Aohan Hot Spring City

Aohan Hot Spring City

Aohan Hot Spring City is a national AAA-level tourist attraction.

Aohan Hot Spring has a history of over two hundred years. It is said that as early as the Qianlong era, it was already being developed and utilized. A local legend tells of a wandering Taoist priest who came begging at the foot of Erlong Mountain. Thirsty and exhausted, he dozed off when suddenly he heard a thunderous clap from the sky. Startled awake, he saw a spring gushing forth with clouds of steam. The priest, thinking it strange, scooped up the water to pour over his body and immediately felt refreshed — and thus the hot spring was formed. Later, people dug an open pit at the spot where the hot water emerged to take natural baths. The Prince of Beizi Mansion took a liking to this spring, had the well dug deeper, and built a deep stone-lined shaft with a large carved five-petaled basin placed over the bottom. The hot spring water would then gush out from the five round holes at the base of the basin. Bathing took place in the large pit beside the shaft. By the 23rd year of the Republic of China (1934), a Taoist priest nicknamed Wang Dakan, moved by the legacy of those who came before, raised funds to build three simple rooms on the south side of the hot spring shaft. These included separate male and female bathing pools and were also used to treat patients. By the time of liberation, these earthen buildings had collapsed, and people returned to bathing in the open pit. At the time, people believed there was a “water deity,” and for any minor or major ailments, they would soak in the hot spring several times and the illness would largely subside — though they did not understand the therapeutic properties of the water.

Research shows that Aohan Hot Spring is high-temperature groundwater that emerges from the structural fractures of granite within fault and fracture zones of the Earth's crust. It is strictly controlled by geological structures and is distributed in vein-like or linear patterns. The thermal waters here are clear and transparent, leaving the skin feeling smooth after bathing. The mineral spring area spans 2 square kilometers and is classified as a type of mineral water containing silicic acid, sulfuric acid, and sodium bicarbonate. The water temperature reaches 66°C, and a single well discharges 1,480 tons of hot water every 24 hours. The spring water contains over 20 types of trace chemical elements and is the highest-radon-content medical mineral spring discovered in China, offering significant therapeutic benefits. It is especially effective for rheumatism, rheumatoid arthritis, and skin diseases; it also shows marked efficacy for vasculitis, neuritis, limb numbness, prostatitis, cardiovascular diseases, and gynecological disorders. For chronic digestive system illnesses, drinking and bathing in combination yield particularly good results.

To make full use of this precious resource, in 1958 the People’s Government of Aohan Banner established the Veterans’ Sanatorium here, which was officially named the Aohan Banner Reshuitang Sanatorium in 1995. Nestled against the mountains, the sanatorium features two towering mother-and-child Tang maple trees that have stood for over 50 years, providing shade like a canopy. Beneath them, one is free from mosquito bites in summer and sheltered from wind and snow in winter. Erlong Mountain has soft contours and gentle hues. Walking leisurely up the mountain along country paths, you can bend down to pick mushrooms, catch wild apricots, listen to birds chirping, and occasionally spot a hare darting by. To the south lies the famous Tiger Mountain, with its rolling ridges shrouded in mist. Below, Erlong Mountain’s trees sway in the wind with the rustling of pine waves.

The sanatorium’s four-story building, like the wings of a white dove, nestles within the dense shade. The hot spring is a masterpiece of tectonic movement, yet Aohan Hot Spring happens to be nestled deep in serene mountain valleys. It captivates not merely by its entrance, but by its spirit; not solely by its waters, but by its scenery. With first-class spring water, top-tier facilities, and exceptional service, we warmly welcome guests from all over the world.