Beitou Hot Spring Museum, Public bathhouse museum in Beitou District, Taiwan
The Beitou Hot Spring Museum is a former public bathhouse in Beitou District, Taiwan, that now tells the story of thermal springs. The structure shows Japanese building style with wooden beams and two floors where exhibition pieces and old photographs are displayed.
The building was completed in 1913 during Japanese colonial rule as the largest public bathhouse in East Asia. After decades of closure, it reopened in 1998 as a museum and has since shown the bathing culture of the region.
The name recalls a time when bathing in hot springs became a social ritual under Japanese influence. Visitors today still see the red brick walls and large windows that once guided steam outward.
The site sits a few minutes on foot from Xinbeitou MRT station and opens Tuesday through Sunday from 9 AM to 5 PM with no entrance fee. Visitors must remove their shoes at the entrance since some areas are covered with tatami mats.
The bell-shaped roof ensures natural air circulation and once helped guide moist heat out of the bathing rooms. Some of the original fixtures and tiles are still visible on the ground floor.
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