Soaking in Hot Springs in Winter – A Healthy Way to Celebrate the New Year ― A Hot Spring Experience at Tianmu Lake

    Winter is the perfect season for “soaking in hot springs.” Not only does it help ward off the cold and promote fitness, but it also greatly improves bodily functions. As the Spring Festival approaches, bringing your family to soak in warm spring water, watching the rising steam, and feeling the gentle caress of the water droplets is a truly delightful and healthy way to celebrate the New Year. Back in the day, Yang Guifei was granted a royal bath in Huaqing Pool during the cold spring, where “the smooth spring water washed her fair skin,” showing that the health benefits of hot springs have been valued since ancient times.

    The winters in Shanghai are gloomy and oppressive. On the weekend, I went to Tianmu Lake for a hot spring experience with my parents and wife.

    Tianmu Lake is located eight kilometers south of Liyang City, Changzhou. It got its name “Tianmu Lake” because it lies at the southern edge of the Tianmu Mountain range. From Shanghai, take the Shanghai-Nanjing Expressway, exit at the Wuxi North Interchange onto the Xiyi Expressway, then switch to the Hangzhou-Nanjing Expressway toward Nanjing in Yixing, and exit at the Liyang South Exit. Turn left toward Tianmu Lake and drive about five kilometers to reach the Tianmu Lake Scenic Area in Liyang, Changzhou. The entire journey takes approximately three and a half hours.

    There are two hot spring areas here. One is the Ban Shan Hot Spring located on Qinglong Mountain, nestled by the mountains and the water, with the vast Tianmu Lake in front and the layered peaks of Qinglong Mountain behind. Gazing into the distance, the rolling mountains are a feast for the eyes and a delight to the spirit. The other is the Yu Shui Hot Spring, located within a vast bamboo forest. Yu Shui Hot Spring is a rare calcium bicarbonate-type hot spring in East China. It can soften and cleanse the skin, enhance moisture evaporation and heat dissipation from the skin, leaving a smooth and cool sensation after bathing. This type of hot spring can be used for both soaking and drinking or inhaling. The calcium in the spring has astringent and drying properties for the skin, thus aiding in the recovery of wounds and chronic eczema, and offering unique therapeutic effects for neurological, musculoskeletal, and dermatological conditions. Regular soaking helps refresh the body, moisturize the skin, relieve fatigue, and rejuvenate both body and mind as a natural mineral spring.

    Early the next morning, we set out for the hot springs. The morning was shrouded in light mist, with sunlight filtering through the swaying bamboo forest and casting on the ground. We breathed in the fresh air, a long-missed treat from the bustling city, and felt embraced by nature — peaceful and serene.