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Beitou District

District in Taipei, Taiwan

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History

The area's hot springs had long been enjoyed by the aboriginal people of Taiwan. Shortly before the Japanese period a German sulfur merchant established the first hot spring club in Beitou.

During early Japanese rule, Hokutō (Pak-tâu) was a village at the entrance of the well-known North Formosa sulfur district. Three Japanese extracting plants in this district produced about 200 short tons (180,000 kg) of sulfur monthly. The Japanese had already recognized the value of the village as a sanitary resort and constructed a Japanese inn with hot mineral baths provided by the sulfur springs. The hot springs have been developed to include aroma therapy, massage, acupuncture, hydrotherapy, and excellent cuisine which complement the entire spa experience. The mineral waters stream from the numerous geothermal vents that occur naturally in the region and are famous for their health benefits.

In 1896, Japanese anthropologist Inō Kanori surveyed the three Ketagalan settlements in the area, finding that the indigenous group had adopted the language and culture of the majority Han Chinese, although Ketagalan women still wore their hair in a traditional style. in his 1896 visit, Inō observed that most residents of the northernmost Ketagalan settlement had converted to Christianity. By the 1910s, the northernmost settlement had been disestablished to make extraction of white clay easier. The central Ketagalan settlement was cleared for a horse racing track in the late 1930s.

Between 1920 and 1941, Hokutō Village (北投庄) was governed under Shichisei District, Taihoku Prefecture. It was upgraded to a Hokutō Town in 1941.

After the handover of Taiwan from Japan to the Republic of China in 1945, it was renamed as Peitou urban township (北投鎮), belonging to Taipei County. Beginning in 1949, Peitou and Shilin were administered by the newly formed Yangmingshan Administrative Bureau. Both of them were merged into Taipei City on 1 July 1968 as districts. In 1974, Yangmingshan Administrative Bureau underwent restructuring and Beitou District was placed under direct jurisdiction of Taipei City.

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