Nantou Wild River Hot Springs - Elite Hot Springs Introduction
Today, I traveled on National Freeway No. 6 towards Nantou to visit the wild hot springs. After leaving Puli and heading to Wushe, I turned onto County Route 14B towards Lushan. Along the way, I spotted a sign for Chunyang Hot Spring, and as I descended into the river valley, I saw the makeshift path at the riverbed where visitors were trapped during the last heavy rain, alongside a red steel bridge under construction. Residents nearby mentioned that the hot spring had been buried, but small springs were found flowing from the cliffside, with an excavated pool nearby that was not very clean. I then returned by the same route, passed the fork leading to Lushan Hot Spring, and continued my drive. Not far past the sign for Xibao tribe, just as I entered the Qingyin Tribe community, I saw a small sign on the right. I took the narrow concrete road on the right, which was only wide enough for a small vehicle to pass. As I navigated past a residence styled in indigenous fashion, there was a red sign indicating that this community was a Type A controlled area, requiring permission for entry, etc. The road conditions were poor, and low-clearance vehicles might struggle. Along the way, I encountered a construction truck heading uphill but managed to reverse to a bend to allow it to pass. I continued downhill until I reached the Lovers’ Suspension Bridge. I parked at a fork near the Lovers’ Suspension Bridge, where there was a small space that appeared to be undergoing renovation for a scenic area. After checking online later, I discovered that parking fees had been collected here in the past, but since I came on a non-holiday, there was no one around, although construction vehicles occasionally passed by. It was also possible to park further up the road, as some people mentioned on the internet. After parking, we walked upstream to the rock walls beside the Lovers’ Suspension Bridge and found two pools enclosed by stones. One had hotter water, while the other could mix with stream water to adjust the temperature. The hot spring water was abundant, and with the beautiful surroundings, my classmates eagerly jumped into the pools while I soaked my feet. I was puzzled as to why everyone believed the Qingyin Hot Springs had disappeared; I later found online that there used to be more pools here, many along the stream, which likely explains why the largest pool of Qingyin Hot Springs has been buried. Nonetheless, having access to such a picturesque wilderness hot spring pool was satisfying for us. I also discovered that some people had recently visited Qingyin Hot Springs, but their pool was about 600 meters further up. We plan to explore that area next time.
