Text / 郭慧
Picture provided / 北投溫泉博物館

Enjoy the night breeze and local snacks in your hands, and relish the joyful atmosphere of nightlife. This is not the night market familiar to you and me, but the Beitou Naliang (to absorb the coolness) Festival, which was popular in Taiwan during the Japanese rule, as documented. As the pioneer of railway tourism and Taiwan's modern leisure culture, in summer nights, people in Taipei took the train to this hot spring town to participate in the Beitou Naliang Festival. From the Beitou station to the hot springs area, it is as bright as daylight with the lanterns and lamps shining along the way. Vendors were shouting at the top of their lungs, selling ice, fruits and soft drinks, creating a lively and joyful occasion.

However, how did Naliang Festival start? What did people do during the Naliang Festival? Why did people choose to visit the hot spring town in summer?

(Picture provided：北投溫泉博物館)

 

Go to Beitou Naliang Festival and enjoy the most modern summer trip in the 20th century

The story begins with Hirata Gengo (平田源吾). In 1895, Hirata came to Taiwan for gold mining, but the humid and hot weather in Taiwan caused him to suffer from beriberi. In order to cure his illness, he asked around for hot springs that could heal his body and mind. It took him a long time to find a hot spring in Beitou, which Han people at that time regarded as a miasma and poisonous water and avoided. Soon after, Hirata bought a hot spring site and opened a guesthouse called Ten Gu An. After Hirata Gengo, Matsumoto Kametaro (松本龜太郎), who was the head of the Finance Division of the Taipei Military Bureau, also built the Song Tao Yuan hot spring hotel, which offers accommodation and fine cuisine in Japanese-style rooms.

However, in 1901, the Taipei County prohibited men and women from bathing outdoors in the creeks in Beitou on the grounds that it was a "bad custom" to do so. In this case, Hirata Gengo argued vigorously for the survival of the hot spring industry in Beitou. In 1902, Hirata Gengo received permission from the Taipei County to build a "bathhouse that does not corrupt customs", and the Takino-yu Bathhouse, which was a separate bath for men and women, was born. The important construction in those one or two years was not only the "bathhouse" but also the opening of the Tamsui line railway in 1901. With the railway and the bathhouse, the Beitou Naliang Festival was officially kicked off.

In 1902, Matsumoto Kametaro rented a train to transport his guestsbetweenTaipei and Beitou for theopening ceremonyof the Beitou Club, of which he was a member. On the opening day, in addition to the fireworks display in the sky, there were also stalls selling various desserts and snacks, such as marble soda and sushi, providing the visitors with a great time in this small, healing town. The opening ceremony was just like a prototype of the future Naliang Train and Naliang Festival inBeitou. Twelve days later, the Naliang Trainbetween Taipei and Beitou was officially opened. Passengers could buy a bento and have a beer on the train. After arriving at Beitou, they continued to enjoy the coolness of summer night and watch the moon, which could be regarded as the most modern summer trip in Taiwan in the early 20th century.

(Picture provided：北投溫泉博物館)

 

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Light up the summer night a hundred years ago and open the diverse imagination of experiencing Beitou

As a matter of fact, Summer Naliang is one of the traditional Japanese cultures and a classic picture depicted in many Ukiyo-e paintings. On the other hand, during the Japanese rule, Beitou was already considered a "mecca for absorbing cool air" for summer night walks because of its rich natural scenery, only that it was not easily accessible in the past. Soon after the opening of the Tamsui Line, a new form of transportation became available. Thanks to the joint efforts of the Ministry of Railways and local people in Beitou, the first Naliang Train headed to Beitou with the exuberant Taipei citizens on board. At that time, tickets for the Naliang Train were hard to come by, and those who could get on this train to enjoy the coolness in Beitou were the super lucky ones in that summer.

The Beitou Naliang Festival was held for several years with such fervor and excitement. In 1913, when the Beitou Public Bathhouse (now Beitou Hot Spring Museum) was renovated and the nearby Beitou Park was completed, the Taiwan Daily News hosted the largest Beitou Naliang Festival in history, the Taipei Grand Naliang Festival. It was estimated that more than 5,000 visitors attended the event, and the hotel rooms in Beitou were all booked up. On that night, visitors not only took a bath and relaxed in the baths, but also bought desserts and snacks from the stalls selling ice cream, beer, marbles, and cold noodles. While walking around, they enjoyed band music and Geisha performances. A glance up at the fireworks, lanterns, and searchlights continuously lit up the night sky, making Beitou the city that stayed up all night.

As a mecca for trendy summer night travel a hundred years ago, the Beitou Naliang Festival not only started the Taipei Mini Train Trip, but also paved the way for the prototype of Taiwan's night market. What's more, the lively and joyful night opened up more imaginations for us a hundred years later. From the Beitou Naliang Festival, we discover that the way to experience Beitou is not just a winter bath. Today, after a hundred years, why not pay a visit to Beitou on a summer night to experience the coolness of Beitou with its diverse imagination and fun!

(Picture provided：北投溫泉博物館)