The Fanfan wild hot spring (梵梵溫泉) in Yilan County is to be diverted to formal tourist facilities and closed to the public if approved by the local council, as overtourism is harming the area’s ecology and disturbing residents.
The Yilan County Government proposed a plan to divert the spring to dedicated tourist facilities, similar to the Cingshuei Geothermal Park (清水地熱公園).
If approved by the village council, it would also mean the closure of the wild hot spring to the public.
Photo: Taipei Times
The Fanfan hot spring has become popular in recent years, with many visitors driving their vehicles directly onto the riverbank, barbecuing and leaving trash behind.
The situation has raised the ire of local residents, who have closed off the access road to try and stop people from coming to no avail.
The area is also prone to flash flooding, posing a danger to visitors.
The Yilan County Government in 2020 proposed diverting the hot spring to public land in Yingshi Village (英士) and creating facilities similar to the Cingshuei park, but progress stalled due to disagreements with local stakeholders.
Yilan County Councilor Shen Chih-hung (沈志宏) convened a meeting last week between the country government and village representatives, where the two sides reached a preliminary agreement.
In the short term, the county is to improve crowd management at the hot springs and work to clean up the area, the county government said.
In the longer term, it would open talks with the village council on how to build hot spring facilities while respecting their rights and traditions, it added.
After a consensus is achieved among village residents, the county said it would draw up a formal plan and apply for funding with the central government.
The initial idea is to create a facility like the Cingshuei park, which has a bathhouse, footbath and area to cook corn and eggs in the hot spring water, it said.
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