The Su'ao cold springs have a temperature of less than 22°C and the water from these springs are clear, colorless and emit no smell. This rare type of cold springs is only found at a few places around the world, among which Italy, and is suitable for bathing and consumption. The cold spring area of Su'ao can be found at the northern side of Su'ao village, some 300 meters from the Su'ao train station around Zhongyuan road and Lengquan road. As the water temperature of the cold springs is lower than our body temperature, you will first feel cold when immersing into the water, however, after having soaked for some 5 minutes, your body will start to warm up. As the water of these cold springs contains high levels of carbon dioxide, it can also be used for food and beverages, such as yokan and naturally carbonated soda. The latter is not produced anymore, but yokan is still a specialty of the Su'ao area.
Su'ao is situated at the southern end of Yilan County, where it occupies a long, narrow strip of land backed by mountains and facing the sea. The fine natural harbor here was expanded and upgraded into an international harbor in 1974. In addition to its harbor, which is one of the five largest in Taiwan, Su'ao is also known for its rare cold mineral springs and its lively Nanfang'ao Fishing Harbor.