Taipei City Government

The 2016 Taipei Hot Spring Season – the annual spotlight event of the autumn season – will kick-off at MRT Xinbeitou Station starting October 20.

The five-day event includes a joint hot spring exhibition, delicious snack-tasting corner, nakashi singing contest, and Taiwanese opera performance by the Ming Hwa Yuan Arts and Cultural Group. In addition, there will be parades featuring kids mikoshi (portable shrine) and mascot parade on Saturday and Sunday.

At the press conference of the 2016 Taipei Hot Spring Festival taking place October 12, the robot “Pepper” appeared during the opening event to announce the integration of the hot spring event and smart tourism which will provide visitors with a brand new experience.

During his address at the press conference, Deputy Mayor Chen Chin-jun remarked that the hot springs of Beitou are an important tourism resource of the city. Through years of collaboration between local hot spring businesses and the city government, the hot spring resorts in the district have become a must-visit location for tourists visiting Taipei. The city government continues to co-organize the hot spring festival, allowing more tourists to experience the cultural heritage and beautiful landscape of Beitou. It invites the public to come and enjoy this annual fest of hot springs and culture.

The Taipei Hot Springs Association pointed out that in addition to incorporating technology for the purpose of promoting Beitou to the world and letting visitors learn more about the district’s culture and history, this year the newly-hired Pepper will provide visitors with professional and smart service. The association also introduced the “Hot Spring Witch GO!” app for smart phones, compiling information on tourist attractions and discount deals for users and making the task of exploring Beitou even more convenient.

Another highlight of the Hot Spring Season is the “Lucky 7” raffle event. Throughout the festival period, lucky winners will be determined via raffle for receiving hotel vouchers for hot spring resorts in Beitou worth 10,000 NTD. The raffle will take place on the following dates: October 17, 27; November 7, 17, and 27.

On October 22 and 23, the annual parade featuring kids mikoshi procession will take place. The event will also see the attendance of beloved mascots from both Taiwan and Japan, including the “Witch doll” of Beitou District who is appearing for the first time; “OhBear” of the Tourism Bureau of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications; “Bravo” of the 2017 Taipei Summer Universiade; Matsuyama City orange-like dog mascot “Mikyan”; and “Ieyasu-kun” of Hamamatsu, Japan.

For more information on the 2016 Taipei Hot Spring Season, please call the Taipei Hot Springs Association (TEL: 2895-5418) or visit the official Chinese website of the event (http://www.taipeisprings.org.tw/tw).