Sulphur lake
Constant steam.
GiveMeMollusks — CC0 · Andrewhaimerl — CC BY-SA 4.0 · lienyuan lee — CC BY 3.0
A boiling sulphur lake in a small valley among wooded hills in Beitou, Taipei's best-known hot spring district. Locals call it Hell Valley, as its surface is always under thick steam and its water comes close to boiling. The water is a bluish green from dissolved minerals, and clouds of steam rise over the wooden railing so the trees and rocks behind seem lost in fog. Visitors walk a path around the lake, feeling the heat of the steam and the faint smell of sulphur. On the way from the metro station are Beitou Park with its warm streams, the Hot Spring Museum in an old Japanese-era public bathhouse, and an elegant timber eco-friendly library. The district has many hotels with private hot-spring baths. Entry is free; touching or entering the water is forbidden because of its heat. The valley closes on Mondays, so check times. Taipei's metro reaches it easily, and an EasyCard works on the metro, buses and in shops.
Constant steam.
Old bathhouse.
Green design.
Beitou District, north Taipei, near Xinbeitou metro station
No, the water is near boiling and off limits; bathe in the private hot-spring rooms of the district's hotels instead.