Beiquan Scenic Area

Beiquan Scenic Area

The scenic area is located in Beibei District, bordering the Jialing River to the north and leaning against Jinyun Mountain to the south. It was originally the Hot Spring Temple, first built in 423 AD during the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties and rebuilt in 1432 during the Ming Dynasty's Xuande era. In 1927, Lu Zuofu established the Jialing River Hot Spring Park here, adding tourist facilities such as a hot spring swimming pool, bathhouses, and restaurants, which was later renamed Chongqing Beiquan Park.

The park is built along the natural terrain, with pavilions and towers scattered in an orderly fashion, surrounded by lush bamboo and dense woods, offering picturesque mountain and water views. The main features of the park revolve around four major halls. The Guan Sheng Hall, also known as the Three Saints Hall, serves as the mountain gate of the Hot Spring Temple. Behind the Jie Yin Hall, there is a square pool formed by a fine stream of spring water, with stone bridge railings carved with patterns of qilin, banana plants, and flowers and birds—all crafted during the Ming Dynasty. Inside the Dafo Hall, there is a Ming Dynasty Buddha statue; in front of the hall, a pair of stone lions cradling smaller lions are particularly unique. The Guanyin Hall is supported by stone pillars and topped with iron tiles, commonly known as the "Iron Tile Hall."

To the east of the four major halls are the Ancient Fragrance Garden, Stone Carving Garden, Fish-Viewing Pond, and Lotus Pond; to the north are attractions such as the Ruhua Cave and Five Pools Reflecting the Moon. The Ancient Fragrance Garden is the former site of the Hot Spring Temple, where ancient trees tower and cast deep shade, and tombs and stupas of monks from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties are preserved. The Stone Carving Garden mainly houses stone tablets from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, among which the Ming Dynasty Panlong Pagoda is a treasured stone carving.

There are 10 hot spring springs in the park, with a daily water flow of 5,675 tons and temperatures ranging from 35°C to 37°C. The springs are weakly alkaline sulfate mineral waters, which have certain therapeutic effects on skin, joint, and gastrointestinal ailments.

The Hot Spring Temple was historically a branch of the Jinyun Temple, once a grand temple with numerous stone carvings and flourishing incense offerings. However, it suffered severe damage during two Buddhist persecutions by Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou and Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty's Zhenzong era, Monk Jingman of Yougu reconstructed the temple and carved cliffside Buddha statues in the rocky hills behind. In 1007 AD, during the Northern Song Dynasty's Jingde era, the Hot Spring Temple was bestowed the title of Chongsheng Chan Monastery by the imperial court. The Ming and Qing periods can be considered the golden age of the Hot Spring Temple. The temple was rebuilt, and an official welcoming pavilion was constructed in front of the temple, while a square pool measuring four zhang on each side was built behind the temple, covered with a pavilion so that visitors could bathe in it whether it was sunny or rainy. Utilizing the hot spring water source and the terrain, attractions such as the Fish-Playing Pool and Half-Moon Pool were also created for visitors to enjoy.