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Hot spring paradise
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MOST people imagine that visiting a hot spring involves travelling to distant, exotic locations like Tibet, but the truth is, hot, volcanic bathing is just around the corner, at the dramatically-named Jinshan Hot Spring Paradise.
Located in Naji Township, Enping City, Guangdong Province, the Jinshan Hot Spring Paradise is a lovely hot spring bathing resort.
Hidden among woods and flowers are open-air bathing pools of different shapes and sizes. Some are made of stone, some of wood, while others are decorated with ceramic tiles. The water temperature varies, but customers have to get used to the hot water step by step. The hottest pool is the Egg-Soaking Pool where the water simmers at 80 degrees Celcius.
Some bathers enjoy the refreshing tradition of entering a pool of cold water after soaking in hot water. But doing it the other way, from a cold-water pool to a hot-water one, intensifies the feeling of heat, and can cause a tremendous rush. The designers of the hot spring have alternated hot pools with cold to produce this effect.
But the pools themselves can be quite unusual. For instance, there is a Wine Pool, where three bottles of white liquor are added to the pool each day. It is not poured in one go but dripped in one drop at a time. Staffers claim that a bath in such water can relieve fatigue, stimulate the blood circulation and help the muscles and joints relax. Meanwhile, a dip in the Perfume Pool, with (you guessed it) special perfume added, is, we're told, particularly refreshing. In the Tea-Water Pool, the water comes out from a specially-made ea pot which then is poured into a huge cup. People sit at the cup's edge soaking their feet.
For a bit more stimulation, head for the Waterfall Pool. From up high, water crashes down on your shoulders and back with force, like a pounding masseuse. At the same time, courteous young waitresses offer you cups of fragrant tea to quench your thirst. After a long soak in the hot spring, you can either go to the swimming pool or the massage parlour to relax even more.
There is a story behind this hot spring which dates back some 600 years. When the people living by the Naji River suddenly developed incurable itchy skin and painful muscles, they built a sacrificial altar to ask for help from heaven. On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, following a massive storm, a woman found the river water was hot and seven fairies were playing in it. The fairies explained: "The Jade Emperor takes pity on you all, and for your piety he grants you this celestial spring. The water can cure your disease." The villagers bathed in it and quickly their disease was gone. Thus the river became "Fairy River" and the riverside village "Hot Water Village".
Tips for travellers
The Jinshan Hot Spring Paradise covers an area of 40,000 square metres. It has eight luxury villas, 16 European-style houses, a total of 218 beds. All buildings are villa-style detached houses. There are 28 Japanese-style bathing pools of varying temperature, physiotherapy pools, recreational pools and common pools, covering 10,000 square metres. Also included are night snack stalls, barbecue pits, fishing spots, an archery range and parking lot.(SD-Agencies)
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