North and South Hot Spring Park

Fifty kilometers northeast of Chongqing City, the Northern Hot Springs Park is situated at the foot of Jinyun Mountain. The park is the site of a 5th century Buddhist Temple. It covers an area of ten hectares with hot springs, limestone caves, man-made rock formations and Buddhist Halls. There are lots of Ming and Qing architectural designs. The water rises to a temperature of 32C (89.6F) and contains lime, sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate and other minerals, which make it suitable for bathing and the treatment of quite a few diseases such as Dermatitis, Rheumatism, Arthritis and Muscular Pain.

South Hot Spring Park in the southern suburbs twenty-six kilometers from the city is a charming spot for strolling by a crystal clear stream through quiet woods, watching the waterfalls as they cascade down steep cliffs, or bathing in the hot spring. The spring water, averaging 38ºC (102ºF) all year round, is said to be effective in curing arthritis and skin diseases. The most famous springs are the "Lung Quan" (Dragon Spring), "Yu Quan" (Jade Spring), and "Wuhu Quan" (Five Lakes Spring). There is also a miraculous cave, about thirty meters deep, that contains fantastic stalactites and is said to have been the residence of a fairy. People usually take refuge in the cool caves to escape the summer heat. During the years of the Japanese air raids, hundreds of air-raid shelters were dug into the mountains here and some have been turned into cafes and restaurants.