Travel like a Taipei local: 5 of the city's most unexpected surprises for visitors
Indulge in a hot spring sulphur bath, explore breathtaking forest and mountain scenery, admire ancient Chinese typography and enjoy a good old opera show in Taiwan’s capital
See some of the historical and cultural marvels Taipei has to offer.
1. Beitou Hot Springs
You may not associate Taipei with being a rich thermal hot spring hub but Beitou, a recreation area in the mountains north of the city, offers just that. Outfitted with resorts, inns, hotels, tea houses, parks and public baths, Beitou was developed into a natural hot springs destination during the Japanese occupation.
The area offers three types of hot springs – green sulphur, white sulphur and iron sulphur. Green sulphur hot springs are only found in Beitou and Japan’s Akita region. White sulphur is the most common thermal water found in the region, while for an iron sulphur bathing you will have to travel to the Huang Ding area of Beitou. Reaching its Xinbeitou station takes a train journey of about half an hour from Taipei city centre, and there are plenty of public and private baths offerings available once you arrive. However, Beitou is a very popular area and it is advisable to book in advance.
2. Yangmingshan National Park
Nature lovers don’t have to travel far to see the exquisite natural scenery Taiwan has to offer. Yangminshan National Park, situated in northern Taipei City, spans a 114 sq km area and is a collection of peaks that are home to several parks, hot springs, hiking trails and fascinating fauna and flora. When the Japanese came to this area, they started planting black pines, acacias and Formosan sweet gum trees to add to the aesthetics of the mountain. Till this day, the area is still very popular among Japanese visitors.
An International Union for Conservation of Nature Category II national park, the area rises from 200 to 1,200 meters in places, and varying subtropical climates are found in it. The tallest peak is Mount Qixing which rises to 1,120 metres. You can also check out decommissioned mines which are rich in sulphur, such as the one at Liuhuanggu. This industry grew at such an exponential rate that at one time communities of Han Chinese relocated to this area and started cultivating agricultural products and tea plantations. Each season shows off the different beauty of the mountain, so check out whether you want to attend its flowering season in February and March, or marvel at the sweeping gold, red and silver plains in autumn.
3. Jiufen