East Hot Springs in Banan District of Chongqing. (iChongqing File Photo)
Nestled among the picturesque landscapes surrounded by rivers and mountains, Chongqing is not only famous for its stunning natural beauty but also for its world-class geothermal hot springs. In addition to being known as the "Mountain City" and "Bridge Capital," Chongqing proudly bears another distinguished title—"The World Hot Spring Capital." The city’s unique terrain has naturally endowed its hot springs with distinctive qualities that are unmatched anywhere else in the world—remarkable in scale, widespread in distribution, and unique in formation.
Chongqing, a city built on hot springs, has one-eighth of its land endowed with thermal resources. Among the 225 identified hot spring outcrops, nearly 140 are located in the central urban area, surpassing even Budapest in Hungary, making Chongqing the city with the most concentrated hot spring resources globally. With over 1600 years of recorded hot spring wellness culture, Chongqing North Hot Springs, established in 423 AD, is one of the earliest developed and utilized hot springs in the world. The mineral-rich waters of Chongqing, containing calcium sulfate, metasilicic acid, and other trace elements, are highly effective in improving sleep, relieving stress, and alleviating allergy symptoms.
Over the years, Chongqing has developed into a hub for famous hot springs both nationally and internationally, with renowned sites like "East, South, West, North" Hot Springs, Tongjing Hot Springs, and Ronghui Hot Springs leading the way.
In 2011, Chongqing was honored with the title "China’s Hot Spring Capital," one of the first three cities to be recognized. The following year, it was awarded the brand title of "The World Hot Spring Capital" by the World Federation of Hydrotherapy and Climatotherapy.
With its abundant, high-quality hot spring resources, Chongqing enjoys a global reputation. The city's hot spring industry has broad prospects, with over 40 established hot spring tourist attractions, hotels, and resorts. Chongqing’s hot springs, with their exceptional quality and rich historical and cultural significance, have held an important position in the global hot spring community.
Chongqing is currently intensifying its efforts to enhance its status as "The World Hot Spring Capital." The city plans to develop six major hot spring clusters, including high-quality, comprehensive zones in Jinyun Mountain North Hot Spring and creative tourism zones in South Hot Spring, as well as rural tourism and sci-tech wellness clusters in the East Hot Spring and West Hot Spring, respectively. Chongqing strives to become a world-class hot spring tourist city and a premier spa health and wellness destination.
Welcome to Chongqing, where the unique charm of its hot springs awaits visitors from around the world!