Sulfur Valley Recreation Area

This guide to Sulfur Valley Recreation Area in Taipei follows Yu Yonghe, a Qing official sent across the strait in 1691 after a gunpowder warehouse fire in Fuzhou created urgent demand for sulfur. You'll hear about his trade with local indigenous villages for raw sulfur soil, the boiling process used to purify it, and his journey inland to see the steaming source for himself. Stand on the boardwalk and take in the mineral smell as you listen.