Solo canoeing at the reservoir X Fresh mango ice X Clay oven longan Delighting in the summer flavors of Xilaya

Text and photos / Chen Guanxin, MOOK Scenic Spots Travel & Lifestyle Network

 

How many travel memories from those seemingly endless summer vacations can you recall over and over again? Beyond admiring buildings, sampling snacks, and strolling through night markets, how often do those experiences truly move you enough to share with friends? Why not take advantage of a leisurely holiday to explore the Xilaya National Scenic Area? Through sensory stimulation and physical activity, rediscover long-lost emotional resonance in the nature and culture of a foreign land.

 

Taiwan’s only mud hot springs – Guanziling Hot Spring Area

When it comes to the Xilaya Scenic Area, most people may not be all that familiar with it. After all, it is the newest of Taiwan’s 13 scenic areas, established just seven years ago. Though young in age, it boasts abundant tourism resources. Whether you’re talking about Guanziling Hot Springs or butterfly-watching activities, it holds its own against its more established peers.

 

Known as the “Yangmingshan of Tainan,” Guanziling provides a perfect summer retreat with its shady, verdant mountains. Its hot springs are ranked among Taiwan’s top four alongside Beitou, Yangmingshan, and Sichongxi. The mineral-rich waters are a unique gray-black mud-like consistency—Taiwan’s only mud hot springs. After soaking, the fine, mud-like water leaves skin feeling silky smooth, making it highly addictive for dedicated hot spring enthusiasts.

 

Japan’s Kyushu guardian deity of hot springs – Fudō Myōō

It’s said that Guanziling Hot Springs were discovered during the Japanese colonial period by Japanese soldiers who experienced improved circulation and overall wellbeing after soaking in them. As a result, the area was once used as a sanatorium for officers and soldiers, marking the beginning of the hot springs’ development. There are two sources of these distinctive waters—one located behind Baquan Bridge, and the other beneath the foundation of the Fire God King Temple.

Following local guidance to the Fire God King Temple, nestled between residential houses and a mountainside, what stands out most isn’t the crimson pillars but the plaque of “Fudō Myōō” above the temple gate. It turns out the local Fire God King is none other than Fudō Myōō from Japan’s Kyushu. Legend has it that during the Japanese colonial period, when developing the hot springs, Fudō Myōō was enshrined atop the volcanic vent to ensure safety, eventually becoming a central figure of faith for locals. Today, the annual Fire God King Festival has become a major local event.

 

Graceful, colorful visitors – Euploea butterflies

Just above the Fire God King Temple lies Red Leaf Park, which in recent years has gained fame among butterfly enthusiasts for its successful habitat restoration and sightings of Euploea butterflies. These butterflies are known for the iridescent purple sheen on the upper side of their forewings, which shifts from vivid purple to pale lilac or dazzling sapphire blue depending on the viewing angle. To scientists, this phenomenon is due to the physical properties of photonic crystals, a principle also used in currency anti-counterfeiting. But at Red Leaf Park, no expertise is needed to witness this natural spectacle. Additionally, Euploea butterflies migrate south in winter and return north to lay eggs in spring, so from June to October each year, the park is alive with their graceful dances.