An Tong Hot Springs

Taiwan – May 2023

It’s during my first days in Taiwan, that I learn the country is home to natural hot springs just like Japan. Of course, this shouldn’t be too surprising due to the geographical proximity of the 2 countries. On the trip from Hualien to the small town of Chenggong, where I spend a few weeks working remotely, I notice the sign for “An Tong Hot Springs”. Since the bus from Yuli announces the stop, I assume that I can simply board it at my final destination for the return trip. And 2 weeks later, that’s exactly what I do.

I take one of the morning connections on a rather cloudy Saturday and enjoy the view of the coastline transitioning into the lush tree covered mountain pass. Once the bus reaches the top of the hill and “An Tong Hot Spring” is announced in Mandarin and English, I press the stop button and pay with my Cat-shaped IC card before getting off. As expected, I am the only one who’s disembarking. Following Google Maps, I quickly find the path to the public hot spring pool.

It’s located right above the small stream, where a natural pool is fenced off. The sign next to the rocks which mark the entrance reads „Hot Soup“. I reckon I have found the right place. However, I can‘t see any bathers. And there can clearly voices be heard further down the river. So I follow the path a bit more, until I reach an artificial cement pool. It‘s made up of 3 separate square shaped tubs. Each one is about 1 meter deep and equipped with a wrap around concrete bench.

The first one I encounter is not being used by anyone yet and half way filled with hot water. I sit down in the corner of the tub and carefully check the temperature with my feet, before submerging my legs. By watching the other visitors, I try to decode the bathing rules. It‘s quickly clear, that people everyone is using bathing suits or underwear. Men and women use the same bath and most strikingly: you have to bring your own showerhead! It screws onto the poles which are pumping up hot spring water from the source. One man even brought 2 different plastic tubes to make showering as efficient as possible.

Everyone makes sure they are squicky clean before submerging in the warm pool on the far end of the row. The lady in the previous picture is noteably interested in how a foreigner ends up in this secluded place. She first tries to talk to me in Mandarin and Taiwanese. I respond in English until finally we land on broken Japanese as a common language. I explain that I love Onsen and she allows me to use her shower-set-up before I continue to explore the mountains of An Tong.

I decide to walk along the main road towards Yuli, since in that direction Google Maps shows a larger river. Here and there I take smaller detours to marvel at some of the giant palm and banana trees. There are also a number of fields visible deeper down the valley. But on several different occasions, the rather inquisive street dogs keep me from lingering at viewpoints for too long. They are quite protactive of their territory and even bark at passing cars.

My walk is cut short by ongoing construction work in the river area. So after wandering around An Tong Village I turn and follow the road signs back to the hot spring place. However, shortly after lunch time, the rainy season is making an appearance and I seek shelter in what looks like a wooden tower at a cross road between two mountain villages. I stay there for a while reading and eating the sandwiches I brought. There seems to be some kind of festival going on because wind carries the sounds of music and laughter from across the rice fields.

A few times scooters with two or more riders pass by in either direction and a few packs of dogs playfully run up and down the street. I check the picture I took of the bus schedule up at the main road. According to the wittered paper, there should be a connection to Chenggong at around 3.30pm. So just after 3pm, right when the rain takes a break, I make my way to the highway and wait for the purple bus to turn around the corner to take me back to the seaside.