Xitangchi Hot Springs

Xitangchi Hot Springs

Xitangchi Hot Springs, located in Tangchi Town, Shucheng County at the northeastern foot of the Dabie Mountains, is just five li away from the eastern shore of Wanfo Lake. As it lies directly opposite Dongtangchi in Lujiang County, it is called Xitangchi (West Hot Springs).

Xitangchi Hot Springs maintain a constant water temperature of approximately 65°C throughout the year, peaking at 69°C, with an outflow area spanning over 5,000 square meters. They are a typical high-temperature radon mineral spring. The water is clear and transparent, odorless, and rich in various trace elements beneficial to health. Regular bathing can cleanse the skin and hair, relieve rheumatism, and offer significant therapeutic effects for cardiovascular and digestive diseases. After bathing, one feels invigorated and free of fatigue, greatly benefiting overall health. The town features multiple hot spring pools, including large public ones historically known as "Yichi" (Righteous Pool), which were once free for public use, as well as service centers that integrate dining, accommodation, and bathing. In recent years, high-end hotels, sanatoriums, and swimming pools have also been built to support tourism development.

The history of hot spring bathing dates back a long time. The Qing Dynasty’s *Shucheng County Annals* recorded: “Tangchi, sixty li south of the county, has water that remains warm in both winter and summer. The locals built pools to collect the water for bathing.” Dai Mingshi, a renowned writer of the Tongcheng School, once wrote an essay titled *Record of the Hot Springs* documenting this.

Record of the Hot Springs (Qing Dynasty) by Dai Mingshi

The hot springs are located seventy li southeast of Shucheng County. In the mountains, the spring water gushes out from under the rocks, boiling (1) forth as if it were soup (3) in a cauldron (2). The locals built a square pool about a zhang (approx. 3.3 meters) away from the spring, channeling the water into the pool through a ditch. Nearby, there is another spring, less than two or three chi (approx. 0.66–1 meter) away, whose water is cold and flows thinly. Both springs eventually flow into the creek. The water near the pool is often warm, though the flow is not strong, and the warmth is not as intense (4). Locals and travelers passing by all come to bathe here, day and night without pause. The pool can accommodate over ten people, all of whom stand naked inside. The owner invited me to bathe, but I declined, so I only washed my feet (5) and left.

Excerpted from *Nanshan Collection*.

The author, Dai Mingshi (1653–1713), styled Tianyou, also known as He Fu, with the pseudonym Nanshan and the alias You’an, was one of the founding figures of the Tongcheng School of classical prose. In the 48th year of the Kangxi Emperor’s reign, he ranked first in the imperial examinations and second in the palace examination, earning the title of Hanlin Academician. In the winter of the 50th year of Kangxi’s reign, he was impeached by Left Censor-in-Chief Zhao Shenqiao and imprisoned. On the sixth day of the third month in the 53rd year of Kangxi’s reign, he was executed in public. He authored *Collected Commentaries on the Four Books by Zhu Xi* and numerous essays. His posthumous works were compiled by his follower Dai Junheng into *The Complete Works of Master Dai Nanshan*, published in the 21st year of the Daoguang era (1841) and passed down through generations.