Dubbed a “hot spring village,” Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) is renowned for its many hot spring hotels and resorts, mostly centered around the Xinbeitou MRT Station and Beitou Park.
The most common type of hot spring in the area is the white sulfur hot spring, which hails from the Liuhuangku Geothermal Scenic Area, a 16-hectare mountain-surrounded area southwest of the Yangmingshan National Park, followed by the blue sulfur hot springs emerging from the Thermal Valley, or Hell Valley, and iron sulfur hot springs.
According to locals, the Liuhuangku scenic area, or Sulfur Valley, was originally a mining area for sulfur minerals that were shipped mainly to China for the manufacturing of gunpowder. It was not until the Japanese colonial era that the hot springs industry flourished in the area.
Photo: Huang Chi-hao, Taipei Times
Formation of the white sulfur springs is the result of oxidation of vaporized sulfur, strata minerals on the earth’s surface, and surface water, which subsequently condenses into acidic water after making contact with cold surfaces.
The temperature of the blue sulfur hot springs from Hell Valley, which contain a wealth of sulfate minerals, can reach up to 90°C — the highest among hot springs located within the Tatun volcano group — and the spring in Beitou district is one of only two of their kind in the world.
This type of hot spring is formed by the heating of underground water by volcanic lava that mixes with surface water.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
The Chinese military has built landing bridge ships designed to expand its amphibious options for a potential assault on Taiwan, but their combat effectiveness is limited due to their high vulnerability, a defense expert said in an analysis published on Monday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a research fellow at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said that the deployment of such vessels as part of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy’s East Sea Fleet signals a strong focus on Taiwan. However, the ships are highly vulnerable to precision strikes, which means they could be destroyed before they achieve their intended
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
RSS