Beitou Hot Spring Museum 溫泉博物館

Built by the Japanese in 1913, the museum is now run entirely by local residents, giving visitors a chance to experience this Grade 3 historic monument firsthand.

Expect to take off your shoes at the entrance, so wear socks that are easy to put on and take off. The balcony makes a good short break with a view of the creek before you move on to the next stop.

Entrance to the community-run museum is free.

The design is based upon the Mount Izu Hot Spring Bath in Japan, and is reminiscent of a European/Roman bath house decorated with arcades and stained glass. The building’s exterior is built in a Victorian style, with the first floor built from brick and second floor from wood.

Guests enter from Zhongshan Road on the second floor, where they remove their shoes and change into slippers provided by the museum. The second floor holds an exhibit on the museum’s reconstruction and preservation, one on Beitou’s influence on Taiwanese cinema, a section on Beitou’s youth, a multimedia auditorium, and a balcony overlooking Beitou Creek.

In the centre of the second floor is the Tatami Lobby, a Japanese-style multipurpose room with sliding paper doors around the perimeter and tatami mats covering the floor. Guests are invited to relax here.

The Hot Spring Arcade and Big Bath are also located on the first floor. At 9 metres long and 6 metres wide, the bath was designed to evoke the feelings and simulate the environment of an ancient Roman bath. The arcade area around the bath is very elegant as it is home to many beautiful stained glass works.