Free yukata and torches for a thousand-person night tour of Nantou Dongpu Hot Spring Street

Text by MOOK Travel Life Network, Chen Guanxin; compiled and reported

As autumn arrives and the weather gradually cools, warm hot springs and delicious food are set to replace water activities and cold treats as popular travel options for the fall and winter seasons. The Nantou Hot Spring Festival, which encompasses the three major hot spring areas of Dongpu, Puli, and Beigangxi, will kick off on October 20. A series of events—including a food carnival, cycling and hot spring tours, and hot spring dance performances—will be held in each of the three hot spring zones. Among them, the Dongpu Hot Spring area will distribute a thousand free yukatas and torches during the October 20 event, allowing visitors to experience the unique spectacle of a thousand people holding torches and parading in yukatas. Additionally, during the festival period, special discount battles and lucky draw activities will be launched. Not only will the hotter the temperature, the cheaper the hot spring entry, but those spending over NT$999 will also have a chance to win a “Taiwan Hot Spring Lottery Card,” which includes a free companion hot spring stay at any participating hot spring hotel across Taiwan.

Organized by the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, the Taiwan Hot Spring Food Carnival is held annually in 17 hot spring areas across the country. This year’s Nantou Hot Spring Festival will feature a series of events on October 20, November 4, November 10, and November 17, in the Dongpu, Puli, and Beigangxi hot spring areas. First up is the Dongpu Hot Spring Area Food Carnival, which will take place at the Dongpu Visitor Parking Lot. It will not only offer indigenous snacks unique to the Bunun people of Dongpu, such as wild boar meat, millet dishes, and locally brewed drinks, but will also host activities including a hot spring queen competition, outdoor barbecues, and performances.

The Puli Hot Spring, known as the “Flower Hot Spring,” will hold an “i-Slow Play” event on November 4 at the Tianquan Hot Spring Club in Lianhua Pond Scenic Area. From 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM on that day, outdoor spa pools will be open for free hot spring soaking. On November 10 and 17, at the Atayal Resort in the Beigangxi Hot Spring area, events including a Hot Spring Goddess Parade, a performance of Seediq dance music, a fireworks show, and a coffee exhibition from Xinghu Township will be organized.

In addition, this year, hot spring businesses in the Nantou area will jointly launch a “Temperature Discount Battle,” where the hotter it is, the cheaper the hot spring soak. During the Hot Spring Festival, every Wednesday at 3:00 PM, based on the temperature in the Taichung area, if the temperature exceeds 28 degrees Celsius, the public can download a limited-time 20% discount coupon for hot spring entry and meals from the official Nantou Hot Spring Festival website. If the temperature exceeds 30 degrees, 50% discount coupons will be offered. Moreover, visitors who soak in hot springs at participating businesses in the Nantou area during the event can receive a 2012 Nantou Hot Spring Festival commemorative postcard and enjoy free mailing services.

The Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has also launched a grand lucky draw for the Hot Spring Food Carnival. The grand prize is a “Taiwan Hot Spring Accommodation Card” worth NT$500,000, which allows free companion hot spring stays at any participating hot spring hotel nationwide. The second prize is the “Taiwan Hot Spring Lottery Card,” which offers free access to hot springs around the country. Other prizes include 3C products, accommodation vouchers, and hot spring vouchers. Participants can enter the draw by spending over NT$999 at participating merchants during the Hot Spring Food Carnival by filling out their “Food and Hot Spring Passport.” Event details can be found on the official website: travel.nantou.gov.tw/2012hotspring.

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