “Green Building” certification. Built mainly of wood and steel, it resembles a large treehouse.
Lovely lotus pond in the park behind the library
Beitou Hot Spring Museum 北投溫泉博物館
Housed in Victorian-style public hot spring bath built during the Japanese colonial era, this museum is a good spot to learn about Beitou’s rich hot spring culture and history. You will need to remove your shoes before entering the building.
Learn all out the hot springs in Beitou
Many hot spring sources here are caused by the terrestrial heat of Datun Mountains. It is one of the earliest hot spring sources found in Taiwan and the water’s pH value ranges between 1.2 and 1.6 (i.e. very acidic). Sediments in the water collect over centuries and crystallize into the rare mineral hokutolite which were unfortunately plundered, and only a few examples of the stone remain on exhibit in the museum.
Architectural model of Beitou Hot Springs
Beitou’s waters contain radium, which is said to have beneficial health affects for fertility, long-term illnesses, rehabilitation and skin beauty.
The former baths feel almost Roman in their construction
Entertainment room where the men gathered to chill out after their hot spring bath. Women were not allowed in this room.
Geothermal Valley 地熱谷
Also known as Hell Valley, this famous attraction is located at a valley near the end of Zhongshan Road (Closed on Mondays). During the Japanese colonial era, the valley was known as one of Taiwan’s eight great natural beauties and the magical translucent green coloured waters gave rise to one of its pet names, Jade Springs Valley. The mineral composition of the rare green sulfur spring waters can only be found in two locations in the world, Beitou and Akita, Japan.Being a hydrochloric acid spring that can reach 100°C (212°F), it is unsuitable for body contact. In the past, visitors were able to boil eggs at the valley but not anymore. It reminded me of Jigokudani (also called Hell Valley) in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido.
A destination stamp to mark my visit!
It’s quite a small place covering an area of 3500 square feet, so 30mins would be sufficient for a leisurely sight-seeing. Besides – you want to save most of your time to soak in the hot springs!
Everybody can afford to enjoy the hot springs in Beitou
For a totally free experience, you can soak your feet at the public hot spring foot baths along a stream in Quanyuan Park
Beitou Garden Spa 北投親水公園露天溫泉
Next to soaking your feet on the side of the road, Beitou’s outdoor public bath is one of the cheapest options in town from NT20 to NT40. It has 6 outdoor pools ranging in temperatures from scalding hot to frigging cold. There are 6 entry time slots from 5:30AM to 10:00PM and can get crowded especially after work or on the weekends (well, it’s dirt-cheap afterall). Bring a swimsuit or buy one there.
If you like a bit more privacy, there are very affordable indoor baths all around with signboards shouting its prices for a hot soak. The very first of such indoor public baths is Long Nai Tang 瀧乃湯 which opened in 1896 with admission costing only NT$90 in 2012.
Since we were rather shy, we opted for a private soak in one of the hot spring resorts.
Off we go!
Most of the hot spring resorts were clustered together along the road
Which one should we go to? Hmm…
You can opt just for a hot spring bath or choose to rest for a few hours or stay the night.
One interesting thing which I noticed in Taiwan are the electrical boxes – they are all very prettily decorated!
We opted for Spring City Resort cos’ it’s one of the few with outdoor baths. There were some really nice ones along the way to the resort, but it was a pity they only had indoor baths. They also provide a shuttle bus to Beitou/Xin Beitou train station, so it saved us some precious time after we were done.
The resort has nine outdoor pools with water of varying temperatures. The entry fee is NT800 for adults/NT550 for kids and free for hotel guests. They have indoor hot spring rooms too costing NT600 for adults/NT400 for kids per hour.
Time to play with water!
SO good to have a warm soak!
That said, I still prefer the hot springs in Japan where the water feels ‘softer’ and you feel your skin go silkly smooth after a soak.
The package we took came with a buffet which was okay but nothing to shout about.
Beauty Food
I ate a lot of this fish skin for its collagen.
This heart-shaped biscuit looks more like a bum to me.
We left Beitou about 4.30pm for Fisherman’s Wharf and Danshui Old Street. If you are not intending to soak in a hot spring, you can plan about 2-3 hours in Beitou and leave more time for eating and shopping at Danshui Old Street. It would be ideal to visit Fisherman’s Wharf during sunset or night time for its scenic sight and then spend the rest of the evening at Danshui Old Street. More on that later! :)
More on Taiwan:
Taiwan: Blooming Delights and Cultural Richness in Daxi 大溪
Taiwan – Nature’s Wonders at Yehliu Geopark 野柳地質公園
Taiwan – Jiufen’s 九份 Golden Nostalgia
Getting to Beitou
Take the Red Line subway to Beitou station (heading towards Danshui) and change trains at Beitou Station to the Pink Line Xin Beitou Station just one stop away. The journey from Taipei Main Station will take 30 minutes and cost about NT30.
Attractions
Beitou Public Library 北投圖書館
Address: No. 251, Guangming Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 11246
Tel: +886 2 2897 7682
Opening Hrs: 8:30AM-5:00PM (Tue-Sat); 9:00AM-5:00PM (Sun & Mon)
Free Admission
Website: http://english.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xItem=1100571&ctNode=30280&mp=100002
Beitou Hot Spring Museum 北投溫泉博物館
Address: No. 2, Zhongshan Rd, Beitou District Taipei City, Taiwan 112
Tel: +886 2 2893 9981
Opening Hrs: 9:00AM-5:00PM (Tue-Sun); Closed on Mon
Free Admission
Website: http://www.taipeisprings.org.tw/english/scenic/hotspring-museum.htm
Geothermal Valley 地熱谷
Address: Zhongshan Road near the entrance of Wenquan Road中山路靠溫泉路出口, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan
Opening Hrs: 9:00AM-5:00PM (Tue-Sun); Closed on Mon
Free Admission
Website: http://english.taipei.gov.tw/ct.asp?xitem=1104691&CtNode=30688&mp=100002
Beitou Garden Spa 北投親水公園露天溫泉
Address: No. 6, Zhongshan Road, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan 112 (台北市北投區中山路6號)
Tel: +886 2 2897 2260
Opening Hrs: 5:30AM-10:00PM daily
Baths are open in 6 sessions with 30 minute cleaning times in between.
1st session: 5:30-7:30AM
2nd session: 8:00AM-10:00AM
3rd session: 10:30PM-1:00PM
4th session: 1:30PM-4:00PM
5th session: 4:30PM-5:00PM
6th session: 5:30PM-10:00PM
Admission: NT$40 for adults, NT$20 for students and seniors
Website
Spring City Resort 春天酒店
Address: No. 18 YouYa Road, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Tel: +886 2 2897 2345
Website: www.springresort.com.tw
I find this a useful map of what to see and do in Beitou:
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