Chicheng Hot Spring Tourist Resort

Chicheng Hot Spring Tourist Resort

Chicheng Hot Spring is located in the secluded valley of Cangshan Mountain, 7.5 kilometers southwest of the county town, at an altitude of 942 meters. With a maximum temperature of 20.1°C and a minimum of -12.6°C, it serves as a green barrier for the capital, Beijing. The area features lush mountains, gurgling springs, and picturesque scenery. The hot spring is a highly therapeutic mineral spring, formed in stable rock layers 25 kilometers beneath the surface, with an average water temperature ranging between 50°C and 68°C. The area includes various springs such as the Main Spring, Stomach Spring, Eye Spring, Tracheitis Spring, Cold Spring, and Ping Spring, among which the Main Spring has the largest water flow (30 cubic meters per hour) and the highest temperature (68°C). The spring water contains over 20 chemical substances and trace elements, offering health benefits such as treating ailments, improving fitness, prolonging life, and maintaining youthful skin—especially effective for arthritis and skin diseases.

The hot spring has a recorded history of two thousand years. As early as the Northern Wei Dynasty, Li Daoyuan’s *Commentary on the Water Classic* mentioned: “North of Yuyang lies a hot spring, 300 li from Yanjing.” Despite periods of decline and revival, its fame has endured. This naturally gifted mineral spring not only heals and treats illnesses but also promotes longevity.

During the Sui and Tang dynasties, it was established as a Taoist sacred site, and many historical figures left behind inscriptions and legends. In the fifth year of the Ming Xuande era (1430 AD), Yang Hong, the Left Commander-in-Chief, rediscovered the spring while patrolling the border and left behind the legendary tale: “A fire dragon plunged into the earth, boiling the mountain roots, as hot springs gushed forth from the depths.” He later spearheaded the reconstruction of Ruiyun Temple. In the Ming Wanli era (1578 AD), the “First Spring Beyond the Pass” stele erected by Huang Yingsu, an imperial censor of Zhili, still shines brightly today. In the eleventh year of the Qing Kangxi era (1672 AD), Emperor Shengzu Xuanye accompanied his grandmother and stayed here for over 50 days, leaving behind many widely told legends. During the War of Resistance, patriotic generals Tong Linge and Ji Hongchang visited the site and left inscriptions such as “Marvelous Bath” and “Wash Away Shame.”

It was only after the founding of New China that the hot spring truly became a place of healing and leisure for the public. In 1951, Yang Gengtian, then Secretary of the former Chahar Provincial Committee, proposed the idea of developing Chicheng Hot Spring. In the early 1970s, a hot spring sanatorium was built to accommodate visitors from all over, especially those from northern regions. Starting every spring, guests from Inner Mongolia, Beijing, Shanxi, and the northeast flocked to the area. Large-scale development of the hot spring began after the reform and opening-up period. In 1996, after Chicheng County was approved for opening, the development and construction of the hot spring drew attention from various levels and departments. Billions of yuan were invested in development, resulting in the construction of nine hotels covering an area of over 50,000 square meters, with a built-up area of 33,000 square meters and a garden area of 16,100 square meters. The complex offers 500 guest rooms, 1,200 beds, 16 meeting rooms that can accommodate nearly 1,000 people, three large swimming pools, and two villas. It receives 200,000 visitors annually. The Municipal Finance Training Center was the first two-star hotel. In 1998, the hot spring resort was rated as a provincial-level tourist resort and a two-star civilized unit.