Chongqing City Tour Packages
Northern Hot Springs Park
No stay in
Chongqing is complete
without a visit to the Northern Hot Springs Park as it
has so much to offer the visitors and is rightly
considered to be a pearl of the Jialing River.
The Northern Hot Springs park lies at the foot of
Jinyun Mountain on the north side of the Jialing River.
It is about 52 kilometers (32miles) from the city center
and although it is not very large, just 10 hectares (25
acres), it is Chongqing's foremost garden park. Here,
you can enjoy a beautiful scenic area comprising
temples, hills, water, woods, springs, gorges, caves and
much else besides.
There are four main palaces at the center of the park
where you can feel something of the religious culture.
To the east of the four palaces there is the Guxiang
Garden as well as the Stone Inscription Garden, Fish
Pond and Water Lily Pool. Guxiang Garden is the original
site of the Hot Springs Temple. It is here that the
tombs of monks from the Song (960-1279), Ming
(1368-1644), and Qing (1644-1911) dynasties are
preserved. The Stone Inscription Garden contains steles
dating from these three dynastic periods, while a
notable feature is the Ming Dynasty Panlong Tower, the
treasure of stone inscriptions. To the north of the
palaces the park has caves and five ornamental ponds.
All of the buildings and pavilions have been sited so as
to compliment their surroundings so that with the green
bamboos, clear water and elegant hills the park is very
picturesque.
Naturally, the hot springs are the main feature of the
park. There are ten springs altogether in the park and
the temperature of the water is a constant 35C-37C
(95.0F-98.6F). The water contains alkali minerals that
are considered as having beneficial medicinal
properties. The warm water offers an excellent way to
relax from the stresses of day to day existence and it
also benefits those who suffer from skin problems,
arthritis and many other common ailments. Apart from a
standard swimming pool there are 75 indoor bathrooms, a
newly built triangular indoor swimming pool and a play
pool for children.
In addition, the park has an abundance of natural flora
and fauna. The plants that naturally occur here are
mainly tropical and semitropical evergreens, horsetail
pines and a large area covered by bamboo groves. Bedding
plants, mainly flowers, well maintained lawns and fruit
trees add to the overall colorful ambiance. The park is
also home to many species of small animals and birds
such as squirrels, hares, owls, crows, doves, cuckoos,
parrots, magpies, thrushes and sparrows that you are
sure to encounter when you are strolling here.
With its many historic sites and fair sceneries,
Northern Hot Springs Park offers you a welcome and an
escape from the pressures of city life.
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