In the mountains of northern Taiwan, a Nordic-inspired hot spring sanctuary

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Remarkable Living

In the mountains of northern Taiwan, a Nordic-inspired hot spring sanctuary

The Gaia Hotel in Beitou boasts a private thermal bath with its ain snow-making machine and a iv-storey library filled with v,000 tomes.

10 Jan 2022 06:30AM (Updated: 21 May 2022 02:30PM)

Just a 20-minute railroad train ride from Taipei, Beitou is best known for its therapeutic hot springs and boasts i of the largest concentrations of geothermal pools in the world. At the foot of Danfeng Mount, you'll find chic Nordic-inspired The Gaia Hotel, which enjoys yr-round thermal spring water inside its compounds.

"Unlike other hot springs in Taiwan, Beitou's landscape is very dissimilar every bit it'due south surrounded by mountains and gives you a relaxing sense of infinite," said The Gaia Hotel's owner, Jocelyn Wang.

Gaia Hotel in Beitou boasts a private thermal bath with its own snowfall-making machine and a 4-storey library filled with 5,000 tomes.

Wang recalled fond memories of her childhood there. "The 1 thing yous must do in Beitou is to become to the hot springs – a culture that has been around for more than 100 years. My dad loved to take the states to Thermal Valley to cook eggs (in the spring water) and visit historical sites like Beitou Hot Bound Museum," she described.

According to her, Thermal Valley was one of the first hot springs in Beitou. "The water temperature hither ranges from 80 to 100 degrees celsius, and the year-long sulphuric steam is what gave the area terrifying nicknames similar Hell Valley or Ghost Lake," she shared.

When the opportunity presented itself, Wang'due south parents purchased the hotel and gifted it to her to fuel her passion in the hospitality industry. "For me, it was a gift of love. When they kickoff told me about information technology, I wasn't very happy because I am very pragmatic, and felt that it would non exist like shooting fish in a barrel to operate a hot springs resort hotel in Taiwan. Simply over a twelvemonth, I gradually fell in love with it," she enthused.

"Beitou is getting more and more famous around the world and then I believe the future for the states bright. My hope is for us to preserve the landscape and civilization of Beitou and its people."

Under her leadership, The Gaia Hotel was renovated and reopened in 2022 with a relaxing Nordic vibe to complement the tranquil surrounds. Bathed in serene white interiors and exteriors, the hotel sports plenty of tall windows for guests to savour the view exterior.

"The hotel's design philosophy is all about quiet contemplation. One of our main concepts is having 'one window with one view' where the rooms relish plenty of natural light."

Besides the private hot spring sanctuary reserved for hotel guests, there is besides a suite built with its ain private thermal bath complete with a snowfall-making machine. "Hot springs are all-time enjoyed amidst snowy surroundings at sunset, and then nosotros got this machine to recreate snowfall all year round!" she quipped.

Equally a nod to its natural surround, The Gaia's rooms are furnished with locally-sourced furniture. Camphor trees that perished in the typhoon, for example, were harnessed and turned into tea trays. "We inscribed this line into the trays: The Camphor tree that fell over during the draft at present continues its dazzler of life at The Gaia Hotel," revealed Wang.

A standout characteristic of the hotel is the four-storey library filled with 5,000 books – a place to enjoy The Gaia'due south calming atmosphere. "I promise when guests come here, they can choice a book at random. But what they take away from their journeys may change depending on what they read," she said.

Adapted from the series Remarkable Living. Lookout man full episodes on CNA, every Sunday at 8.30pm.

In the mountains of northern Taiwan, a Nordic-inspired hot spring sanctuary

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