The eastern part of Taiwan not only offers pleasant scenery but is also rich in hot-spring resources. Among the best known of the hot springs here are those of Hongye, Zhiben, Wulu, and Green Island in Taitung County, and those of Antong, Ruisui, and Hongye in Hualien County.
The Antong Hot Springs, which are almost completely clear, are of a faint alkaline, chloride, and sodium sulfide quality. They have a faint hydrogen sulfide smell. There is an old Japanese-style hot-spring hotel and a new modern hotel as well for visitors to choose from.
The Wulu hot springs produce colorless, odorless carbonate water, which is also good for bathing. The nearby Wulu Gorge, with the surrounding thick and rich-green forests, might be said to provide the most spectacular scenery on the Southern Cross-Island Highway.
The Ruisui hot springs were discovered as early as 1919, and public baths were then built. The Japanese-style hotel that operated at that time is still in operation, and it has developed an open-air bathing pool so that travelers can savor the pleasure of hot-spring soaking in the wild. The spring water here is rich in iron and emerges from the ground at a temperature of 48 degrees Celsius; the iron in the water oxidizes when it comes into contact with the air, imparting a pale brown color and a slightly salty, rusty flavor. These are the only carbonate hot springs area on the entire island. Many first-time visitors hesitate to bathe in the water, erroneously believing it to be unclean; in fact, Japanese travelers who understand the effects of the spring water here come especially to soak in the water with salt crystals floating on its surface. The latest medical research proves that the PH factor of this carbonate spring water is between 6 and 7, making it slightly alkaline.
The hot mineral springs of Hongye produce bicarbonate water that is clear and odorless, and emerges from the ground at a temperature of 47 degrees Celsius. These springs became widely known during the Japanese occupation period (1895-1945), and even today there is still an old Japanese-style inn there that provides baths for travelers nostalgic for the past.
Besides soaking in the soothing hot-spring water, you can also go to nearby tourist sites for your fill of fun. The Chinan Forest Recreation Area offers dense woods and beautiful mountain vistas, and from the memorial stele pavilion you can get an overview of the scenery of Liyu Lake. The recreation area also has a visitors center, primeval forest trails, and children's amusement area, among other attractions.
The Fuyuan National Forest Recreation Area has the largest stand of camphor trees of any such recreation area in Taiwan, and its butterflies, hot springs, and waterfalls are especially well known. Stroll along a trail here and you can enjoy a healthful "green shower." From March to August every year the butterflies swarm and dance among the broadleaf forests, presenting a palette of beautiful colors. The bed of the Fuyuan River, which transects the entire recreation area, is filled with strange rocks and, in irregular locations, intermittent hot springs. The scenery is unique. Go up the river and you will come to a gorge where precipitous cliffs have created flying waterfalls that are powerful attractions for tourists.