In 2018, the very first authentic Finnish sauna in Taiwan was built at Seth Ascetic – a premier private club that aims to balance body, mind, and soul. The club offers a variety of services for wellness lifestyle. The services include kinesiological and nutritional assessment; a high-quality individualized program; custom meals prepared by chefs; and a relaxing Finnish sauna experience.
A journey in search of mental and physical recovery
“We were looking for a practical method for recovery and deep relaxation to make our service complete when constructing the club in 2017.” says the manager of Seth Ascetic and the founder of Taiwan Sauna Association Wei-Kang Chi (Karl).
By reading medical studies, participating the first World Sauna Forum, and experiencing Finnish saunas himself, Karl found that sauna not only relaxed his muscles but also calmed his mind. A sauna can be a haven to comfort bodies and minds in a roaring city. That is exactly what he wanted to have in Seth Ascetic.
The first international quality certificate
Saunas and steam rooms at Seth Ascetic were finished in mid-2018. They were built in a modern way and it is the best sauna experience people can have in Taiwan. Design, material, and service – all details are well-thought. Sauna from Finland Quality Handbook was the main tool for planning the experience.
To guarantee and improve the quality, safety, and authenticity of the sauna experience, the owner of Seth Ascetic Shih-Hung Chang (Sean) invited Sauna from Finland for an audit.
“We traveled to Taiwan at the end of 2018. After going through the Seth Ascetic sauna experience, we were proud to grant the first international Authentic Finnish Sauna Experience Quality Certificate”, says Elina Heininen from Sauna from Finland.
Seth Ascetic provides not just saunas but also warm, cool, and cold pools for their members to jump into after sauna.
“Although we don’t have lakes in the center of the city, we can build the experience”, Chang says.
More information about Seth Ascetic: https://www.sethascetic.com
The establishment of the Taiwan Sauna Association
“I could see sauna just as a boring warm box like most Taiwanese do if I never had sauna experience in Finland”, says Chi.
There are tons of spas and hot spring resorts all over Taiwan. However, saunas are just one of the choices among many facilities.
“However, authentic sauna experience is amazing if you do it right. It should be introduced to people in Taiwan – this is the reason why we established the Taiwan Sauna Association (TSA).”
In addition to bringing the authentic Finnish sauna experience to Taiwan, Chi and Chang plan to create a sauna culture to the countryside.
“There are many native plants and more than ten communities in Taiwan. Some of Taiwanese communities have traditional sweat baths and even whisking”, Chi says.
More information about TSA: https://www.taiwansauna.org
Read more about the certificate process of Seth Ascetic here.
