Soak in the sulphur springs of Beitou

What the experience is

Taiwan has many hot springs, and Beitou, north of Taipei, is the best known. A German merchant set up a small spa here in 1893. In 1896 a businessman from Osaka, Hirado Gengo, opened the first hot-spring inn, the Tenguan, and under Japanese rule bathhouses, inns and a railway branch followed. The resort declined after 1945 and has been revived in recent decades, with the old bathhouses restored and new hotels built. The Japanese forms were kept, including the outdoor pools and much of the etiquette.

The water is sulphurous and comes in two kinds, a milky white and a clear, acidic green. The green water rises in Thermal Valley, a steaming pond at the head of the town, which can be closed for safety or maintenance. The public bathhouse built by the Japanese in 1913 is now a museum, and the wooden public library beside it is one of the most admired modern buildings in Taiwan.

A visit takes an afternoon: a walk up the valley past the museum to the steaming pond, then a bath. There are two kinds. In pools separated by sex, bathing is naked, as in Japan, after a thorough wash. In mixed outdoor pools, swimwear and usually a cap are required. Most hotels also let private rooms with a tub by the hour, which is the choice of many couples and families.

When to go

The season runs from about October to April, when the air is cool. Weekdays are quieter.

Good to know

Enter slowly, stay ten or fifteen minutes at a time and drink water between soaks. Rules on swimwear differ from one bath to another and should be checked at the door. Anyone with a health condition should take advice before bathing in very hot water.

Why OKYTO recommends it

It is a real hot-spring resort at the end of a metro line, and it shows in an afternoon how Japan’s bathing culture took root in Taiwan.