Beitou District is the northernmost of the twelve districts of

Taipei City Taipei (), officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of the Republic of China (Taiwan). Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about southwest of the ...

, Taiwan. The historical spelling of the district is Peitou. The name originates from the Ketagalan word ''Kipatauw'', meaning

witch Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have us ...

. Beitou is the most mountainous and highest of Taipei's districts, encompassing a meadow with rivers running through the valley which have abundant steam rising from them; the result of geothermal warming. The valley is often surrounded by mist shrouding the trees and grass. Beitou is famous for its hot springs. In March 2012, it was named one of the ''Top 10 Small Tourist Towns'' by the Tourism Bureau of Taiwan.

History

The area's hot springs had long been enjoyed by the aboriginal people of Taiwan. Shortly before the Japanese period a German sulfur merchant established the first hot spring club in Beitou. During early Japanese rule, ''Hokutō'' () was a village at the entrance of the well-known North Formosa sulfur district. Three Japanese extracting plants in this district produced about of sulfur monthly. The Japanese had already recognized the value of the village as a sanitary resort and constructed a Japanese inn with hot mineral baths provided by the sulfur springs. The hot springs have been developed to include aroma therapy, massage, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and excellent cuisine which complement the entire spa experience. The mineral waters stream from the numerous geothermal vents that occur naturally in the region and are famous for their health benefits. Between 1920 and 1941, was governed under Shichisei District,

Taihoku Prefecture Taihoku Prefecture (台北州; ''Taihoku-shū'') was an administrative division of Taiwan created in 1920, during Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Yilan County. Its government office, ...

. It was upgraded to a Hokutō Town in 1941. After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, it was renamed as ''Peitou'' urban township (), belonging to

Taipei County New Taipei City is a special municipality located in northern Taiwan. The city is home to an estimated population of 3,974,683 as of 2022, making it the most populous city of Taiwan, and also the second largest special municipality by area, b ...

. Beginning in 1949, ''Peitou'' and Shilin were administered by the newly formed

Yangmingshan Administrative Bureau Yangmingshan Administrative Bureau () was a county level administrative body in Republic of China's Taiwan Province between 1949 and 1973. History The territory of the Yangmingshan Administrative Bureau was administered by Shirin Town () and H ...

. Both of them were merged into

on 1 July 1968 as districts. In 1974, Yangmingshan Administrative Bureau underwent restructuring and Beitou District was placed under direct jurisdiction of Taipei City.

Economy

Asus has its headquarters in Beitou.2007 Corporate Sustainability Report
." Asus. 10 of 67. Retrieved on March 15, 2010. "ASUS has its headquarters located in No. 15, Li-Te Rd., Beitou, Taipei 11259, Taiwan."

Institutions

National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine The National Research Institute of Chinese Medicine (NRICM; ; previously: ''National Institute of Chinese Medicine'') is a research center responsible for research, experimental and development issues of Chinese medicine. It is located in the Be ...

Education

Universities and colleges: * Dharma Drum Mountain Community University - Beitou Campus *

Fu Hsing Kang College The Political Warfare College (), also known as Fu Hsing Kang College (復興崗, "Renaissance Hill"), is a military academy in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. During the Japanese occupation period, this location was the racetrack of Beitou; afte ...

National Defense University The National Defense University (NDU) is an institution of higher education funded by the United States Department of Defense, intended to facilitate high-level education, training, and professional development of national security leaders. As ...

National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Science The National Taipei University of Nursing and Health Sciences () is a public Medical School located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. History Founded in 1954 as Taiwan Provincial Junior College of Nursing, National Taipei University of Nurs ...

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU; ) is a public research university in Taiwan. It was created in 2021 through the merger of National Yang-Ming University and National Chiao Tung University. At present, there are 19 colleges, 74 un ...

Taipei City University of Science and Technology The Taipei City University of Science and Technology (TPCU; ) is a technological university located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. History TPCU's original name "Kuang Wu" is derived from Emperor Guangwu of Han. After entering the 21st centu ...

Taipei National University of the Arts The Taipei National University of the Arts (TNUA; ) is a national university in Guandu, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The preparatory committees to establish the school was formed on 22 October 1980. The National Institute of the A ...

Junior and Senior High Schools: * Taipei Municipal Zhong-zheng Senior High School * Taipei Municipal Fuxing Senior High School * Taipei Xin-Min Junior High School * Taipei Beitou Junior High School * Taipei Mingde Junior High School

Infrastructure

Beitou Refuse Incineration Plant The Beitou Refuse Incineration Plant () is an incinerator in Zhoumei Borough, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The plant was originally established as the Shilin Refuse Incineration Plant on 1 July 1991. On 1 July 1995, the plant was re ...

Tourism

Beitou has one of the largest concentrations of hot springs and spas in the world. Once a small park where locals used to relax in the hot springs, the Beitou Valley has evolved today to include over thirty resorts; a 20-minute subway ride north of Taipei takes you to Beitou. The resorts and spas are regarded by many locals and international tourists as among the most relaxing and rejuvenating places in the country. The spas consist of different degree pools (from cool to very hot) and minerals. However, residents of this district note that sulfuric fumes from the hot springs do ruin their electric appliances in the long term.

Tourist attractions

Beitou Hot Spring Museum The Beitou Hot Spring Museum () is a museum about hot spring in Beitou Park, Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The construction of the building started in 1911 and completed in 1913 during the Japanese rule of Taiwan. It was init ...

* Beitou Museum *

Beitou Park The Beitou Park () is a park in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The park was created in 1913, making it the third oldest park in Taipei and the first hot spring park on the island. It was constructed to welcome the visit of Prince Hiro ...

* Beitou Plum Garden * Beitou Presbyterian Church *

Grass Mountain Chateau The Grass Mountain Chateau () is a former residence of late President of the Republic of China Chiang Kai-shek located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan in Yangmingshan National Park. History Empire of Japan The Grass Mountain Chateau, a buil ...

* Guandu Nature Park *

Guandu Temple The Guandu Temple () is a prominent Chinese temple in Beitou District of Taipei, Taiwan, dedicated the Goddess Mazu. History The temple was originally constructed in 1712. It was also known as Lingshan Temple due to its location at Mount Ling.. ...

* Hong-Gah Museum *

Ketagalan Culture Center The Ketagalan Culture Center (KCC; ) is a cultural center in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The cultural center is dedicated to introduce the various plains indigenous peoples, plains indigenous cultures, including the Ketagalan people, Ketaga ...

* Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts *

Lady Zhou's Memorial Gate The Lady Zhou's Memorial Gate () is a paifang in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. Name The gate is named after Lady Zhou, a local lady who was born in 1788 and died in 1846. She was widowed a very young age and raised her children as a single m ...

Nung Chan Monastery The Nung Chan Monastery (meaning 'Farming Ch'an') is a monastery at Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is formally founded in 1975 by Ven. Dongchu, a scholar monk and disciple of renowned Chinese Buddhist Master Taixu. It's named ' ''Farming Ch ...

Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch Taipei Public Library Beitou Branch () is a public library in Beitou Park, located within Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. It is Taiwan's first green library. History The library was opened in November 2006. Architecture It is a two-storey bui ...

* Thermal Valley * Tittot Glass Art Museum *

Yangmingshan National Park Yangmingshan National Park is one of the nine national parks in Taiwan, located in both Taipei and New Taipei City. The districts that are partially in the park include Taipei's Beitou and Shilin Districts; and New Taipei's Wanli, Jinshan, ...

Zhongxing Guesthouse The Zhongxing Guesthouse () also known as the Yangmingshuwu is a historical site located in on Zhongxing road in Yangmingshan National Park in the Beitou District of Taipei, Taiwan. It was constructed between 1969 and 1970 by late Republic of Ch ...

Zhuzihu Ponlai Rice Foundation Seed Field Story House The Zhuzihu Ponlai Rice Foundation Seed Field Story House () is a historic building in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The building is located within Yangmingshan National Park. History Empire of Japan The area where the building stands used to ...

* Hot Springs in Xin Beitou and Xingyi Road * Beitou Cape: Lighthouse and seaside resort * Puji Temple

Transportation

The district is served by

Beitou Station The Taipei Metro Beitou station (formerly transliterated as Peitou Station until 2003) is a station on the Tamsui–Xinyi line and Xinbeitou branch line), located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The location of station can be traced back the ...

Xinbeitou Station The Taipei Metro Xinbeitou station (formerly transliterated as Hsin Peitou Station from 1997 until 2003) is the terminal station on the Xinbeitou branch line located in Beitou District, Taipei, Taiwan. The location of the station used to be the ...

Zhongyi Station The Taipei Metro Zhongyi station (formerly transliterated as Chungyi Station until 2003) is located in Beitou District, Taipei. Taiwan. It is a station on the Tamsui–Xinyi Line. In the past, the station belonged to the now-defunct TRA Tamsui ...

, Qiyan Station, Fuxinggang Station, Guandu Station, Qilian Station, Mingde Station and Shipai Station of the

Taipei Metro Taipei Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), branded as Metro Taipei, is a rapid transit system serving the areas of Taipei and New Taipei in Taiwan, operated by the government-owned Taipei Rapid Transit Corporation, which also operates the Maokong Gondo ...

Notable people

* Ashin, singer, songwriter and author *

Gingle Wang Gingle Wang (Chinese: 王淨; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: ''Ông Chēng''; pinyin: Wáng Jìng; born 7 February 1998) is a Taiwanese actress and writer. Rapidly gaining reputation from her work across various films and television productions, she already e ...

, actress and writer *

Tai Chih-yuan Andy Tai Chih-yuan (, born 7 May 1965) is a Taiwanese comedian, actor, show host and YouTuber. He is a graduate of New York Institute of Technology The New York Institute of Technology (NYIT or New York Tech) is a private research university f ...

, comedian, actor and show host

References

External links

* *
- Photos of Beitou by Junewei(Wayne)
* Ku, Melody. Travel Taiwan. Central Coast Magazine, San Luis Obispo, CA. Dec. 2004. * https://web.archive.org/web/20120226062458/http://www.go2taiwan.net/monthly_selection.php?sqno=23 {{coord, 25.1167, N, 121.5, E, source:kolossus-jawiki, display=title Districts of Taipei Hot springs of Taiwan Taiwan placenames originating from Formosan languages