Fanfan Hot Spring 梵梵溫泉

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Fanfan Hot Spring is a popular hot spring in Yingshi Village, Datong Township, Yilan County. It is one of the most easily accessible wild hot springs in Taiwan, so it sees many visitors year round. If you are in the area, you should consider taking a dip here.

Background:
The area around Fanfan Hot Spring has been inhabited by the Atayal tribe for thousands of years. Originally the river where the hot springs lay was called Bonbon by the local indigenous people, but later the spelling was changed to "Fanfan" because of Han Chinese people in the area who misheard the name. 
Fanfan Hot Springs is part of the Xueshan Mountain Range, which was pushed up from the collision of the Eurasian and Philippine plate. The hot springs come from heated water caused from metamorphic rocks under pressure deep within the earth.

Hours:
24/7

How to get there:
By Bus: From Yilan Bus Station, take bus 1744 about one hour to Fanfan Station. The hot springs are about a 20 minute walk away.
By Car/Scooter: From downtown Yilan, take provincial higway 7 southwest to Siji Elementary School Yingshi Branch, in Yingshi village. There is parking at the elementary school. The hot springs are about a 15 minute walk away.

Map:
Please see below:

Our Journey:

I have been to Fanfan Hot Spring once in 2020. It was a nice experience, but there were a lot of people there. Because it is so easily accessible and well known, it attracts a lot of people.

Check out our drone video above for an overview of the area.

Or check out the 360 degree spherical panorama above.

To be honest, Fanfan hot spring was just a pit stop on the way to Taipingshan. We stayed at the Yingshi Mountain Village resort and visited the springs in the morning. 

Yingshi Village seems mainly to be an indigenous village with a small population. There is a catholic church near the elementary school.

You want to park at Siji Elementary school, Yingshi Branch, not the original Siji Elementary school. 

There is a large basketball court and soccer feild here. 

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There are also public bathrooms which were locked when we were there. 

View of the Fanfan riverside.

View of the soccer field and Yingshi Village. 

Another view of the river bed.

There is a dirt road along the river so you can drive a car here if you know where the entrance is. 

There was a makeshift bamboo bridge there when we visited.

There were also lots of people camping nearby.

Lot's of people parked nearby to be close to the hot springs.

Rules for the hot springs and fines. 

The old B section of the hot springs which has been washed out.

Old section of the hot spring not in use.

This is the hardest part of the walk, you might have to hold onto a rope.

Lots of people were camping near the springs here. 

Another view of the tents.

Here there are many pools of varying temperature.

Some people enjoying the riverside views.

There are other pools near the river that mix in colder river water. 

More empty pools. 

Pool with just river water. 

Tadpoles. 

View from the air. 

Another view of the many pools.

Another view of the pools from the air.

View looking down river. 

If you have time, you should check out Taipingshan, an amazing mountain paradise with an abandoned logging railroad. Look for our blog coming soon. 

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