Upgrades to the hot spring park along Pingtung County’s Sihchong River (四重溪) are drawing tourists back to the region, as the number of visitors has risen over the past two years, the county government said on Monday.
The Pingtung Transportation and Tourism Department said that investment in the area — once a popular hot spring destination, due to the county’s ocean vistas and other scenery — has started to bring bathers back.
The county last month announced that it would provide assistance to investors at the hot springs near the river, saying it hoped investor interest and creativity could speed up development in the area.
Photo: Tsai Tsung-hsien, Taipei Times
During the Japanese colonial period, Sihchong — along with Tainan’s Guanzihling (關子嶺) and Taipei’s Beitou District (北投) and Yangmingshan National Park (陽明山國家公園) — was considered one of the island’s four best hot spring areas, the county said.
However, in recent decades, as domestic tourism patterns changed and Sihchong’s facilities aged, the number of visitors decreased, the department said.
The hot springs park at Sihchong River, built by the Japanese colonial administration in 1933, fell into disrepair and was overgrown with weeds when the county government secured about NT$100 million (US$3.32 million at the current exchange rate) from the central government to renovate it two years ago, it said.
The department was careful to retain the park’s unique Japanese style, it said, adding that the park has become a hot spot for visitors to the county, along with nearby sites, such as Fu An Temple (福安宮) and the Shihmen historic battlefield (石門古戰場).
The county government this year started promoting small businesses in the area, helping to establish shops selling unique local products around the river, which has attracted more visitors, along with artistic light installations, it said.
The results have made the county aware of opportunities for future development, it added.
The hot springs are often visited together with other nature sites in the region, including the Dongyuan wetlands (東源濕地), the Syuhai hot springs (旭海溫泉) and the Alangyi Ancient Trail (阿塱壹古道), it said.
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