Hot Springs

Hot Springs

Hot Springs, located in Xiaojinkou Town, Huicheng District, is nestled in a valley surrounded by mountains on three sides, covering an area of 1.5 square kilometers. For thousands of years, these unassuming springs have quietly emerged from the earth, indifferent to worldly chaos and untouched by the rise and fall of human affairs. They continuously gush forth, spreading warmth to the world and nourishing the land with their mineral-rich waters.

Hot Springs is renowned for its unique combination of hot springs, cold springs, and waterfalls. The year-round hot spring water, with a temperature of 70°C, is a high-temperature sodium-potassium carbonate type, rich in various trace elements such as iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. It has significant therapeutic effects on chronic skin diseases, cardiovascular conditions, and overall health and beauty. The area gets its name from these thermal springs situated within its “home.” Coincidentally, just a stone’s throw northwest of the hot springs, nature has bestowed yet another wonder—a string of “pearls”—the Jiulongtan Waterfall. Emerging from the depths of the mountains, it cascades down step by step, forming a pool at each level, until it reaches the ninth pool at the mountain base. There, the waterfall plunges like thundering snow and leaping dragons, finally converging into the grand Jiulongtan Waterfall. The contrast between the warm springs and the cool waterfall—one from underground, the other from the sky—creates a rare and striking harmony, a truly precious and unique sight among the many modern man-made landscapes.

Over 900 years ago, the great Song Dynasty literary master Su Dongpo left behind timeless verses about Hot Springs, including “Warm spring water washes away the frost of youth,” “A single rinse clears the nine-layered dreams of the heart,” and “The hot springs glow with radiant beauty, as rainbows of white water descend with the rain.” To this day, the magical charm of Hot Springs has not only been preserved but has also evolved with new meanings and contemporary features: a grand gateway now stands beside the Guang-Shan Highway; a newly built lakeside welcome avenue greets visitors; and around the waterfall, structures such as Hot Springs Villa, Longquan Residence, Flying Rainbow Tower, and Huan Cui Palace are scattered across the hills and nestled within the woods, resembling a faint ink-wash painting of a mountain retreat when viewed from afar.