I originally thought Beitou was a different city from Taipei. It turns out it is one of Taipei's districts to the north and a mere 20 minutes away from the central business district by MRT.

Known for its hot springs, the district is visited by local and foreign tourists mainly for its spas which range from affordable to deluxe. All depending on one's plans, a visit here could last from just half a day to a long full day soaking in the hot spring waters in a communal public bath house or an expensive hotel.

We went mainly to sightsee and the ads for spas in this and that location were everywhere. Right from the get go, we could smell the sulphur springs from the station and it didn't take long to find ourselves right in the thick of the spring spa phenomenon.

Besides the hot springs, another landmark we wanted to see and visit here was the Ketagalan Cultural Center. Originally from the Philippines, I am very aware of the mountain tribes of the north in my country and I was just so intrigued by the resemblance of the indigenous Taiwanese people to them.