Taipei City will open its first outdoor foot hot spring in Beitou District (北投) tomorrow, making hot spring culture more accessible to local residents and visitors.
The foot hot spring, which is located across from Taipei Municipal Yifang Elementary School near MRT Xinbeitou Station, has a capacity of about 30 to 40 people.
This marks the latest attempt by Taipei City’s Department of Economic Development to build a public hot spring area and promote tourism in the area.
According to Chang Chong-ching (章宗慶), a division chief at the department, the city government discovered the hot spring water with temperatures of over 70oC surrounding the area three years ago and dug a well to develop the foot hot spring.
The water in the foot hot spring contains green sulfur, which is said to have a curative effect on certain skin diseases and nerve pain. It has since been cooled down to about 40oC, he said.
The hot spring will be open to the public between 8am and 6pm from Monday to Friday and closed at weekends.
Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌) yesterday joined 27 students from the elementary school to experience the foot hot spring, encouraging local residents and visitors to take advantage of the free hot spring.
However, the activity attracted complaints from some of the students, who were forced to wait half an hour for Hau’s arrival and told not to put their feet in the hot spring until the mayor arrived.
“Our teacher said we could not put our feet in the hot spring, even though we’d already taken off our shoes and socks and it was cold,” a third grader surnamed Tan said.
Taipei City Government Spokesperson Chao Hsin-ping (趙心屏) denied the city government made the arrangement, and said Hau arrived at the event on time.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Taipei City Councilor -Chuang Ruei-hsiung (莊瑞雄), who also participated in the activity, praised the city government’s effort to offer the free hot spring, but urged it to manage the area better and ensure the quality of the water.
Chang said the department would commission a private company to manage the hot spring and would replace the water every day. The department will also consider opening the hot spring to the public on Saturdays and Sundays if it proves popular.
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