Zhiben Hot Spring

22°41′35″N 121°00′47″E / 22.693°N 121.013°E / 22.693; 121.013

The Zhiben Hot Spring (Chinese: 知本溫泉; pinyin: Zhīběn Wēnquán; Wade–Giles: Chīh-pěn Wēn-ch'üán) is a hot spring in Beinan, Taitung County, Taiwan. It is one of the most famous Taiwanese hot springs.

History

The Puyuma people, which inhabited in the area, learned that the Zhiben Hot Spring was healthy to the human body. During the Japanese rule era, the government set up public baths using water from the hot spring. On 8 August 2009 Zhiben was one of many places in Taiwan to be badly hit by Typhoon Morakot (2009) and made international news headlines when an eyewitness filmed the collapse of a riverside hotel undermined by flood waters.^[1]^[2] However, Zhiben's infrastructure was very rapidly restored^[3] and as of autumn 2009 the main spas are once more operational and easy to reach from Taitung City.

References

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[1] Photo of collapsed hotel

[2] YouTube video of hotel's collapse. The Hoya Hotel which is seen behind the collapsing Jin Shuai Hotel remains in good condition

[3] By October 15th 2009 there was already a Hot Springs Cuisine Festival held here

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