A former bathhouse that once welcomed movie stars and geishas is today a tribute to the hot spring culture and history of Taiwan.
The Beitou Hot Spring Museum is an eye-opening set of exhibitions that look at the culture around the region’s thermal waters. Housed in an elegant Victorian building, the displays provide an insight into the longstanding role of hot springs in Taiwanese society. Learn about more than 100 years of hot-spring history in this intriguing museum.
Arrive in the front gardens of the former bathhouse, taking note of the exotic plants and trees beside the rocks on the lawn. Admire the blend of Victorian and Japanese features in the building’s façade, which has a redbrick lower half and a dark wooden upper section adorned with stylish pillars and gabled roofs.
At night, the building is bathed in a warm glow, creating a stark contrast to the surrounding darkness. Spot the Outdoor Pavilion, where rickshaws used to stop. Take a seat inside and gaze up at the traditional tiles adorning the ceiling.
Enter the main building and begin to browse the exhibits to learn about its past. It was built as the Beitou Public Bathhouse in 1913, when the Taipei prefecture was under the rule of the Japanese colonial government. It was deserted after World War II, before eventually reopening to the public as a museum in 1998. Enjoy the views of the charming gardens from the balcony and study the stained-glass windows.
Learn how the hot spring culture brought Japanese geishas and all types of artists to the region. Later, these spa hotels became popular with Taiwanese movie stars. Attend some of the cultural events that take place in the museum, such as folk music recitals.
Find the Beitou Hot Spring Museum on the eastern side of Beitou Park in the Beitou District. Travel on the Tamsui-Xinyl and Xinbeitou lines from the Yuanshan Station or drive north from the city center of Taipei to get here in about 15 minutes. On the way, stop to enjoy sights in the Shilin District and the Zhongshan District.
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