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XinBeitou, Yangminshan, Tamsui Old street (淡水老街), Fisherman’s Wharf (渔人码头) / Lovers’ Bridge (情人橋)


XinBeitou, commonly known as Taipei’s hot spring paradise



The MRT red (Xindian-Danshui/Nanshijiao-Beitou) lines both stop at Beitou MRT station. From Beitou station a one-station branch line runs to XinBeitou station (Note: Different train cabins have a different theme). Attractions in XinBeitou: Beitou Library, Beitou Hot Spring Museum and Geothermal Valley (also known as ‘Hell Valley’).

 
Beitou Hot Spring Museum (北投溫泉博物館)


Address: No.2, Zhongshan Road, Beitou District, Taipei City
Telephone: (02)2893-9981
Opening hours: 9am-5pm Tuesday-Sunday
Close: Monday and public holidays (except weekends)
Admission: Free




 
Geothermal Valley (地熱谷)

Address: 15 minutes walk away from Xinbeitou Station. Walk towards Zhongshan Road (中山路), pass Beitou Hot Spring Museum (北投溫泉博物館), near the entrance of Wenquan Road (溫泉路).

Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday: 9:00am till 5:00pm; Closed Monday

Entrance: Free


 




Man Lai Hot Spring Ramen (滿來溫泉拉麵)

Address: No. 110, Wēnquán Rd, Beitou District, Taipei City, Taiwan (台北市北投區溫泉路110號)
Tel: 02-2893-7958
Budget: Ramen NT$120, Hot Spring Egg NT$25, Taiwan Beer NT$40
Hours: 11:30~14:00 and 17:00~21:30, 星期一休
Details: To order, mark the quantity of each item you would like on the order form.

 

 

Yang Ming Shan National Park 陽明山國家公園


Yangmingshan National Park is located in the north of Beitou. Yangmingshan was called Caoshan (Grass Mountain) during Japanese occupation of Taiwan, because it was covered with grass and seldom visited. After World War II, the KMT government renamed the mountain Yangmingshan and built a park here. Yangmingshan National Park is the only park in Taiwan that has volcanic geography and hot springs. It is next to Shamao Mountain and Qixing Mountain with Datun Mountain on the right and Guanyin Mountain in front.


 
Office Service Hours: AM8:30~PM5:00 from Monday to Friday
Headquarters Visitor Center Opening Hours: AM8:30~PM4:30 (Tel：+886-2-2861-5741)
Other Visitor Centers Opening Hours: AM9:00~PM4:30
All visitor centers are closed on the last Monday of each month (if a national holiday falls on a Monday, this area will also be closed on Tuesday).

 

There are buses opposite the Shan Shui Yue Resort (山樂溫泉) that goes up to Yang Ming Shan: S8, S9 to Zhu Zi Hu (竹子湖) or 230 to the bus stop at Yang Ming Shan. See Bus Routes & Times.


Leisure bus 108 (NT$60 for unlimited trips, or pay NT$15 per ride; From 7:00am to 5:30pm Offers every 5 to 8 minutes) to go around Yang Ming Shan area. If its the weekend it will be busy and there will be two queues for the shuttle bus. The left hand queue, probably the longer one, is for people who want a seat. The right hand queue is for people who are happy to stand. When a bus arrives peoples from the left hand queue will get on until all the seats are filled. Then people from the right hand queue will be jammed on until all available space is filled. The standing queue seems to move faster.


Suggested itinerary: Yang Ming Shan stop (阳明山站) –> Xiao You Keng (小油坑) –> Leng Shui Keng (冷水坑) –> Qing Tian Gang (擎天冈) –> Juan Si Pu Bu (绢丝瀑布) –> Yang Ming Shan stop (阳明山站). The stop where you alight will be the stop you retake bus 108.

Xiao You Keng (小油坑) is a scenic spot that boasts a plethora of steaming vents,  sulphur fumaroles, and pale yellowish sulphur crystals deposits. The area is perpetually filled with the rotten egg smell of sulphur, making it repulsive at first. If you are up for it, bring an egg up and cook it on the boiling steam vents.

Leng Shui Keng (冷水坑) is a free indoor hotspring area, flooded with grannies and grandpas. There is also an outdoor foot bath, where one can sit leisurely and admire the mountains. If you are not particularly into hotsprings, or prefer a more reclusive spot, then give this place a miss. Some people hike towards a suspension bring from here, and then upwards towards Qing Tian Gang (擎天冈).

Qing Tian Gang (擎天冈) is flat stretch of greenery atop what was a lava terrace. It has now become a cow grazing pasture. This is also a spot for catching the sun set. There are many hiking paths intersecting atop this lava terrace, some will bring you to the submit, some downhill, and some further into the nature park, so don’t wander too far off.

Juan Si Pu Bu (绢丝瀑布) is just a normal waterfall. The water is supposed to fall like threads of white silk, hence the name. However, given the amount of greenery blocking a clear view of the waterfall from the observation bridge, admiring and photographing the waterfall becomes a chore. Also, the water volume of the waterfall isn’t large enough to warrant a 20mins hike from the main road to the waterfall. Unless you have the time, you can give it a miss.


 

Tamsui (淡水)

 
At Tamsui (formerly Danshui) MRT station, turn left and walk along the esplanade to the shops of Danshui Old Street (淡水老街).
 

Local delicacies @ 淡水老街


Ah Gei 阿給 - a famous snack in Danshui. It's basically fried tofu stuffed with glass noodles in a spicy and sweet red sauce. 台北縣淡水鎮中正路11巷4號 Lane 11, No. 4 ZhongZheng Rd.

Ah Poh iron eggs 阿婆铁蛋 - Another specialty of Danshui. Hard boiled chicken and quail eggs in a herbal broth very aromatic but tough (like iron). Tasty, worth a try.台北縣淡水鎮中正路135-1號 135-1, ZhongZheng Rd.

Mochi Grandma’s Milk-flavored Rice Cake 麻吉奶奶鮮奶麻糬 - made using milk and not using glutinous rice very soft texture.台北縣淡水鎮中正路220號 220 ZhongZheng Rd.

Ice cream TOWERS (巨無霸霜冰淇淋) - a popular dessert in Danshui. There are two sizes (small or large) to choose from and they cost from 10-30 NT (~ $0.33- $1 USD).

Tamsui Plum Juice (阿媽的酸梅湯) - The secret family recipe comes from the founder’s grandmother. Dehydrated plums are pickled for three months then brewed and cooked slowly with various other ingredients. It is delicious, refreshing and a thirst quencher, and A-Ma’s Plum Tea is definitely the place to go for the drink.


Fisherman’s Wharf (渔人码头) / Lovers’ Bridge (情人橋)


Either red bus 26 (NT15, 15 min) from Danshui MRT station or 15-min ferry trip (adult/child NT60/30; 11am-8pm Mon-Fri, 11am-9pm Sat & Sun; simply swipe Easycard and board the boat) from the Danshui Ferry Pier (淡水渡船碼頭) along the streets of Danshui Old Street.

You can also bike around Danshui. There’s a bike trail that leads to Lover’s Bridge. Ask bike vendors for a map or follow the other bikers that head towards Dan Shui’s Fisherman’s Wharf.
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