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 formerly known as the Hot Spring Temple, initially built in the first year of the Jingping era (423 AD) during the Liu Song Dynasty of the Southern Dynasties, and rebuilt in the seventh year of the Xuande era (1432 AD) during the Ming Dynasty. 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. It 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 dense bamboo groves and lush trees, offering picturesque mountain and water views. The main attractions in 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 mountain spring water, with stone bridge railings carved with patterns of qilin, banana leaves, and flowers and birds — all masterpieces from the Ming Dynasty. The Dafo Hall houses 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 covered with iron tiles, commonly referred to 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 Mirroring the Moon. The Ancient Fragrance Garden is the former site of the Hot Spring Temple, where ancient trees tower overhead, casting deep shade, and tombs of monks from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties are preserved. The Stone Carving Garden mainly features stone tablets from the Song, Ming, and Qing dynasties, among which the Ming Dynasty Coiling Dragon Tower is a prized stone carving.

　　There are 10 hot spring sources in the park, with a daily water flow of 5,675 tons. The spring water temperature ranges from 35°C to 37°C, and it is a weakly alkaline sulfate mineral spring, which has certain therapeutic effects on diseases related to the skin, joints, and gastrointestinal tract.

　　The Hot Spring Temple was originally a branch of the Jinyun Temple, featuring magnificent architecture and numerous stone carvings, and was once a bustling place of worship. However, it suffered severe damage during the two Buddhist persecutions by Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou and Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty. During the Tang Dynasty’s Zhenguan era, Master Jingman of Yougu re-built the temple and carved cliffside Buddha statues in the rocky hills behind the temple. In the fourth year of the Jingde era (1007 AD) of the Northern Song Dynasty, the Hot Spring Temple was officially bestowed the title of Chongsheng Chan Monastery by the imperial court. The Ming and Qing dynasties can be considered the golden age of the Hot Spring Temple. The temple was reconstructed, and at the same time, an official welcoming pavilion was built in front of the temple, while a square pool measuring four zhang on each side was constructed behind the temple, covered with a pavilion so that visitors could bathe in it whether it was sunny or rainy. By utilizing the hot spring water source and the terrain, attractions such as the Fish-Playing Pond and Half-Moon Pond were also created for visitors’ enjoyment.