Secret Hot Spring "Cuckoo's Marsh" in Mount Taiping – Enjoy a Slippery Soak Surrounded by Nature

As a travel journalist, I’ve soaked in many hot springs around Taiwan, but I must say this secluded hot spring nestled deep in the mountains is truly unforgettable.

Text & Photos / Mirror Media Weekly

Although it’s called a “secret hot spring,” many are more familiar with its former name“Renze Hot Spring”. This mountain hot spring within the “Mount Taiping National Forest Recreation Area” was formerly known as Shaoshui, meaning geothermal hot spring.

During the Japanese colonial period, Mount Taiping, along with Alishan and Baxianshan, were among Taiwan’s three major logging sites. This area, surrounded by mountains and crisscrossed by Duowang Stream, formed marshy wetlands, and the valley was home to numerous birds whose chirping echoed through the quiet ravines. The Japanese named it“Cuckoo’s Marsh Hot Spring”. At that time, the Japanese loggers built hot spring bathhouses, making the soak a rare pleasure amid their logging life. In 1969, it was renamed “Renze Hot Spring,” until it reverted to its original name, “Cuckoo’s Marsh,” in 2006.

Since the hot spring is located in the mountains, it takes about 40 minutes to drive here from Yilan’s Datong Township at the mountain’s base. Adding to that, you must first enter the “Mount Taiping National Forest Recreation Area” to purchase an entrance ticket, which means far fewer people actually come here specifically for the hot springs. Especially on weekdays, visiting feels like a true hidden hot spring experience, allowing you to quietly enjoy the soak surrounded by nature.

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