Zhiben Hot Springs
A forested hot-spring valley near Taitung city, developed since the Japanese period, with a forest reserve above it.
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Zhiben has the best-known hot springs on Taiwan's east coast, alkaline carbonate water in a steep valley that the Japanese developed in the 1920s and that has been a resort ever since. Hotels line the road up the valley. Above them is the Zhiben Forest Recreation Area, with a banyan whose aerial roots have grown into a wall, a white bark fig grove and trails climbing the slope, which makes the valley a full day rather than just a bath.
What you actually see
- The alkaline springs - carbonate water in hotel and public baths along the valley.
- The forest reserve - trails, a giant banyan and a white bark fig grove above the resorts.
- The Qingjue temple - a temple in the valley with Buddha images from Thailand and Japan.
- The valley - steep forested slopes closing round the road.
When to go
October to April is the hot-spring season. Summer is warm and the forest reserve is the better half of the visit then. Typhoon rain closes the valley road periodically.
Honest expectations
Hotel quality ranges from excellent to very dated and prices do not always reflect it. The valley road is narrow and busy at weekends. The forest reserve involves a lot of steps.
Nearby
Taitung city is northeast, and Xiaoyeliu is on the coast.
What to pack for Zhiben Hot Springs
Chosen from what this place is for. Tap a kit for the full checklist.
Opening times, ticket prices and seasonal closures change - check the official source before you go: official site.
