Winter is here – Hot Spring & Gourmet Carnival  The colorless, odorless "Beauty Soup" is amazing

Travel Center / Reported from Taipei

As winter gradually sets in, it’s the perfect season for hot spring bathing. Zhiben, located 17 kilometers southwest of Taitung City, is renowned across Taiwan for its colorless, odorless "Beauty Soup," which even attracts many Japanese tourists. In the hot spring area, you can not only stay overnight, soak in the springs, and enjoy spa treatments, but also savor indigenous health-focused cuisine and various mountain delicacies, as well as dishes made with Taitung agricultural products such as roselle, daylily, and chrysanthemum.


▲ The colorless, odorless "Beauty Soup" is renowned across Taiwan. (Photo / Provided by Taitung County Government)

This year marks the fifth edition of the “Taiwan’s Best Hot Springs – Hot Spring & Gourmet Carnival” series. In addition to highlighting hot spring bathing and gourmet food, Taitung County Government will incorporate New Year’s Eve celebrations, local produce, and the harvest of Zhiben’s daylilies to promote the atmosphere of soaking in hot springs in Taitung. The public is also welcome to plan a year-end trip to Taitung and ring in the New Year with a hot spring soak.

The prelude to this year’s Hot Spring & Gourmet Carnival kicked off in Dongpu Hot Spring area in Nantou, with various regions subsequently heating up the hot spring and gourmet season with their own events. Taitung’s Hot Spring Season, themed “Slow Living, Pressure Relief, and Relaxation in Zhiben,” emphasizes that amid today’s fast-paced lifestyle, soaking in Zhiben’s hot springs can help soothe the body and mind for a stress-relieving experience. The value-for-money packages and local gourmet feasts offered by hot spring hotels are sure to spark another hot spring craze, allowing visitors to enjoy an unforgettable hot spring holiday and successfully boost the reputation of Zhiben as a hot spring resort town.

Zhang Tianrong, chairman of the Zhiben Hot Spring Tourism Promotion Association, pointed out that in conjunction with the Hot Spring Festival, various hot spring hotels have also put together great-value hot spring vacation packages. For example, a weekday twin room with breakfast and access to open-air hot springs starts from just NT$1,999; accommodation at Dongtai Hot Spring Hotel including breakfast and dinner is only NT$2,888; Fuyo Hot Spring Resort offers a package with accommodation, breakfast, dinner, and a private hot spring room for just NT$3,888; and The Lalu Hotel is offering a 30% discount on weekdays and 10% discount on weekends.