It had been raining on and off all day, so soaking in a hot spring at Beitou sounded like the perfect way to be warm inside and out. To Taipei's north, the neighbourhood of Beitou sits amid the Tatun volcano group and the Guandu plain, making it one of the most bountiful regions in Taiwan.
Visitors hike upward from the Xinbeitou MRT station and, while taking in the lush mountainous landscapes, can envision the location's founding in 1893 when a German sulphur trader visited Bietou and discovered hot springs, before the Japanese Army turned it into a leisure area between 1895 and 1945.
