7. Jingying Hot Spring (Nantou)
Located in Jingying Tribe, this hot spring is pretty close to Mahaipu Hot Spring. The hot spring pools lie on the left side(facing downstreams), and the temperature is always good. On weekends, the shore is parked with vans with batteries and pumps channeling hot water from outcrops to their tarp-made hot spring pools. The mountain road to the hot spring has been under maintenance for quite a few years, making the driving to the hot spring no longer exclusive to vehicles with high chassis. Shuttle services can be found in Jingying Village. 8. Wenshan (Hualien)
Wenshan hot spring is a cave hot spring in Tianxiang in National Taruko Park. The main hot spring pool is at the end of Wenshan Trail in a cave by Liwu Creek. Pure 50-degree hot spring water bursting out of the crevices of the marble wall enclosing the hot spring pool flows into Liwu Creek quickly, where the cooler temperature in the pool is still around 45 degrees, still too boiling for most people. Some visitors dig out a lower pool in Liwu Creek with a more proper temperature right under the main hot spring; yet the risk is the frequent falling rocks, for this is an open-air pool to in valley instead of being in a cave.
In 2005, falling rocks hit the people bathing in the hot spring, killing two and injuring five. Taruko Headquarters was sued, compensating over 10 million NT dollars for the victims. All hot spring facilities were then removed and the hot spring was forbidden ever since. Police patrol at the trailhead of Wenshan Trail from time to time, fining the intruders 1500 NT dollars, while first-timers might merely receive a warning ticket and get driven away. Despite being policed and the potential risk of falling rocks, Wenshan Hot Spring is still very popular all year round for its uniqueness and spectacularity.
9. Antong (Hualien)
Antong Hot Spring, surrounded by hot spring bath houses, is in the center of Antong hot spring area by Highway No.30, the reason why it is the easiest hot spring among all others, within 1 minute walk from the parking space. The three concrete pools were built by Yuli Township Office, and the hot spring water is provided by Antong Creekside Hotspring. This free hot spring is busy with visitors and locals day and night.
10. Qikeng Hot Spring (Kaohsiung)
Qikeng Hot Spring is in Baolai, a 2-hour car ride from Kaohisung city. The hot spring is in Baolai Creek, and the valley is very wide. Many cars and visitors are expected on weekends.
The hot spring is at the end of a fork of Xiaoguanshan Lumber Road(小關山林道). The fork is in bad shape, and it is suggested for cars with higher chassis, but ordinary cars can still make their way with a few hits to their bottoms.
11. Hongye Hot Spring (Taitung)
Hongye Red Bridge Hot Spring: https://goo.gl/maps/Ty9H19h2TTWAnK3a7
Hongye White Bridge Hot Spring: https://goo.gl/maps/qwrD5JBTJwn7zuZc8
Hongye Wild Hot Spring lies in Luye River in Taitung(There is another Hongye in Hualien, but it does not have wild hot springs.). The main outcrop is called Hongye Red Bridge Hot Spring, where the hot spring pools lie in the river for hundreds of meters with transparent hot spring water. The other outcrop, called Hongye White Bridge Hot Spring, at which there is a concrete pool by the shore along with other pools appearing often a few dozen meters downstream from the concrete pool, has a milky color with sulfur.
It is incredible that the two hot spring outcrops have two totally different types of hot spring water while being close to each other for a ten-minute walk in the riverbed.
The river valley is flat and vast, ideal for camper vans as well as anyone who wants to camp, and thus it is visited by many people on weekends. The water flow of Luye River rises quickly in medium rain due to its large basin, so camping sites need to be chosen carefully if the weather does not compromise.
12. Jinfeng (Taitung)
(Photo Model: https://www.instagram.com/stella_0414/) Jinfeng Hot Spring is in Taimali, south of Taitung County. The outcrop is a giant hot spring well in Taimali Creek, puffing up massive steam to the sky, whose boiling water leaks, forming a rectangular hot spring pool with its water temperature up to 47 degrees Celsius, hardly bearable for a bath. The hot spring is forbidden to any access without the permits for Dawushan Nature Reserve, or due to potential danger caused by landslides—at least it is how the local township office states, which probably does not bother to drive people away as long as ostentatious behavior is not shown.
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