Chongqing- The Banan Publicity Department and Banan District Urban Management Bureau organized the Laowai Rural Village Activities Day for foreign residents in Chongqing on November 26th.
Guests from Belarus, England, South Korea, and Ethiopia followed a visit to the downtown Chrysanthemum Exhibition with a tour of the Southern Hot Spring Scenic Area (Nan Wenquan), where they enjoyed a cable car ride to Jianwen Peak, where they practiced famous local folk songs amidst pleasant surroundings.
Guests of the Laowai Rural Village Activities Day organized by Banan District take a group photograph on Jianwen Peak.
Later, they also toured the Lantern Festival within the scenic area, which boasts two kilometers of spectacular lantern displays on traditional culture and modern concepts. Set amongst beautiful natural surroundings, the lanterns also feature 5D technology to impress visitors with a range of special audio and visual effects.
The overseas guests also enjoyed the pleasure of a fun and relaxing dip in the hot springs, re-opened to the public after a renovation that added 21 specially themed pools and a range of attractive features, including waterfalls, steamy baths, rockery landscapes for people to climb.
The Southern Hot Spring Resort in Banan district has re-opened following a renovation and upgrade.
The South Hot Spring Scenic Area is located in Banan District and is a top ten municipal scenic spot and tourist resort roughly 18 kilometers from the downtown of Chongqing. The total area covers 4.8 square kilometers and is famous for a wealth of natural and cultural resources, including the hot springs, lush vegetation, the Huaxi River, and history related to the War of Resistance.
Naturally, the scenic area is famous for the hot spring resources, which stand out for their high water quality and temperature range. In fact, the sources named Longquan, Hanquan, and Yuquan are used to make tea and cook rice, which produces a unique fragrance.
The spring water swimming bath leads to a wonderful range of uniquely themed pools.
The hot springs in this location were discovered in Ming Dynasty Emperor Wanli (1573-1620) over 400 years ago. There are 265 million cubic meters of hot spring water rich in calcium, magnesium, sodium, and sulfate at an average temperature between 39-42°C. Health benefits include a therapeutic effect on the skin, blood circulation, and nervous system.
Inside the newly renovated hot spring are facilities that integrate treatments for well-being, healthy food, leisure, and entertainment. There are 28 uniquely designed pools with various themes in the outdoor section, such as a fish spa, aromatic baths, hydrotherapy, and saunas, and a hot swimming pool.
The 28 pools at the renovated Southern Hot Springs have their own unique theme.
During the daytime, bathers can enjoy the lush environment and mountain backdrop from inside the scenic area. At night, the beautifully designed lights come on to give the whole resort a magical atmosphere, enhanced by enchanting clouds of steam floating up from the hot spring pools.
A favorite pool was designed like an iron wok hanging from a chain above a furnace, where guests climb up a mini flight of steps into the water lit up in a heartwarming orange color. Despite the fun visual effect of cooking inside, the water temperature hits just the right balance to set off the fresh winter air's chill.
New features inside the hot spring resort include waterfalls and attractive rock landscapes beautifully adorned by colored lights after dark.
As the entertaining day of activities concluded, the overseas guests spent a few moments to ponder, and each writes a souvenir diary entry. Like all previous Laowai events, the guests thanked their generous hosts for yet another wonderful day, described their favorite moments, and looked forward to their next fun trip to Banan District.