Taiwan is blessed with an abundance of hot springs and a bounty of irresistible fine cuisine. To celebrate this, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau is hosting its annual Hot Spring and Fine-Cuisine Festival from October through to 31st February. The festival invites visitors to take advantage of the holistic benefits of the naturally occurring hot springs whilst indulging in the best of Taiwanese fresh cuisine. Throughout the festival the Taiwan Tourism Bureau, in conjunction with hot springs and restaurants, has several events taking place across the island's premier hot spring and tourism hot spots. Visitors are provided with discounted tour packages to enhance their experience of Taiwan's peak hot spring season.
Hot Springs
Taiwan is one of the world's top 15 hot spring destinations, since ancient times, the Taiwanese have recognised the therapeutic properties of the springs, making them a popular attraction for both locals and visitors. Covering locations including the mountains, valleys and the plains, Taiwan is home to over 100 hot springs all in breath-takingly beautiful locations.
Taiwan's Hot springs offer a number of therapeutic health benefits including increased metabolism, muscle soothing and healing, as well as improved blood circulation. The hot springs allow minerals to pass through your skin, fighting the symptoms of fatigue, insomnia, poor circulation and even immune related illnesses.
Located on the peak of Zhentou Mountain in the city of Tainan, the Guanziling hot spring is one of the four main hot springs in Taiwan. It is a mud spring of a rare cloudy type rich in minerals and chemicals that can only be found in a handful of places in the world including Taiwan, Italy and Japan. Prices for weekday entry to the hot springs start from £8.
The popular scenic escape for those living in the south of Taiwan, the Sichong River hot springs are clear and odourless. Bathing in these hot springs boasts many benefits including, revitalised skin and relieving aching muscles. Prices for entry to the hot springs start from £6.
The Beitou hot spring in Taipei is one of the most popular hot springs in northern Taiwan for its convenient location. Beitou has been well known for the extraction of sulphur, which is the main component of the Beitou hot spring – the facilities were developed while Taiwan was under Japanese imperial rule. Prices for entry to the hot spring start from just £1.
Located within the beautiful Yangmingshan National Park, the Yangminshan hot springs are a 30 minute journey from central Taipei which makes it popular choice for visitors to the city. The magical volcanic landscape is a spectacular part of the Yangmingshan hot springs; the area has four major volcanic hot spring areas including the area bordering Yangmingshan National Park, Lengshuikeng, Macao and Huogengziping. Each of the hot springs possesses distinctive features, temperature and mineral contents. Prices for Yangmingshan National Park and hot springs tours start from £30.
Fine Cuisine
Taiwan's food is another of the country's main attractions. The ethos of Taiwanese food is light, healthy and simple goodness. The capital of Taipei is famed for its endless streets of fragrant restaurants, cafes and markets selling the best of Taiwanese cuisine. Rich flavours and medicinal ingredients take a vital role in establishing Taiwanese food, with specialities from each of the seasons taking precedence in turn.Earlier in the year, CNN named Taiwan 'Best Food Destination'.
Every time you think you've found the best streetside bao, the most incredible stinky tofuor mind-blowing beef noodle soup, there's always another Taiwanese food shop that surpasses it. The island's food is a mash-up of the cuisine of the Min Nan, Teochew and Hokkien Chinese communities, along with Japanese cooking.
