For years, Taiwanese have been traveling to hot-springs resorts in Japan, but only recently have they discovered the joys of soaking in tubs closer to home, sometimes even just around the corner. Going to a hot spring has now become a leisure activity similar to going to the movies or playing tennis.
"Hot-spring visits used to be part of travel, but now they are part of everyday life," said Chen Chun-ting, secretary general of the Taiwan Hot Spring Spa Association.
Chen, a self-declared hot-spring addict, played a role in triggering the new craze as he helped design a promotion campaign for the island's hot springs in 1999.
By jumping on the health, beauty and fitness bandwagon, the spa business, which for decades had a seedy association with prostitution, was able to shed a shady image that kept many from taking a dip. Hotels, bathhouses and inns built around hot springs have since been mushrooming, catering to the island's well-heeled urban middle class.