Understand
Beitou has two faces. Old Beitou is the area where the local people have lived and worked for over a century and is located around Beitou MRT Station and Beitou Market, while Xin Beitou New Beitou is the area around Xin Beitou MRT Station and Qinshui Park that was developed as a hot spring resort during the Japanese era 1895-1945. In addition to the waters, Xin Beitou's other attraction was the girls, and the area had the dubious distinction of being one of Taiwan's largest illegal red light districts.
During the 60s, many characterless concrete hotels were built around the park area, and these structures remained the dominant feature of Beitou's landscape for over twenty years.
The late 80's and 90s, however, ushered in a new era. The government made a concerted effort to clean up the area, and the MRT line reached Beitou. As a result, the concrete hotels were either demolished and rebuilt or totally refurbished as luxury spas. In addition, many new apartments were constructed to accommodate young professionals with families who were drawn to the Beitou area because of its good environment and convenient transportation links to downtown Taipei.
Like a phoenix rising from the steam of the scalding waters, the Beitou of today is characterized by its high quality spas, good hotels, excellent living accommodation and green and lush environment.
Due to the smell of sulphur and the constant rising of steam, the Beitou valley had the appearance of a witch's cauldron, and so the Aboriginal inhabitants of the area named it paktaaw, meaning 'witch'. Beitou is the Sinicized form of this name.
