Nantou Wild Hot Springs - Elite Hot Springs Introduction
Today, we traveled via National Highway No. 6 to Nantou to explore the wild hot springs. After leaving Puli and heading to Wushe, we turned onto the Provincial Highway 14乙 towards Lushan. Along the way, we saw signs for Chunyang Hot Spring and descended into the river valley. We could see the detour at the riverbed where tourists were stranded during the recent heavy rain and the construction of a red steel bridge. Upon asking nearby residents, we learned that the hot springs had been buried, but small hot springs had been discovered flowing from the rock walls nearby, along with a not-so-clean pool excavated by machinery. We decided to turn back, passing the fork leading to Lushan Hot Springs and continued driving. Not far after passing the sign for Xibao Village, right before entering the Jingyin Village, there was a small sign on the right. We followed a narrow cement road that barely allowed one small vehicle to pass. Along the way, as we drove past an indigenous-style house, we noticed a red sign indicating that the area was a Category A controlled zone, requiring permission to enter, etc. The road conditions were poor, making it difficult for vehicles that were not high clearance; we also encountered a construction truck going uphill, but fortunately managed to reverse to a bend to pass each other before continuing down to the Lover's Suspension Bridge. We parked at the fork near the Lover's Suspension Bridge, where there was a small area resembling a scenic spot under renovation. Upon checking online later, I found that parking fees were once collected here, but since we came on a non-holiday, there was no one around, only occasional construction vehicles passing by. It wasn't necessary to park in that space, as others had parked further up along the road. After parking, we walked upstream to the rock wall next to the Lover's Suspension Bridge and discovered two pools surrounded by stones. One pool had higher water temperatures while the other could adjust the temperature with creek water. The hot spring water was abundant, and with beautiful scenery surrounding us, my classmates jumped in to soak while I dipped my feet in. I was puzzled as to why everyone thought the Jingyin Hot Springs had disappeared, but later I found online that there used to be more pools in this area, along the creek, suggesting that perhaps the largest pool of Jingyin Hot Springs had been buried. However, for us, having such a visually stunning wild hot spring pool was quite satisfying. I also found that some people had recently visited Jingyin Hot Springs, with the pools they soaked in located about six hundred meters further up, so we could visit that area next time.
