Travel Guide for the 2009 New Year Holiday — Taiwan East

■ The Rueisuei Hot Springs Area was once counted among the eight wonders of Hualien. The carbonate spring that emerges from the lower reaches of the Honghe River has a light ocher tint. It is said that honeymooning couples who enjoy its waters tend to later have boy children, so it is also known as the “Baby Boy Spring.”

■ The Jhihben Hot Springs Area is a colorless and odorless sodium carbonate hot spring. It enjoyed the favor of the Japanese Emperor during the Japanese colonial period. The hot spring waters are believed to boost the skin's metabolism and delay aging, so it's also known as the “Beauty Spa.”

■ The Antong Hot Springs Area was first discovered on the banks of the Antong River in 1903. The area has been the favorite of hot spring aficionados. After the liberation of Taiwan, the area was considered one of the eight wonders of Hualien. Today, Antong Hot Springs' high quality mineral rich waters continue to offer visitors a place to wash away the dust of the roads.

Taitung Area

■ In the southeastern county of Taitung, Hongye Little League Memorial Hall is often called the present-day Mecca for baseball fans in Taiwan. Hongye is a small aboriginal village perched on mountain slopes in the middle of Taitung County. It consists of several unimpressive houses, a dusty parking lot with a coffee stall with catering to visitors. Yet, it is not a mountain village like hundreds of others: it is a place where a true Cinderella (baseball) story took place in the 1960s.

■ Jhihben Hot Springs Area is a well-known spot in southeastern Taiwan. The hot springs were discovered by natives (Puyuma) in 1917. In the Japanese colonization era, they became a major tourist attraction, with public bathhouses, hotels and inns built in the region.

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