Little Yo's Home
Qingshui Geothermal in Yilan reopened in 2018 after renovation – details on opening hours, park closure times, and transportation are all in this article. We've been waiting so long for this family-friendly Yilan attraction to reopen, and it's currently in soft launch mode with free parking and entry. As soon as we heard the news, we rushed right over. There’s nothing better than soaking in hot springs and boiling hot spring eggs in winter!
■ Transportation:
By car: Take National Highway 3 to National Highway 5, exit at the Luodong Interchange toward “Wujie–Luodong,” then follow County Highway 7C to the front of the Tiansongpi Samsung Police Station.Turn right onto Sanxing Road, head straight toward Tiansongpi Monument, and follow the signs past Changpi Lake Scenic Area. Turn left just before Qingshui Bridge and continue along the mountain road to reach the park.
By public transport: Take the North-Link Line train and get off at Luodong Station, then rent a car to get there.
■ Address:No. 139, Lane 501, Section 8, Sanxing Road, Datong Township, Yilan County
■ Opening Hours:9:00 AM to 5:00 PM | Soft launch from November 20 to 30; closed from December 1 to 7; officially reopened on December 8
■ Fees:Free entry; parking was free during the soft launch period. After official reopening, car parking fee is NT$50 per entry; motorcycle parking is NT$20 per entry.
Date: November 24, 2018 (Saturday)
Besides soaking in hot springs, one of the most fun winter activities in Yilan is boiling hot spring eggs at Qingshui Geothermal. The “Qingshui Geothermal Park,” managed by Yilan County Government, reopened on November 20, 2018 (107 year in ROC calendar), after being closed for over eight months. From November 20 to 30, there was a free parking trial operation, and the park officially reopened on December 8, 2018 (107 year).
We’d been eagerly awaiting the reopening of Qingshui Geothermal Park, so we rushed over during the trial period for a taste of the experience. Walking from the parking lot, you’ll be greeted by lush greenery and sweeping views that offer a healing connection with nature.
Upon entering the park, seeing the steam rising was simply thrilling!
Covering an area of 2.5 hectares, Qingshui Geothermal Park features alkaline hot spring water that gushes up from underground. The park has three cooking pools, two foot-soaking pools, and a 30-meter natural stream where you can also soak your feet – making it one of the best spots for a Yilan one-day winter trip.
The park has thoughtfully set up some open-air seating areas with umbrellas, but they fill up quickly due to the high number of visitors. You might need to wait a bit, or you can share a spot with others – it's a great way to chat, eat together, and make new friends!
A brand-new service area and snack shop have been added. During the trial period, there were no food stalls, so you had to bring your own ingredients. There are now public restrooms with toilet paper provided for convenience. At the far end, there’s also a covered sheltered seating area, though seating is limited.
To avoid concerns about plastic packaging leaching chemicals while cooking, the park encourages visitors to rent bamboo baskets from the service area to carry their food for cooking. You can rent them for free with ID. Yo was thrilled to carry a bamboo basket for the first time – it felt so fresh cooking this way!
The giant cooking pools have a really unique design. Before the renovation, the water temperature was 85°C, but it’s now been increased to 95°C, which shortens the cooking time. There are plenty of recommended food items you can cook, and the park even provides a helpful cooking time reference chart.
(Image source: Internet)
We hadn’t been here before and didn’t really know what to expect, so we didn’t bring much—just corn and eggs. The whole family was excited and decided to start by cooking the corn. After unwrapping it, Yo couldn’t wait to toss the corn into the cooking pool!
Along the edge of the pool, rows of bamboo baskets stood neatly, almost like a fishing scene – the sight was hilarious. Once you place your food, you can leave and come back in about 20 minutes to collect it.
While waiting, you can go soak your feet in the foot pools!
In northern Taiwan, there are the Beitou Hot Spring Parks, and in the south, there's Sihchongxi Hot Spring Park, both offering free foot soaking. Qingshui Geothermal Park also has foot soaking options, which is a real treat in the cold winter. Though compared to other places, the water temperature here isn’t very high – it felt a bit cool for someone like me who prefers really hot water!
“Time’s up, hurry up!”
The child, who was soaking his feet but constantly checking the time for the corn, kept glancing at his watch. Finally, when the time came, he urged us to pull our feet out and go get the corn.
The corn boiled in the hot springs of Qingshui, Yilan, is truly fragrant and delicious.
We were initially wondering whether we should add any seasoning, but in the end, we decided to enjoy the food in its natural flavor. To our surprise, the boiled corn was chewy, springy, and bursting with aroma—absolutely delicious. We kind of regretted not bringing more to cook.
After boiling the corn, we moved on to cooking the onsen eggs. This time, let’s see how the eggs turn out without any seasoning either…
In addition to the cooking pool, there’s also a cooling pool set up on-site. You can place the eggs in the cooling pool after boiling, let them chill in cold water, and then peel them—super convenient!
Mr. Dong, who had been grumbling about not bringing soy sauce to dip the eggs, couldn’t stop praising the onsen-boiled eggs once he tried them. That’s it—less seasoning makes the ingredients healthier to eat. The food cooked in the clear spring geothermal water retains its original taste while adding a subtle hot spring fragrance, creating a unique flavor that lingers on the palate!
We only brought corn and eggs up, and they were all cooked pretty quickly. Watching others still cooking made us feel a bit left out. Mr. Dong joked, “How about we just put the kid in to boil then!”
Yo: “Then I have to take off my clothes and wash up first, okay!” The child really did twist and sway, acting out the motion of undressing.
Haha, cooking in the clear spring geothermal pool is so much fun. Next time, we’ll prepare ingredients more seriously—but no hot pot cooking on-site, okay?
[1+1＝3 Play, Learn, and Live Joyfully]Authorized Repost | Original Source: [Yilan One-Day Trip: Family-Friendly Attractions Recommended – Clear Spring Geothermal]
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