The Beitou Museum (aka Taiwan Folk Art Museum 北投文物館) is a former Japanese-era Hot Spring hotel that has now been turned into a museum and art exhibition space in Beitou District of Taipei. The building also includes restaurants and great views of Beitou. It is a great place to enjoy the history and culture of Beitou.
Historical Background:
In 1894 during the Qing Dynasty, the first person to establish a hot spring in Beitou was German sulfur merchant Ouely. The following year, Japanese Rear Admiral Tsunoda Hidematsu and Taipei County Secretary Nirei Keiji inspected the hot springs. On November 10, 1895, Governor Kabayama Sukenori also visited, and a public bath area began to form near today’s Beitou Hot Spring Museum.
In 1905 funds were raised to to construct Puji Temple, dedicated to the goddess of hot springs, Kannon, to bless the local hot spring industry. In 1913, a public hot spring bath was established under the direction of the Taipei Prefecture, modeled after the hot springs of Izu in Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. It cost more than 56,000 yen to build. In the late 1920s, members of the Japanese imperial family, including Prince Asaka Yasuhiko, visited Beitou’s public baths.
The Beitou Museum was originally known as the Kazan Hotel and was built in 1921. It was known as the best hot spring hotel during the Japanese era and was used by Kamakazi pilots before their final flights.
After the ROC took control of Taiwan, the building was converted into a dormitory for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and was known as the Old Moon Manor 佳山宿舍. Later the building was taken over by a private owner and remade into the Taiwan Folk Art and Antique House (臺灣民藝文物之家), which preserved folk art and aboriginal art. Its name was later changed in 1987 to the current name, Beitou Museum (北投文物館).
In 1998, the museum was designated as a national historic site. It is one of the largest wooden structures left from the Japanese era.
Later, the building underwent renovations from 2002 to 2008.
The museum is usually not very crowded and provides great views of the area.
Hours:
10 AM to 6 PM
Closed Mondays
Price
120 NT per person
You can book tickets for a discount on Klook here or KKday here.
Yiran House 怡然居:
Set meals are about 500-1000 NT
You can book a discount meal on Klook here.
Activities:
Besides soaking in hot springs, there are many activities available in Beitou such as Rock Climbing, Water Skiing, Kani Kimono Rental, Escape Experience, Beitou Museum, and more on Klook here or KKday here.
Tours:
You can check out tours to Beitou such as a Beitou and Yangmingshan Day Tour, Beitou and Yeliu Day Tour, Beitou and Tamsui Day Tour, Beitou and National Palace Museum Tour, Beitou Muslim Friendly Tour, Beitou Arts and Culture Tour, Flower Season Tour, and more on Klook here or KKday here.
You can also check out the Beitou Fun Package from KKday which includes a one-day transportation coupon, hot spring coupon, and coupon for over 8 souvenir shops in Beitou.
Where to Stay:
High end: We have stayed at and recommend the Yuanshan Grand Hotel, once the tallest building in Taiwan and still the most grand (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here).
We also recommend Fullon Hotel which has locations in Tamsui and Fulong near the beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here).
Budget Hotels: We have stayed at and also recommend Fu Chang Hotel in Ximending, which is within walking distance of Ximending shopping district (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, or Agoda here). We have also stayed at and recommend Hai Xia Your Home which is right in front of Fulong Beach (book on Booking.com here, Tripadvisor here, Agoda here, or Hotels.com here).
Looking for a hotel? We recommend booking through Booking.com here, which provides the best quality selection of accommodation in Taiwan.
Find out where to stay in our Taiwan hotels guide or search for the best hotel deals in Taiwan here.
How to get there:
By MRT:
Take the MRT to Xinbeitou MRT station. From there you can also take the S25 or S30 bus further up the mountain to the Beitou Museum Bus Stop. You can book tickets to travel to Taipei via inter-city bus on Klook here.
By Car/Scooter:
From downtown Taipei, take Provincial Highway 2 north to New Beitou MRT Station. There is limited paid parking nearby. Looking for scooter rental in Taipei? Check out Klook here, or KKday here to search for options. You can also check out our scooter rental guide here.
If you are looking for car rentals, you can also search Qeeq here, Klook here, or KKday here. You can also check out our car rental guide here.
By Bicycle:
Cycling is the best way to enjoy Taiwan’s landscapes if you have the time and energy. Looking for bicycle rentals in Taiwan? You can use Taiwan’s many Youbike sharing stations, or search for rentals on KKday here, and search for tours on Klook here. You can also check out our Taiwan cycling guide here.
Map:
Please see a list of places we will cover in the map below:
