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Located near New Beitou Park in Peitou, Hell Valley got such an unusual name for being perpetually shrouded in a thin veil of mist. The pervading mist is in fact hot steam rising out of the numerous hot springs in the valley. Hell Valley’s hot springs are sulphurous and extremely corrosive. The spring water in the valley is clear with a greenish tinge, thus it is also called the Jade Spring Valley. For its rich deposit of sulphur, in the early twentieth century Hell Valley contributed a lot to Peitou’s economy by being an important site for sulphur mining. Hell Valley, along with other places in Peitou, was extremely popular for its therapeutic qualities during the days when Taiwan was under the Japanese rule. The Bathhouse Museum, located close to Hell Valley, was a famous spa among the Japanese. Peitou region is now a famous spa center which receives visitors all the year round. The interminable play of light and shadow in the gloom of enveloping mist imparts a surreal feel to the ambience in Hell Valley; this strange setting draws lot of visitors to the valley. In the past it was not usual to see visitors boiling eggs in the spring water, but the practice has been prohibited due to safety concerns.
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