Peitou Stone-a national treasure
On the Museum's second floor, with its Japanese-style architecture, one can reminisce about the glory days of Peitou. After descending the wooden staircase to the first floor with its Roman-style baths surrounding their namesake springs, one can fully appreciate the particular styles of hot springs baths from both Taiwan and the rest of the world in one sweeping view.
The hot springs at Peitou and Yangmingshan are divided into white, blue, and iron sulfur springs. The water of the white sulfur springs has the usual acidity of sulfur, while the iron sulfur spring water is clear and odorless, and contains ferrous minerals. Of the three, however, the most acidic springs are the blue sulfur ones, and it is these that are the Peitou thermal valley's speciality. Their water is clear, with a hint of blue-green, and contains traces of radioactive elements-it is said that these springs are especially therapeutic.
The exhibition doesn't just explain the differences between each kind of spring, however-it also houses three-dimensional miniatures, showing the springs used by each hotel and residence in the Peitou area today. "If you want to know which hotel uses which kind of spring water, this model can more or less show you," says Sung. Surrounding the main bathing pool are unusual looking porcelain pipes, ringed with brick. While most visitors have been to a hot springs before, this is generally their first exposure to the mechanisms for keeping track of water flow and fees.
At each bathing pool area, a path down the center divided it into two sections-a large, Roman-style pool for the men and two small, shallow, mosaicked pools for their wives and children. The men and women also used different staircases to their respective pools, although each could still hear the sounds from the other staircase filter over the dividing wall.
Over the women's pool was a clear glass skylight, through which scattered sunlight would shine down onto an 80-kilogram rock, which is a prized possession of Peitou Hot Springs Museum-"Peitou Stone"
Peitou Stone-hokutolite-is the only mineral in the world to be named after a place in Taiwan, and is only found in Peitou and the hot springs of Tamagawa in Japan. The thermal valley at the source of Peitou Creek contains sulfuric acid, iron, barium, radium, and other base elements. As the creek water flows between 90 and 390 meters from the source, the water temperature drops enough to cause these elements to crystallize on the gravel that lines the creek bed.
Peitou Stone emits a small amount of radiation, and during the occupation the Japanese saw it as a "natural memento," and thus granted Peitou Creek a degree of protection while developing the area. Even today, since Peitou Stone is still formed there, the riverbanks are protected in their natural state and may not be banked up with cement as at other sites.
The eruption of the Tatun volcanic area 2.8 million years ago was the prologue for the Peitou Hot Springs Museum story, which continues to play out to this very day. (photo by Hsueh Chi-kuang)