Lengshuikeng Hot Spring

The journey to Lengshuikeng requires taking the S15 local bus from Jiantan MRT Station, a route that winds steeply up into the high meadows of Yangmingshan National Park. As the bus climbs, the cityscape disappears, replaced by silver miscanthus grass sweeping across rolling volcanic hills. When you alight at the Lengshuikeng parking lot, your first impression will be the cool, crisp mountain air, a refreshing contrast to the humid heat of Taipei below. Lengshuikeng literally translates to cold water pit, but this is a relative term. While most springs in the region boil at over ninety degrees, this unique geological source emerges at a steady forty degrees Celsius, which feels delightfully warm in the cool mountain climate. The public bathhouse here is entirely free of charge and run by the national park administration. It consists of two separate, gender segregated indoor bathhouses and a beautifully landscaped outdoor foot soaking pool. Inside the bathhouses, total nudity is strictly enforced. Tattoos are perfectly fine since it is a government run public park. The water is highly unusual, it is a neutral white sulfur spring rich in iron compounds, giving it a milky, slightly bluish grey color with a faint metallic scent. The water feels thick and deeply therapeutic. You must bring your own towel, fresh drinking water, and a coin for the small lockers. The indoor pools get incredibly busy with elderly hikers between seven and nine in the morning, so planning your arrival for mid afternoon ensures a peaceful soak. After drying off, take a short walk across the Jingle suspension bridge to view the milky white waters of the Milk Lake, a nearby volcanic crater pool where high concentrations of sulfur precipitates have turned the water a striking cream color.