Beitou District (北投區) located in Northern Taipei, known for their famous natural hot springs. The town is has various hot spring resorts that attracts visitors from all over. The city wanted to attract even more visitors and launched a new metro train stop, called Xinbeitou Branch Line. Each train are specially designed with "hot springs" theme and the train station has several artwork on display that features the area's attractions and beauty. Inside the custom designed trains, you'll see a wood like tub that is an interactive travel guide to the city's attractions.
After we got off the train its a long and beautiful scenic walk on Beitou Hot Spring Road, where the Beitou Hot Springs Park is located. Within the park are fountains, the Beitou library, the Beitou Hot Springs Museum and an outdoor hot spring. You will also see a river flowing the natural hot water filled with white sulfur. Its PH between 3-4, as vitriol salt spring, translucent white and yellow, 50。C - 90。C, and light acidity. There are people sitting along the river soaking their feet enjoying a free hot spring treatment, if I had more time, I would certainly do the same.
We only had a day to explore the area so we picked our top 3 sights. First stop is the Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch is a brand new public facility that is hailed as Taiwan's greenest building (with possibly the smallest restrooms).
It is equipped with photovoltaic cells, a rainwater-capture system and large windows that help provide light and ventilation. The green building focuses on ecology, energy saving, and waste reduction. Unfortunately pictures are not allowed inside the library.
Thermal Valley 地熱谷 aka Hell Valley (has a history of more than 200 years), the most famous spot in Beitou. I was really looking forward to seeing it up close but sadly to my disappointment the city was installing new pipe lines and the entrance to the Valley was closed. The last resort was to hike up an alley of stone steps to see the from above.
Thermal Valley is one of the earliest hot spring sources found in Taiwan, a natural hot sulfur spring where the water temperature can reach up to 100°C (212°F). The smell of sulfur is unavoidable but not overwhelming. The green sulfur in Thermal valley is the acid spring. The consistency of hydrogen is 1.4, the temperature is 85。C, the color is translucent gray, and it has light radiation.
The famous “Hot Spring Museum” next door to the library, built by the Japanese as Taiwan's first public bathhouse in 1913 and was East Asia’s largest hot spring area during that time. this beautiful Euro-Japanese style building was once the main public bath in Beitou. It has been lovingly restored and was re-opened in its current form in 1998. Through the twelve rooms, the museum exhibits the hot spring history of Beitou, sulfur ore, also the old hot spring facilities such as bath tubs, pools, and basins. and it was the biggest hot spring bathhouse in East Asia in its day. The museum is classified as a third-class historic landmark.
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