Living at lower latitude is a good thing as the weather never turns
too cold, and relatively warm weather allows people to spend more
time outside.
Shanghai is comparatively warmer than Beijing, and so it offers
nice get-aways in the form of hot springs. They have become so
popular in Shanghai these days that most hot spring hotels in the
suburbs are already fully booked every weekend until after the
Spring Festival.
For those who want to have an outdoor hot spring bath, weekdays
are the solution. After fresh snow washed the suburban landscape,
the experience of an outdoor hot spring bath is more refreshing and
pleasant.
Ninghai Hot Spring: outdoor get-away
Located in Tianmingshan National Forest Park, Ninghai hot
springs is in a valley surrounded by green mountains on four sides.
The secluded location allows hot spring goers the maximum amount of
fresh air and privacy.
Visitors to Ninghai can opt between outdoor hot springs and
indoor spas. Outdoor hot springs are available both during the day
and night.
Dipping into a hot springs bath at night is an exceptional
experience. Above your head is the star-studded sky, surrounding
your body is hot and soothing spring water, and floating in the air
is the smell of fresh soil and the fragrance of wild flowers.
Indoor spas can also be a nice alternative. Clients can get a
big wooden bucket of water to add milk, petals and various
nutrients. After the bath, a professional masseuse will complement
the whole process with an oil back massage, at an additional
cost.
How to get there: Take Huhang Expressway, then bypass Hangzhou
by taking the expressway surrounding the city Then take the
Hangyong Expressway and Yongtaiwen Expressway. At Ninghaibei Exit,
go onto Yongtaiwen Expressway Then take No.34 Inter-provincial Road
to reach Meilin. Finally get onto No.38 Inter-provincial Road to
get to Ninghaitian Mingshan Hot Spring.
Tangshan Yishang Hot Spring: modern and
stylish
For those wanting to get away but hesitate about giving up
modern comforts, Tangshan Yishang is the choice. Tangshan Yishang
boasts 50 hot spring ponds in total. There is a flowery one filled
with petals, various tonic ponds filled with traditional Chinese
medicines, and the intriguing milk pond and coffee pond. The most
impressive one is fulfilled with small nibbling fish. As soon as
visitors get into the water, thousands of nibbling fish will
surround them to help clean their skin. By keeping warm indoors,
people can try different ponds, as many as they like.
Extra services make Tangshan Yishang stand out. After the bath,
tourists can have complimentary red tea, fruits and cotton buds as
well to help them drain the water from their ears.
How to get there: Take Huning Express Way and get down at
Tangshan Exit. Then take 337 Inter-provincial Road to get to
Tangshan Township. The hot spring venue is at No. 8 of Tangshan
Road.
Xiangquan Yage Hot Spring: resembling
Phuket
Once crowned as the No. 1 Hot Spring in China by a princess in
ancient times, Xiangquan Yage has a history of over 1,000
years.
Its longevity doesn’t make Xiangquan Yage outdated; instead, the
hot spring venue has developed to create an atmosphere similar to
that of Phuket in Thailand. The spa room or tent resembles that of
Phuket, with four columns supporting a broad roof with no walls on
the four sides. Thus sunshine easily enters the room, and so does a
soft breeze.
Xiangquan Yage boasts more than 30 hot spring ponds ranging from
medicinal, petals, wine to coffee to little nibbling fishes. Yet
what’s special about Xiangquan Yage is that it features a hot slate
room. In the room, people can lie directly on the slate floor where
a hot spring flows underneath. Visitors will feel hot air pass
through their bodies from the slate, which is rather
comfortable.
How to get there: Take Huning Expressway and then bypass Nanjing
by taking the expressway surrounding the city. Go past Nanjing
Yangtze Bridge and onto Puwu Road. Keep going past Wujiang to reach
Xiangquan Yage.
(China Daily January 21, 2008)
