If you’re finding the grey, icy, winter months in Chengdu tough to bear, do like the locals and head for the rejuvenating hot thermal waters that run deep beneath the province. The facilities in Chengdu and the surrounding regions range from scenic outdoor baths to brightly lit, jam-packed indoor pools, all varying in quality and ambience. Hot springs in China can get very busy (and unpleasant) on national holidays and weekends – so be sure to call ahead.
Here are some options to thaw out your toes and soak yourself in some local culture:
Howard Johnson Conference Resort Chengdu
青城道温泉（青城国际豪生酒店）
The perfect end to a long hike on Qingcheng Mountain, is the Howard Johnson Resort, just a stone’s throw from Qingcheng Shan high-speed train station. The Qingcheng Taoism Hot Spring has a large indoor pool, 50 outdoor pools, and 4 VIP hot spring villas. There’s a special spa, traditional food massage, a Taoism wooden bath, outdoor forest spa, and under floor heating. You can visit for the day or stay in the hotel overnight – they offer breakfast and dinner buffets. Big plus is that they speak English.
Opening Hours:
Mondays – Thursdays: 13:00-23:00 | Fridays: 13:00-24:00 | Saturdays: 10:00-24:00 | Sundays: 10:00-234.00
Hot Spring Ticket Price:
Normal 258RMB per person (Dianping 168RMB)
Contact:
(028)88988888, (028)87198999
Address:
No.88 Qingcheng Taoqingcheng Avenue, Dujiangyan
都江堰市青城山镇青城大道88号
Getting there:
High-speed train to Qingcheng shan
Around 1 hour and 30 minutes by car
Emei Mountain Lingxiu Hot Springs
峨眉山灵秀温泉酒店
Hot springs are dotted around the base of Emei Shan, so it’s a little difficult to select one out of the mix. But the design, ambiance, and quality at the enormous Lingxiu Hot Springs make it worth mentioning. At dusk, the famous mist of Emei Mountain glides over the springs and multi-colored lights brighten up the place – if it’s too much natural beauty for you…
After a day of hiking the unforgiving stairs of Emei Shan, there’s nothing more relaxing than sitting in a hot pool and taking in that sight… although visibility isn’t guaranteed.
Opening Hours:
14:00-24:00
Hot Spring Ticket Price:
Kids 80RMB, Adults 248RMB (138RMB on Dianping)
Getting there:
Highspeed trains run frequently from Chengdu South Railway Station 火车南站 or Xipu Station犀浦站 to Emei Mountain station 峨眉山站. Then take the 12 Bus to Da Jiu Dian Station 大酒店站.
Contact:
Tel: 0833 5590 370
HuaShuiWan Hot Springs
花水湾温泉
If you’re planning on going skiing in Xiling Mountain (or rafting in the summer), this nearby town in Dayi county, is famous for hot springs. Just 20km away from snow mountain and about 75km from downtown Chengdu, many of the hotels here have their own hot spring pools with mountain backdrops. In the spring there are decent hikes to be had in the surrounding regions.
Quality and prices of the hot springs vary a lot in Huashuiwan, but the average price for hot spring is from 150-250RMB per person.
Getting there:
There is a direct bus connection from Xinnanmen Bus Station
Around 1 hour and 40 minutes by car
Huashuiwan Haosheng Bailetang Hot Spring
花水湾豪生百乐汤温泉
Opening Hours:
Daily, 09:00 – 23:00
Hot Spring Ticket Price:
150RMB per person (Dianping 98RMB)
Contact:
028-63236666、028-88390666
Address:
No. 2 Wucheng Road, Huashuiwan Village, Dayi
大邑县花水湾武城街2号
Zhongtie Huashuiwan Four Seasons Hot Spring
中铁花水湾四季温泉谷
Opening Hours:
Daily, 11:00 – 23:00
Hot Spring Ticket Price:
239RMB per person (Dianping 129RMB)
Contact:
028-88391108、028-88390396
Address:
No.174 Wucheng Road, Huashuiwan Village, DAyi
大邑县花水湾镇武城街174号(近西岭雪山)
Guergou Ramada Hot Springs
古尔沟华美达温泉酒店
Just 4 hours drive from Chengdu, Guergou Ramada hot spring resort is located in the beautiful scenery Lixian. Rooted in the famous Tibetan and Qiang culture corridor in Aba prefecture, the place is rich in folk customs and cultural scenery, bringing a unique cultural experience for every tourist.
The hotel relies on the snow-capped mountain, where you can enjoy natural thermal mineral spring and healing at the same time.
Opening Hours:
Daily, 09:00-22:30
Hot Spring Ticket Price:
Kids 109RMB, Adults 268RMB (198RMB on Dianping)
Not including an overnight stay in the hotel
Address:
No.33 Wenquan Road, Lixian, Aba Prefecture
阿坝藏族羌族自治州理县温泉路33号
Getting there:
Daily bus from Chadianzi 茶店子 to Guergo 古尔沟
Contact:
Tel: 0837-6826666
Shulechi Hot Spring 蜀乐池温泉
Without leaving the city, there is a large hot spring destination in Wenjiang, fulfilling the leisure dreams of Chengdu residents during holidays-Shulechi. The hot spring water at Shulechi is drawn from a geothermal source 2,050 meters underground in the Jurassic geological layer. Among the 46 hot spring pools, the standout feature is the parent- child cave hot spring area spanning over 2,000 square meters. Passing through the“sci-fi sky” and “dreamy river”, entering the cave along the hot spring water, feels like wandering into an underwater dragon palace. It adds a touch of novelty, catering to both children and the “young at heart”.
The most crucial aspect of Shulechi is the character “Le” (joy), which does not only refer to the joy of the hot springs. Being at Shulechi, besides relaxing in the hot springs, there are also leisure activities such as movie screenings, table tennis, and a children’s playground. Spending the Spring Festival here with the family is indeed a good choice.
Shulechi i is the nearest hot spring resort from Chengdu city. It is located in the Wenjiang district. It has more than 40 pools and areas for food and kids’ facilities.
Opening hours:
10 am – 12pm
Hot Spring Ticket Price:
from 138RMB
Address:
No. 619, Fenghuang North Street, Wenjiang District
成都市温江区凤凰北大街619号
Tel: 028-82789999
White Horse Hot Spring 隐泉·温泉体验中心
A hidden countryside retreat, on the outskirts of Chengdu (Jintang district), the White Horse Hot Spring derives its name from a local legend. The legend says a farmer caught sight of a horse in the distance, followed it, but it vanished into the ground. The farmer dug into the field looking for the horse, and clear springs emerged, and the village was blessed with fertile soil.
Thus hot spring centre features twenty-one pools with different scents, and therapeutic effects. It’s build with ’antique-style” Chinese carved beams… Giddy-up!
Opening hours: 10:00-23:00
Address: No.36,Haiquanwan Road. Guancang Sub-district, Jintang County.
的园林中氤氲,身着汉服的来客身处园林和汤泉间,得以体验一场宁静、私密的天然
Tel: 028-60217777
Within Chengdu
If you’re looking for a healing hit of thermal waters inside the city, there are several options in Chengdu, but these 2 are our favourites:
Tang Leyuan 汤乐源
This bathhouse in the South West of Chengdu is modeled on a Japanese onsen, complete with kimono print pajamas and hot stone rooms. They have inside and outside pools (the indoor pools are segregated by gender) and offer a ‘Japanese style’ seafood buffet, big lounge chairs for staying the night and massage services. It’s extremely clean and really quite fun.
Note that this bathhouse requires original passport upon registration, and foreigners, unfortunately, aren’t allowed to stay after midnight.
Opening hours:
24 hours
Hot Spring Ticket Price:
228rmb (incl. breakfast, hot spring & seafood buffet)
139rmb (incl. breakfast and hot spring)
Address:
武侯区科园南一路10号
No.10 South Keyuanyi Road
Herijun Hot Springs Hotel 何日君温泉酒店
Right by Nijiaqiao stop on The Metro Line 1, this bathhouse-hot spring hybrid is known amongst the expat community in Chengdu. There are hot and cold pools and steam rooms and saunas. There are comfy movie chairs and a children’s area for you to take a load off – and of course, there is an area to play Mahjong and cards. They also seem to have a newer bathouse next to far from Wanda Plaza in east Chengdu (净居寺南街88号).
Opening hours: 24 hours
Hot Spring Ticket Price: Around 150RMB
Address:
2-8 Nijia Qiao Lu, Renmin Nan Lu, Section 4, Wuhou District
成都市武侯区人民南路四段倪家桥路2号附8号
Contact:
028 8555 3230
A note on Chinese hot spring etiquette:
Changing rooms and inside pools are usually separated by gender, and some require you to be naked – so it’s best to call before you visit if this is something you are not comfortable with.
Outdoor pools are communal, so shower before entering. Natural thermal springs may smell strongly of sulfur – which is why they’re attributed to having healing properties, but this varies between pools with different mineral makeups. Be warned that hot springs are often very busy during weekends and especially on national holidays – and can feel a little like a human hot pot, so go early to avoid crowds.
