The story of Xinbeitou Historic Station
The only remaining station in Tamsui railway line.
The entrance to Beitou, the starting point of railway life culture.
In Taiwan under Japanese rule, the Xinbeitou branch railway line was constructed, and “Xinbeitou Platform” was established in 1916 (Taisho 5th year) and later renamed as “Xinbeitou Station” in order to boost the hot springs tourism in Xinbeitou region. The name of Xinbeitou just came from the name of the railway station. The building of Xinbeitou Station is the only extant one with more than a hundred years of history in the TRA Tamsui Line and even in Taipei City.
With a wood-frame structure, the station is characterized by the engraved brackets under the eaves and the 3-plus-1 oeil-de-boeuf windows resulting from the expansion of the station in 1937. However, the service ceased in 1988 with termination of the TRA Tamsui Line, and the original station building was thus disassembled and moved to Taiwan Folk Village in Changhua for display.
In 2003, with the increase of the awareness of cultural heritage preservation, the Taipei City Government together with non-governmental organizations strived for the return of the station building. With some setbacks along the way, Rirong Asset management Co., Ltd. agreed to donate ...
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Former Imperial Japanese Army Hospital
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Originally built in 1916, Xinbeitou Station is the only remaining century-old wooden railway station in Taipei City. Known for its ornamental corbels and signature tiger windows, the station was dismantled in 1988 after the closure of the Tamsui Line and relocated to Changhua. Following a campaign by the public and city government, the station was reconstructed next to Qixing Park in 2017 and is now operated by the Taipei Culture Foundation. It continues to serve as a community gathering place through events and cultural activities.
More Information
Beitou Heart Village
Beitou Heart Village is the only hot spring military medical dependents’ village in Taiwan, and one of the few remaining military settlements in Taipei City that still retain a complete and intact layout. It preserves multiple styles of residential architecture reflecting Beitou’s history and lifestyle. Since 2021, the village has been managed by the Taipei Culture Foundation as a hub for promoting military dependents’ culture. Through educational activities and exhibitions, the site revitalizes community memory and promotes the preservation and redevelopment of veteran settlements.
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Originally constructed in 1921 as the luxurious “Kaizan Ryokan,” the Beitou Museum is Taiwan’s largest surviving two-story wooden building in Japanese style. It features large communal baths and elegant garden landscaping. Designated as a municipal historic site in 1998, the museum now functions as a cultural and creative space offering exhibitions on Taiwanese and Japanese culture, traditional tea ceremonies, Japanese sweets, and baby’s first birthday customs.
More Information
Beitou Children's Amusement Park
Built around 1913 in response to the crowds visiting the then-new Beitou Public Bathhouse, the amusement park provided families a place to relax. The terrazzo slides and wooden swings, while simple by today’s standards, were once cutting-edge facilities that brought joy to generations of children.
More Information
MRT Xinbeitou Station
With its convenient transport links and beautiful surroundings, Xinbeitou Station welcomes all visitors to begin exploring every corner of Beitou from here.
More Information
Yinsong Pavilion
Built in 1934, Yinsong Pavilion is a traditional Japanese inn known for its refined architectural details, including black tile roofs, koi ponds, arched bridges, and sculpted lanterns. Its hillside layout offers expansive views, and the use of hinoki cypress interiors adds a touch of elegance. It is recognized as Taiwan’s first heritage-designated hotel.
More Information
Longnice Hot Spring
The oldest surviving bathhouse in Beitou features gender-separated stone pools, with the men’s bath nearing 90 years old. Constructed with Qilian rock and sealed using sulfur paste, the pools remain intact today. It was originally a military hospital and later opened to the public. Known colloquially as “Three-Cent Bathhouse” due to its low entry fee, it retains a distinctly nostalgic atmosphere that captures Beitou’s working-class hot spring history.
More Information
Ten Gu An Historian Park
Established in 1896, Ten Gu An was Taiwan’s first privately operated hot spring inn. It witnessed the early development of Beitou’s hot spring industry and has since been redeveloped by the Taipei City Government as a commemorative park.
More Information
Xinbeitou Park 71
Formerly the site of Yifang Elementary School, this space was repurposed into a rehearsal and performance center in 2008 after the school relocated. Managed by the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs, the former classrooms now house rehearsal studios, administrative offices, and storage, providing performing arts groups with affordable space through an open application process.
More Information
Old Taiwan Bank Dormitory
Comprising three buildings from different periods, this site includes A Building (1932–1940, once Matsushima Ryokan) and B/C Buildings (1919–1922, once the private villa of Koizuka Kenkichi). After WWII, the complex was repurposed by Bank of Taiwan as a staff club and dormitory. Featuring both traditional Japanese and Western architectural elements, the complex even spans across the Beitou Creek. It was restored in 2010 and remains a rare example of nature-integrated historical architecture.
More Information
Beitou Library
Beitou Library was the first building in Taiwan to receive the certification of “Green Building”. Located within the lush and ecologically rich Beitou Park. The building comprises two above-ground floors and one basement level, covering a total area of approximately 2,150 square meters. With a collection of tens of thousands of books, the library specializes in the theme of ecological conservation. It features a lightweight green roof with solar panels and energy-saving designs such as deep balconies and vertical wooden louvers that minimize heat radiation and reduce energy consumption.
More Information
Ketagalan Culture Center
Established in November 2002 by the Indigenous Peoples Commission of Taipei City Government, the Ketagalan Culture Center was built to showcase indigenous cultural arts. It serves as a dedicated space for urban indigenous communities to preserve and practice their traditions. The first to third floors feature exhibitions of significant artifacts from both Pingpu and other indigenous groups. The center also functions as a venue for performances, events, workshops, and gatherings, fostering a strong sense of community. It offers a themed library with multilingual resources to enhance understanding and appreciation of indigenous cultures.
More Information
Beitou Hot Spring Museum
Designated as a municipal historic site, the Beitou Hot Spring Museum was originally constructed in 1913 as the Beitou Public Bathhouse, once the largest public bath in East Asia. After World War II, the facility fell into disrepair due to changes in management. In 1994, students and teachers of Beitou elementary school discovered the abandoned bathhouse and petitioned for its preservation. With support from the community, it was restored and reopened in 1998 as the Beitou Hot Spring Museum. As Taiwan’s first museum saved through grassroots action, it serves as a cultural hub committed to preserving and innovating Beitou’s unique heritage.
More Information
Beitou Public Assembly Hall
Formerly the office of the Beitou Investigation Unit under the Military Police Command, the Beitou Public Assembly Hall was renovated in 2002 to become the first civic center established by Taipei City. This transformation aimed to promote local culture and showcase regional industrial characteristics. Nestled in the misty hills of the Beitou hot spring area and surrounded by lush forests, the hall is often enveloped in clouds and serene natural beauty. It regularly hosts exhibitions of historical relics and artworks by various artists, making it an ideal place to experience both cultural enrichment and personal relaxation amidst nature.
More Information
Former Imperial Japanese Army Hospital
A designated historic site, this hospital was built in 1898 and used during the Russo-Japanese War (1904) to treat wounded Japanese soldiers repatriated from the battlefield. The buildings are aligned along hillside contours, with north-facing corridors providing moisture and heat protection. Constructed using traditional wooden structures and local materials, the architecture blends Japanese and Taiwanese styles. Today, it is operated by the Tri-Service General Hospital and houses the “The Garden of spirit” a social enterprise workshop employing persons with disabilities and offering vocational rehabilitation services.
More Information
Beitou Plum Garden
Built in the late 1930s beside Beitou Creek within Beitou Park, Beitou Plum Garden is a Japanese-Western-style residence that bears witness to wartime history. It features a hot spring bath, decorative ceilings, a wooden attic, and a concrete air raid shelter. Designated as a historic building in 2006, it is now operated by the Taipei Culture Foundation, which uses the site for art exhibitions and educational programs that integrate Beitou’s cultural charm with the arts.
More Information
Thermal Valley
Thermal Valley, located next to Beitou Park, is a key source of Beitou’s hot springs and is known for its rare green sulfur springs and hokutolite mineral. Shrouded in mist year-round, it offers a surreal landscape once celebrated as one of Taiwan’s “Eight Scenic Spots and Twelve Views.” With lakeside trails and hand-soaking facilities, it invites visitors to experience the tranquil beauty of geothermal nature.
More Information
Beitou Puji Temple
As documented in the 1941 publication The Precious Record of Taiwan Buddhist Sites, Puji Temple—along with the Linji Huguo Zen Temple—is a key site of the Myoshinji school of Rinzai Zen Buddhism in Taipei. Rebuilt in 1934, it was supported mainly by employees of the Taiwan Governor-General's Railway Bureau and named “Tesshinin” in honor of Murakami Shoichi. A commemorative stone was also erected. Listed as a historic site in 1998, the temple offers a peaceful and contemplative environment.
More Information
Xinbeitou Historic Station
Originally built in 1916, Xinbeitou Station is the only remaining century-old wooden railway station in Taipei City. Known for its ornamental corbels and signature tiger windows, the station was dismantled in 1988 after the closure of the Tamsui Line and relocated to Changhua. Following a campaign by the public and city government, the station was reconstructed next to Qixing Park in 2017 and is now operated by the Taipei Culture Foundation. It continues to serve as a community gathering place through events and cultural activities.
More Information
Beitou Heart Village
Beitou Heart Village is the only hot spring military medical dependents’ village in Taiwan, and one of the few remaining military settlements in Taipei City that still retain a complete and intact layout. It preserves multiple styles of residential architecture reflecting Beitou’s history and lifestyle. Since 2021, the village has been managed by the Taipei Culture Foundation as a hub for promoting military dependents’ culture. Through educational activities and exhibitions, the site revitalizes community memory and promotes the preservation and redevelopment of veteran settlements.
More Information
Beitou Museum
Originally constructed in 1921 as the luxurious “Kaizan Ryokan,” the Beitou Museum is Taiwan’s largest surviving two-story wooden building in Japanese style. It features large communal baths and elegant garden landscaping. Designated as a municipal historic site in 1998, the museum now functions as a cultural and creative space offering exhibitions on Taiwanese and Japanese culture, traditional tea ceremonies, Japanese sweets, and baby’s first birthday customs.
More Information
Beitou Children's Amusement Park
Built around 1913 in response to the crowds visiting the then-new Beitou Public Bathhouse, the amusement park provided families a place to relax. The terrazzo slides and wooden swings, while simple by today’s standards, were once cutting-edge facilities that brought joy to generations of children.
More Information
MRT Xinbeitou Station
With its convenient transport links and beautiful surroundings, Xinbeitou Station welcomes all visitors to begin exploring every corner of Beitou from here.
More Information
Yinsong Pavilion
Built in 1934, Yinsong Pavilion is a traditional Japanese inn known for its refined architectural details, including black tile roofs, koi ponds, arched bridges, and sculpted lanterns. Its hillside layout offers expansive views, and the use of hinoki cypress interiors adds a touch of elegance. It is recognized as Taiwan’s first heritage-designated hotel.
More Information
Longnice Hot Spring
The oldest surviving bathhouse in Beitou features gender-separated stone pools, with the men’s bath nearing 90 years old. Constructed with Qilian rock and sealed using sulfur paste, the pools remain intact today. It was originally a military hospital and later opened to the public. Known colloquially as “Three-Cent Bathhouse” due to its low entry fee, it retains a distinctly nostalgic atmosphere that captures Beitou’s working-class hot spring history.
More Information
Ten Gu An Historian Park
Established in 1896, Ten Gu An was Taiwan’s first privately operated hot spring inn. It witnessed the early development of Beitou’s hot spring industry and has since been redeveloped by the Taipei City Government as a commemorative park.
More Information
Xinbeitou Park 71
Formerly the site of Yifang Elementary School, this space was repurposed into a rehearsal and performance center in 2008 after the school relocated. Managed by the Taipei City Department of Cultural Affairs, the former classrooms now house rehearsal studios, administrative offices, and storage, providing performing arts groups with affordable space through an open application process.
More Information
Old Taiwan Bank Dormitory
Comprising three buildings from different periods, this site includes A Building (1932–1940, once Matsushima Ryokan) and B/C Buildings (1919–1922, once the private villa of Koizuka Kenkichi). After WWII, the complex was repurposed by Bank of Taiwan as a staff club and dormitory. Featuring both traditional Japanese and Western architectural elements, the complex even spans across the Beitou Creek. It was restored in 2010 and remains a rare example of nature-integrated historical architecture.
More Information
**The positions indicated are approximate; for exact locations, please refer to each venue’s official website or Facebook page.
Sources: Tri-Service General Hospital Beitou Branch, Beitou Heart Village, Beitou Museum, Beitou Plum Garden, Beitou Hot Spring Museum, Taiwan Arts Cooperation Philanthropic, Thermal Valley Shop, Xinbeitou Historic Station, Xinbeitou Park 71, Beitou District Office, Taipei City Government Parks and Street Lights Office (press release), and Taipei Travel Net (listed in stroke order of Chinese names).
