The Gan yin ge Sulfur Steam Sand Pit Bath

The Gan yin ge Sulfur Steam Sand Pit Bath

The Gan yin ge Sulfur Steam Sand Pit Bath, located on the southern side of Tuoba Township in Garze County, sits at an altitude of 3,400 meters and is about 12 kilometers from the county town. Speaking of the Gan yin ge Sulfur Steam Sand Pit Bath, there is also a romantic mythological legend.

It is said that long, long ago, Garze was once an ocean, and the gods retrieved a gourd of elixir from the sea. The god chiefs such as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva led the distribution of the elixir to the gods at regular intervals and in fixed amounts. Halfway through the distribution, many gods grew impatient and, fearing they wouldn’t get their share, jumped the queue and disrupted the order, sparking infighting that eventually escalated into all-out battle. During the fighting, the gourd fell back into the original sea. After the battle ended, Brahma, in order to obtain the elixir, descended from the heavenly realm atop Mount Sumeru to the human world. He circled the sea in the sky several times, then used his divine axe to split the cliffs and divert the seawater, forming what is now known as the "Stone Gate Gorge." After the seawater was drained, Brahma took the gourd, but forgot to take its lid, which became the present-day Zhariongkang Sacred Mountain. The area where the seawater had dried up became a beautiful and fertile land. Looking around, the surrounding mountains embrace the area, with the majestic Zhuoda Mountain standing imposingly, resembling a silver-glowing crown or precious tripod. Down the mountain, the Yalong River rushes southward, and along its banks lie vast, fertile lands with golden fields and rolling waves of wheat. Handsome young men and beautiful, kind-hearted girls sing lofty and melodious harvest songs. These scenes stirred the jealousy of the demon king, who was determined to submerge this beautiful and fertile land under water. So he attempted to block the Stone Gate Gorge by carrying two mountains on horseback. His move was spotted early by the Bodhisattva Guanyin, who then struck with a magical stone, hitting the strap of the saddle and causing the two mountains to fall to the ground instantly, becoming the present-day Buyongri Mountain and Daryongri Mountain. The stone projectile shot by the Bodhisattva penetrated into the sands of Gan yin ge. Due to the Bodhisattva’s accumulated merit, the sands turned into a steam sand pit rich in sulfur and other minerals, with temperature adjustable by digging the pit deeper—the deeper the pit, the higher the temperature. At higher temperatures, an egg can be steamed and cooked within minutes. It is said that using the steam sand pit bath has excellent therapeutic effects on various diseases such as arthritis and skin conditions, and many people come here for treatment.