Beyond the Hot Springs (TAIPEI Quarterly 2024 Autumn Vol.37)Post date：2024-09-10
175
TAIPEI #37 (2024 Autumn)
Beyond the Hot Springs
Discovering Culinary, Cultural, and Scenic Attractions in Beitou
TEXT Rick Charette
PHOTOS Vision
English-language travel guides for Taiwan often highlight Taipei's mountain-backed Beitou District as a must-see destination. This area, home to Taiwan's first developed hot-spring resort, remains a premier location for lovers of a good soak. But there's much more to the Beitou experience – following we're introducing favorite local eating joints, a heritage market in new quarters, and two history-rich parks at the district's heart.
First, we will visit the Beitou Market. From the Taipei Metro's Beitou Station, walk north for about 7min along Guangming Road. The expansive market buildings stretch between the parallel Gongguan and Huanggang roads.
Beitou Market
The original Beitou Market building, opened in 1981, was located at the intersection of Huanggang Road and Xinshi Street. It used to be an important part of daily life for the local residents. In recent years it became clear the aging edifice was no longer up to the task, and a new building is now going up on the same spot, scheduled for completion in 2028. In late 2022, the hundreds of market-stall operators moved en masse from the old building into a series of long, comparatively narrow structures, lined up end to end along Huanggang Road's north side.
Though their usage as market buildings will be short – the structures are collectively called the "Beitou Interim Market" – they are all highly visually appealing inside and outside, and the temporary site has become a big hit in its own right.
▲Traditional pastries in the "Food" area
There is clear and prominent English on the façade of the color-coded buildings, each designated an "Area." Area A (separated into two buildings) is named "Fruits, Vegetables and Others," Area B "Meat, Poultry and Seafood," Area C "Groceries," and Area D "Food" (as in ready-to-serve foods).
▲The "Food" area offers simple seating
Let's have a look at food options inside the market and in its vicinity.
The Best of Tradition
Less then 5min by foot from MRT Beitou Station, this shop sells douhua, which is the transliteration of the Chinese for tofu pudding. Tofu pudding is fresh, uncurdled tofu even softer than silken tofu. In the southern China version beloved in Taiwan, it is served with a gingery syrup (hot) or with sugary water and optional ice (cold). A great variety of other ingredients are available for addition, per one's preference. Two of the most-ordered selections here are the mung bean/peanut and the cold tapioca balls.
THE BEST OF TRADITION 傳統之最豆花堂
🚩71, Datong St., Beitou Dist.
🕝Tue-Sun 6:00am-6:00pm
Kao's Tea
A short walk west of the Beitou Market, this enterprise, in operation since 1980, sells a wide variety of refreshing cold tea drinks, the tea leaf sourced from Pinglin in New Taipei City. High in demand is the original-flavor series, including black tea, green tea, Oolong tea, and the "no worries tea" (a combination of green and Oolong teas). The peculiar name is a pun, coming from the Chinese homophones of Oolong and green tea. Another favorite is the milk tea series, with all the aforementioned flavors, plus options containing cooling grass jelly chunks.
KAO'S TEA 高記茶莊
🚩54, Ln. 25, Qingjiang Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝6:30am-10:00pm
Lin Family Black Pepper Bun
About 120m west of Kao's Tea, this shop sells broth-filled pepper buns. Cooked in a tandoor-style charcoal oven, they feature a filling of minced pork, pork slices, and chopped chives in a thick dough shell. Each maker tweaks its lean/fat meat proportion, marination, chive, and dough mix. Lin Family's signature variation is its "exploding lava" version; other options star black sesame, chopped green onion, and sweet paste innards.
LIN FAMILY BLACK PEPPER BUN 林記碳烤爆漿胡椒餅
🚩27, Qingjiang Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝12:00pm-7:00pm
A-Zong Oyster Omelet
Across Huanggang Road from Beitou Market's Area A, this long-in-place eatery's signature classic treat is made on a griddle –Taiwan's oyster omelets are a gooey mix of egg, plump oysters from the southwest coast, and sweet-potato starch. The de rigueur hot and sweet ketchup-based sauce is key, and A-Zong's traditional recipe house creation has a pleasant hot chili sauce base. Also popular are the red-yeast meatballs – made with red-yeast rice, which imparts a red color and distinctive fermented taste.
A-ZONG OYSTER OMELET 阿宗蚵仔煎
🚩20, Huanggang Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝11:00am-10:30pm
Ai Zi Cai Braised Pork Rice
Inside the Beitou Market, the reputation of this vendor extends well beyond Beitou, with outsiders visiting the district for any reason making a special stop at this stall. The iconic comfort food served features a bed of fresh-steamed rice overlain with tender, succulent pork that has been braised in a savory brew of soy sauce, garlic, and fragrant spices. Ai Zi Cai's edition is enhanced with tender-yet-chewy braised pork intestine. Also in high demand is its braised pig foot and braised Chinese cabbage.
AI ZI CAI BRAISED PORK RICE 矮仔財滷肉飯
🚩Market Stall No. 418-421, 432-434
🕝Tue-Wed 7:00am-1:00pm
Fri-Sun 7:00am-1:00pm
369 Fried Rice/Fried Noodles
A fried rice or fried noodles dish is a staple in communal meals around Taiwan and is also eaten individually as a snack. The bestsellers at this stall are its shrimp fried rice and beef fried noodles. The first dish is popular for its freshly peeled large shrimps. Other, figuratively and literally, hot sellers are clear-broth beef noodles, hot and sour soup, and pork ball soup.
369 FRIED RICE/FRIED NOODLES 三六九炒飯/ 炒麵
🚩Market Stall No. 430
🕝Tue-Wed 10:00am-2:00pm
Sat-Sun 10:00am-2:00pm
Let's now penetrate deep into Beitou's history with a wander up through the narrow, thickly green park entered directly across from Xinbeitou Station's main entrance.
Beitou Park
This park carpets the base of a short, shallow, gentle-grade valley, the valley's open mouth right in front of the metro station. The Beitou Stream runs through it, gurgling and steaming with hot-spring waters. This was ground zero for the area's development as an upscale mineral-waters getaway by the Japanese, starting soon after their 1895 takeover of Taiwan.
The park has numerous attractions. The capacious Beitou Hot Spring Museum is in a Japanese-Western eclectic building from the Japanese era (built in 1913) as Taiwan's first public bathhouse.
The still operating Japanese-style bathhouse Long Nice Hot Springs, right beside the park, is Beitou's oldest bathing facility, dating to 1907.
Steam-filled Thermal Valley, also called Hell Valley, is a tiny high-walled side valley that is the Beitou Stream's source, featuring a bubbling, spitting sulfur-water lake.
Xinbeitou Historic Station
This spacious, airy, fetching wood-frame heritage building is a big tourist draw, located just south of the metro station in Qixing Park. Today's MRT Xinbeitou Line, a short branch line, uses the right-of-way of a line built by the Japanese to bring tourists to the hot-spring area from the city center. This is that line's terminus station, also Japanese constructed, opened in 1916. The heritage structure has had quite a ride over the years – it was completely disassembled in the 1980s, for a time was on display in a central Taiwan theme park, was brought back to Taipei in the 2000s thanks to the city government and other organizations, and opened again to the public in 2017.
The station's most pronounced feature is the ox-eye windows in the steeply sloped roof, added in a 1937 expansion. Inside are displays on its construction, short period films and photos, and a gift shop area with many railway-theme collectibles. The oldfangled original ticket windows have been preserved, one now used as the gift shop counter.
▲Inside old railway car
To cap off your journey, end your day of savoring local specialties and exploring Beitou's attractions with a visit to a distinctive teahouse.
1975 Antique's Cafe Tea Room
This neat, posh modern-décor British-style combo café/tea room is located on the north side of the metro station. Savor the antique-style teapots, Union Jack-theme furnishings, and even a faux telephone box entrance, while enjoying afternoon tea, cranberry scones, a classic English breakfast, roast beef, and other British culinary icons.
Light meals are available as well, including a lemon chicken dish featuring especially tender meat. This establishment warmly welcomes four-legged companions, inviting patrons to bring their canine friends along.
1975 Antique's Cafe Tea Room
🚩719-1, Daye Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝11:00am-7:00pm
This concludes our tour of Beitou, but this northern district of Taipei has countless more treasures, beckoning you to return, including the Beitou Museum and the Sulfur Valley Recreation Area.
🔎
Beitou Hot Spring Museum | 北投溫泉博物館
Beitou Market | 北投市場
Beitou Park | 北投公園
Qixing Park | 七星公園
Thermal Valley | 地熱谷
Xinbeitou Historic Station | 新北投車站
🗺️Click here to see aforementioned spots on Google Map
Beyond the Hot Springs
Discovering Culinary, Cultural, and Scenic Attractions in Beitou
TEXT Rick Charette
PHOTOS Vision
English-language travel guides for Taiwan often highlight Taipei's mountain-backed Beitou District as a must-see destination. This area, home to Taiwan's first developed hot-spring resort, remains a premier location for lovers of a good soak. But there's much more to the Beitou experience – following we're introducing favorite local eating joints, a heritage market in new quarters, and two history-rich parks at the district's heart.
First, we will visit the Beitou Market. From the Taipei Metro's Beitou Station, walk north for about 7min along Guangming Road. The expansive market buildings stretch between the parallel Gongguan and Huanggang roads.
Beitou Market
The original Beitou Market building, opened in 1981, was located at the intersection of Huanggang Road and Xinshi Street. It used to be an important part of daily life for the local residents. In recent years it became clear the aging edifice was no longer up to the task, and a new building is now going up on the same spot, scheduled for completion in 2028. In late 2022, the hundreds of market-stall operators moved en masse from the old building into a series of long, comparatively narrow structures, lined up end to end along Huanggang Road's north side.
Though their usage as market buildings will be short – the structures are collectively called the "Beitou Interim Market" – they are all highly visually appealing inside and outside, and the temporary site has become a big hit in its own right.
▲Traditional pastries in the "Food" areaThere is clear and prominent English on the façade of the color-coded buildings, each designated an "Area." Area A (separated into two buildings) is named "Fruits, Vegetables and Others," Area B "Meat, Poultry and Seafood," Area C "Groceries," and Area D "Food" (as in ready-to-serve foods).
▲The "Food" area offers simple seatingLet's have a look at food options inside the market and in its vicinity.
The Best of Tradition
Less then 5min by foot from MRT Beitou Station, this shop sells douhua, which is the transliteration of the Chinese for tofu pudding. Tofu pudding is fresh, uncurdled tofu even softer than silken tofu. In the southern China version beloved in Taiwan, it is served with a gingery syrup (hot) or with sugary water and optional ice (cold). A great variety of other ingredients are available for addition, per one's preference. Two of the most-ordered selections here are the mung bean/peanut and the cold tapioca balls.
THE BEST OF TRADITION 傳統之最豆花堂
🚩71, Datong St., Beitou Dist.
🕝Tue-Sun 6:00am-6:00pm
Kao's Tea
A short walk west of the Beitou Market, this enterprise, in operation since 1980, sells a wide variety of refreshing cold tea drinks, the tea leaf sourced from Pinglin in New Taipei City. High in demand is the original-flavor series, including black tea, green tea, Oolong tea, and the "no worries tea" (a combination of green and Oolong teas). The peculiar name is a pun, coming from the Chinese homophones of Oolong and green tea. Another favorite is the milk tea series, with all the aforementioned flavors, plus options containing cooling grass jelly chunks.
KAO'S TEA 高記茶莊🚩54, Ln. 25, Qingjiang Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝6:30am-10:00pm
Lin Family Black Pepper Bun
About 120m west of Kao's Tea, this shop sells broth-filled pepper buns. Cooked in a tandoor-style charcoal oven, they feature a filling of minced pork, pork slices, and chopped chives in a thick dough shell. Each maker tweaks its lean/fat meat proportion, marination, chive, and dough mix. Lin Family's signature variation is its "exploding lava" version; other options star black sesame, chopped green onion, and sweet paste innards.
LIN FAMILY BLACK PEPPER BUN 林記碳烤爆漿胡椒餅
🚩27, Qingjiang Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝12:00pm-7:00pm
A-Zong Oyster Omelet
Across Huanggang Road from Beitou Market's Area A, this long-in-place eatery's signature classic treat is made on a griddle –Taiwan's oyster omelets are a gooey mix of egg, plump oysters from the southwest coast, and sweet-potato starch. The de rigueur hot and sweet ketchup-based sauce is key, and A-Zong's traditional recipe house creation has a pleasant hot chili sauce base. Also popular are the red-yeast meatballs – made with red-yeast rice, which imparts a red color and distinctive fermented taste.
A-ZONG OYSTER OMELET 阿宗蚵仔煎
🚩20, Huanggang Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝11:00am-10:30pm
Ai Zi Cai Braised Pork Rice
Inside the Beitou Market, the reputation of this vendor extends well beyond Beitou, with outsiders visiting the district for any reason making a special stop at this stall. The iconic comfort food served features a bed of fresh-steamed rice overlain with tender, succulent pork that has been braised in a savory brew of soy sauce, garlic, and fragrant spices. Ai Zi Cai's edition is enhanced with tender-yet-chewy braised pork intestine. Also in high demand is its braised pig foot and braised Chinese cabbage.
AI ZI CAI BRAISED PORK RICE 矮仔財滷肉飯
🚩Market Stall No. 418-421, 432-434
🕝Tue-Wed 7:00am-1:00pm
Fri-Sun 7:00am-1:00pm
369 Fried Rice/Fried Noodles
A fried rice or fried noodles dish is a staple in communal meals around Taiwan and is also eaten individually as a snack. The bestsellers at this stall are its shrimp fried rice and beef fried noodles. The first dish is popular for its freshly peeled large shrimps. Other, figuratively and literally, hot sellers are clear-broth beef noodles, hot and sour soup, and pork ball soup.
369 FRIED RICE/FRIED NOODLES 三六九炒飯/ 炒麵
🚩Market Stall No. 430
🕝Tue-Wed 10:00am-2:00pm
Sat-Sun 10:00am-2:00pm
Let's now penetrate deep into Beitou's history with a wander up through the narrow, thickly green park entered directly across from Xinbeitou Station's main entrance.
Beitou Park
This park carpets the base of a short, shallow, gentle-grade valley, the valley's open mouth right in front of the metro station. The Beitou Stream runs through it, gurgling and steaming with hot-spring waters. This was ground zero for the area's development as an upscale mineral-waters getaway by the Japanese, starting soon after their 1895 takeover of Taiwan.
The park has numerous attractions. The capacious Beitou Hot Spring Museum is in a Japanese-Western eclectic building from the Japanese era (built in 1913) as Taiwan's first public bathhouse.
The still operating Japanese-style bathhouse Long Nice Hot Springs, right beside the park, is Beitou's oldest bathing facility, dating to 1907.
Steam-filled Thermal Valley, also called Hell Valley, is a tiny high-walled side valley that is the Beitou Stream's source, featuring a bubbling, spitting sulfur-water lake.
Xinbeitou Historic Station
This spacious, airy, fetching wood-frame heritage building is a big tourist draw, located just south of the metro station in Qixing Park. Today's MRT Xinbeitou Line, a short branch line, uses the right-of-way of a line built by the Japanese to bring tourists to the hot-spring area from the city center. This is that line's terminus station, also Japanese constructed, opened in 1916. The heritage structure has had quite a ride over the years – it was completely disassembled in the 1980s, for a time was on display in a central Taiwan theme park, was brought back to Taipei in the 2000s thanks to the city government and other organizations, and opened again to the public in 2017.
The station's most pronounced feature is the ox-eye windows in the steeply sloped roof, added in a 1937 expansion. Inside are displays on its construction, short period films and photos, and a gift shop area with many railway-theme collectibles. The oldfangled original ticket windows have been preserved, one now used as the gift shop counter.
▲Inside old railway carTo cap off your journey, end your day of savoring local specialties and exploring Beitou's attractions with a visit to a distinctive teahouse.
1975 Antique's Cafe Tea Room
This neat, posh modern-décor British-style combo café/tea room is located on the north side of the metro station. Savor the antique-style teapots, Union Jack-theme furnishings, and even a faux telephone box entrance, while enjoying afternoon tea, cranberry scones, a classic English breakfast, roast beef, and other British culinary icons.
Light meals are available as well, including a lemon chicken dish featuring especially tender meat. This establishment warmly welcomes four-legged companions, inviting patrons to bring their canine friends along.
1975 Antique's Cafe Tea Room
🚩719-1, Daye Rd., Beitou Dist.
🕝11:00am-7:00pm
This concludes our tour of Beitou, but this northern district of Taipei has countless more treasures, beckoning you to return, including the Beitou Museum and the Sulfur Valley Recreation Area.
🔎
Beitou Hot Spring Museum | 北投溫泉博物館
Beitou Market | 北投市場
Beitou Park | 北投公園
Qixing Park | 七星公園
Thermal Valley | 地熱谷
Xinbeitou Historic Station | 新北投車站
🗺️Click here to see aforementioned spots on Google Map
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