Most of greater Taipei's hot-spring facilities (which are one of its key tourist attractions) are to the north of the city, in the Datun Volcano Group (大屯火山區). Sulfides in volcanic gases dissolve into geothermal waters, and sulfur springs occur throughout the group, the most famous in the Beitou (北投) and Yangmingshan (陽明山) areas.

Yangmingshan's “Milk Springs”

Yangmingshan is often called Taipei's“back garden.”Geothermal heat created around Mt. Shamao (紗帽山), Mt. Datun (大屯山), and Mt. Qixing (七星山) has resulted in the Lengshuikeng (冷水坑), Macao (馬槽), Gengziping (庚子坪), and other hot-spring areas. There are white-sulfur and green-sulfur springs, although the former are more common. Each spring has a different temperature, and has a distinct mix of dissolved minerals, among other special attributes. For example, the waters at Lengshuikeng are milky in color, and have a lower temperature than other Yangmingshan springs, hovering around 40 degrees Centigrade at source. The waters here are said to be good for improving the skin and for soothing sore joints and muscles. The waters at Macao bubble out of the ground at about 70 degrees, and are said to help ease the pain of gout sufferers.

Many conveniently located Yangmingshan hotels, among them the Landis Resort Yangmingshan (中國麗緻大飯店) and the International Hotel (國際大旅館), draw their mineral waters from the natural white-sulfur springs by the Zhongshan Building (中山樓) beside Mt. Shamao. The slightly alkaline waters are clear, with just a hint of milkiness, and are 70 degrees and above. Piped in to the hot-spring bathing facilities their temperature lowers slightly to about 68.5°C. The hint of creamy color (which means there is sulfur present, resulting in a faint sulfur smell) has given rise to the“milk springs”(牛奶湯) moniker. A bath leaves your skin tender, silky-smooth, and supple.

Beitou “Witch Springs”

Beitou is located on the southeast slopes of the massif formed by the Datun Volcano group's Mt. Zhuzi (竹仔山), Mt. Datun, and Mt. Miantian (面天山). This place was originally called “patauw” or“witch”in the language of the original Ketagalan (凱達格蘭) inhabitants. Han Chinese, who arrived later, pronounced“patauw”as“Beitou”.The thick mists here rising from the hot springs made this a place the Ketagalan both venerated and feared, and also gave rise to the native name“witch springs”(女巫之湯). The magical air and deep-rooted hot-springs culture of this place gained Beitou a spot on the list of Taiwan Top 10 Small Tourist Towns (臺灣十大觀光小城) this year.

The honorary chairperson of the Taipei Hot Springs Association (台北市溫泉發展協會), Ms. Chou Shuimay (周水美), says that the Beitou hot springs are among the world's more unique, situated in a densely populated area, in a big city, with easy and convenient transportation. There are three types of spring here: white sulfur, green sulfur, and iron-sulfur. The green-sulfur springs are transparent with a slight green tint, and contain hydrochloric acid. They are also sometimes called radium hot springs (鐳溫泉). Only two places in the world (Beitou and Akita in Japan) have green-sulfur springs, which are said to be especially effective in easing myalgia.

In 1894, a sulfur merchant from Germany named Ouely built a simple hot-spring club facility in Beitou, and two years later a Japanese businessman named Hirata open the area's first hot-spring inn at the side of Beitou Stream (北投溪), named Tiangouan (天狗庵). The area was thus launched as a hot-spring spa site. In 1905 the Japanese government set up the area as a convalescent and R&R area for military personnel involved in the Russo-Japanese War; the number of inns and hotels, restaurants, clubs, and other related attractions mushroomed in the Beitou Park (北投公園) area. The area was always busy with geishas and the traveling groups of nakashi (那卡西) minstrels popular in Japanese hot-spring resorts. Beitou's nightlife, with its pronounced red-light quality, became renowned.

If interested in learning more about Beitou's history and development, there's no better place than the Beitou Hot Springs Museum (北投溫泉博物館). The museum is housed in a structure built by the Japanese that imitates the traditional hot-spring facilities on Izu Mountain of Shizuoka in Japan. In 1997 Taiwan's Ministry of the Interior declared this a Historical relic of the Third Grade, and in 1998 the building was renovated as part of the Taipei City Government's blueprint to bring new uses to heritage facilities, and became a hot-spring museum.

Among the many hot-spring inns and hotels in today's Beitou are the oldest facility, a public bath called Longnaitang (瀧乃湯), and the first Taiwan hot-spring inn declared a heritage site, Yinsongge (吟松閣). These are complemented by many other facilities of noble heritage. There are also many new, fashionable hotels that offer hot-springs, spa hydrotherapy, beauty care, fine dining and banquets, and other facilities. Notable names in this latter category include SweetMe Hotspring Resort (水美溫泉會館), Radium Kagaya (日勝生加賀屋), and Beitou Grand View Resort (北投麗禧溫泉酒店). Your choice of accommodation and facilities is almost unlimited, making this more than ever Taiwan's most representative hot-spring resort area.

Promotion of the Taipei Hot Spring Culture

Each year, from September through November, Taipei Hot Springs Season (臺北溫泉季) is held to celebrate the area's unique hot-spring culture and natural endowments. Activities bring together international academics and professionals to engage in knowledge exchange, as well as local and international tourists in significant number. The event schedule brims over with fun and excitement, bringing you nakashi performances, music shows, stone-cutting demonstrations of the local Qilian stone (唭哩岸石), tea ceremonies, and guided tours. A highlight of this year's festival will be the special“Children's Deity Palanquin Parade”(兒童神轎踩街), part of the culture of the Japanese city of Matsuyama, in Ehime Prefecture, highlighting the tradition of parading sedan chairs at the 3,000-year-old Dōgo Onsen, or Dōgo Hot Springs.

Hot Spring Bathing – Tips and Precautions:

1. Wash your body thoroughly before entering the hot-spring bath.

2. Any person with heart disease, lung trouble, high blood pressure, diabetes, or troubles with their circulatory system should consult a doctor before hot-spring bathing.

3. Drink plenty of water before and after bathing.

4. Enter a bath slowly, feet first, then lower body, then upper body, but do not immerse yourself above the heart.

5. After entering the bath, if any discomfort is felt, exit immediately and notify service staff.

6. Those who have traveled a long distance, are suffering excessive fatigue, or have engaged in strenuous exercise should first rest and recuperate before bathing.

7. Persons with infectious diseases are prohibited from entering a hot spring bath.

8. Women should not use hot-springs during their menstrual cycle.

9. It is inappropriate to bring pets into a bath.

10. Bathing alone is not advised for pregnant women, persons of limited mobility, seniors, and children.

11. Bathing is not advised for persons with an empty stomach, full stomach, or who are intoxicated.

12. Bathers should not immerse themselves for more than 15 minutes at a time, or more than 1 hour in a session.

13. Entering a sauna immediately after bathing is not advised.