Beitou Thermal Valley 北投热地谷

When I was researching where I would be going when exploring Taipei, I came across this place called Beitou. Apparently, there is this area in Taiwan near Taipei which is geologically active. Because of the shallowness of the geothermal activity, that provides easy access to geothermally heated water – think hot springs. I knew that Taiwan was geologically active. Earthquakes are a common occurence here with the island in along the Pacific Ring of Fire which is a large geologically active ring around the Pacific Ocean. I didn’t imagine that there would be such a place so near Taipei itself. In fact, you are effectively in Taipei itself. Hot springs in the middle of the city? Why not?

Beitou Thermal Valley 北投热地谷 is one of the more unique places I have visited. And it is in the middle of the city to boot, which makes it incredibly convenient to visit. From the metro station, there is a bit of a walk to the actual springs itself. Actually, you can already see some of the water from the springs along the way. I think I would take some photos after I visit the springs. The main springs it basically an open air pool which is geothermally heated. You can actually see thick stream rising from the water even though it is not boiling. It is not possible to touch the water since it will be too hot. Instead, there is a nice little area here where you can walk around the open pool and take in all the steam. I always thought that taking in steam like this would be good for your respiratory system. It is a bizarre but interesting experience.

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