February 1, 2014 ----Chinese New Year meant we got an entire week off from school. This year we didn't want to travel anywhere because we had learned our lesson from traveling to Hong Kong and Macau during this chaotic time back in 2010. In Taiwan, most residents of Taipei City would go to the south or travel abroad during CNY, so Taipei City wasn't so bad after all. Nathan and I decided to spend our CNY holiday at our home in Taipei City. We just planed to make day-trips to places we hadn't seen yet, such as Beitou and Sanxia.
It was super easy to get to Beitou Hot Spring. We took an MRT to Beitou MRT Station and switched to the one that goes to Xinbeitou MRT Station. From there we found a sign leading to the hot spring. We just kept walking on Zhongshan Road until we reached the end, which is where the "Thermal Valley" or a big pool of hot springs, is located.
A stroll to the Thermal Valley was quite pleasant. We walked along the beautiful creek where some kids decided to wade into the warm water. There was an interesting temple, a museum, a big park, and many hot spring resorts. The museum was closed during CNY, so we didn't get to see it.
At the end of our visit, we went to a public hot spring called "Millennium Hot Spring" or Beitou Garden Spa 北投親水公園露天溫泉浴池. The regular entrance fee was very cheap (students can get a discount), and we got a locker to keep our belongings. We brought our own bathing suits, and there were changing rooms for men and women. The pools were quite crowded because they didn't limit number of visitors at the entrance, so it wasn't so relaxing to be in a crowded pool.
Overall, Beitou Hot Spring is a nice place to go if you have to stay in the city. However, I would suggest you go to Wulai or other provinces instead if you have more time.
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| Beitou Hot Spring Museum 北投溫泉博物館 |
