Hotel Kuanzuling, Kuan Tzu Ling Hot Springs, Taiwan

One of the private baths. Overnight staying guests can take a bath here anytime, if nobody inside and the door is open. You can see how thick their mud bath is.

Kuan Tzu Ling (關子嶺, also spelled "Guan Zi Ling" and "Kuanzuling") Hot Springs located Southwest of Taiwan is one of the most impressive hot springs I've ever visited. It's gushing with mud and smells like volatile oil. I mean you can soak yourself in a mud pot with benzine-like smell. Isn't it exciting? It looks sticky, but actually it has powder-like smooth touch and it's good for your skin.

I stayed at the Hotel Kuanzuling again in early Dec. It hasn't changed much since my last visit in June 2007. The Japanese style entrance is still used as the back entrance. It has history of more than 100 years.


The present main entrance (left) . The Japanese style entrance still remaining as the back entrance (right).

I never think of staying other places at Kuan Tzu Ling. Because it's close to the fountainhead, their mud baths are thicker, and it's cheap to stay overnight (TWD 1000 for a single room on a weekday) . There are five private baths, and the bathroom attached to the guestroom also supplies mud hot springs.


The bath in the guest room also supplies hot springs.

Of course there are some minus points. The biggest is you have to rinse your body and hair with cold water. They supply only cold water and the hot springs at the bathrooms, no usual hot water. I didn't want to wash my hair with cold water, so I made hot water by electric pot for making tea. If you stay more upmarket hotel or resort, I believe they will supply hot water for washing as well. Some of them equipped spa like pools. Don't forget to buy a small pack of dried mud (About TWD 20) to bring back home.


This is the fountainhead of the Kuan Tzu Ling Hot Springs, not a concrete mixing pond. You can't soak here. 

◆Hotel Kuanzuling, Kuan Tzu Ling Hot Springs (關子嶺温泉　關子嶺大旅社）

Type: Five private baths and guest rooms' baths. Swims suites unnecessary.

Address: No.20, Guan Zih Ling, Guanling Village, Baihe Township, Tainan County （台南縣白河鎮關嶺里關子嶺20號）

Business hour for day visit: 05:00 A.M. to 0:00 A.M.

Holiday: None

Admission fee for day visit: TWD 200

Equipment:Washing bowls.

Language: Chinese and some Japanese. English unspoken.

Access: The bus from the Chiayi Bus (嘉義客運）Terminal on Jhong-shan Rd.(中山路）near Chiayi (嘉義）Train Station takes you to Kuan Tzu Ling in about an hour and half charging TWD 79. They serve more than 10 buses each way daily. The bus terminal is a few blocks east of the Chiayi Train Station, separated from other bus terminals around the station.

Link: The Chiayi Bus timetable in Chinese.

My rating (out of five): 5


The guest room is really basic, but OK (left). There are some Japanese style guest rooms with tatami mats, too. They look more Japanese than the many ryokans in Japan(right).