Hot springs in Chongqing, China, enjoy a long history and can date back to the Northern and Southern Dynasties (432 AD) when a monk established Hot Spring Temple in Beibei District in downtown Chongqing.

In 1432, the Hot Spring Temple was renovated and it has been renamed as the North Hot Spring Park in 1927.

In 1578, inscriptions were carved on the rocks in the South Hot Spring Park.

From 1862 to 1874, hot tubs were built in the South Hot Spring Park and hot springs have been a popular source.

In 1926, the South Hot Spring Park opened for business and it represents the starting point of hot spring development and utilization in Chongqing in modern times.

In 1927, the North Hot Spring Park, as the earliest hot spring themed park in China, opened for business. The Park is designed by Lu Zuofu.

In 1935, the West Hot Spring Park has been developed and utilized.

From 1937 to 1945, the South, West and North Hot Spring Parks attracted celebrities in politics, military and culture to enjoy hot springs.

In 1990s, the development of Tongjing Hot Spring Resort and East Hot Spring Park started.

In 2001, Hailan Yuntian Hot Spring Holiday Resort opened for business.

In 2002, the first artificial hot spring well was successfully dug in Haitang Xiaoyue Hot Spring, which signals the development of hot springs in modern times for commercial use.

In 2002, Tianci Hot Spring opened for business and it set a record of 500,000 visits in the next year.

In 2006, the Chongqing Municipal Government issued the guidance to speed up the construction of ten hot spring parks and resorts in all directions as well as capital of hot springs. It has boosted the development of hot spring industry. And in the same year, Zhongyang Bandao Hot Spring  in central Chongqing opened for business.

From 2008 to 2009, the Chongqing Municipal Government proposed the strategic measure to build more hot spring parks and resorts within one-hour economic circle, an area where people can get to the central city by any means of modern transport. The circle is composed of 23 districts and counties. All aims to promote the industry development in a comprehensive way. Chongqing has improved its development in hot springs, evidenced by the openings of Beity Hot Spring Tourism Resort, Ronghui Hot Spring City and Bolian Hot Springs Resort. Some of them are famous both at home and abroad.

In 2011, a regional hot spring cluster started to show and hot springs in Chongqing has been among the top ones in China. And Ministry of Land and Resources, now known as Ministry of Natural Resources of People’s Republic of China, has given Chongqing the title of “China’s Capital of Hot Springs”.

In 2012, Chongqing has been awarded as "Global Capital of Hot Springs" by the World Federation of Hydrotherapy and Climatotherapy. Fifty key projects are prioritized to improve and adjust the industrial and market structures, in a bid to raise hot spring industry to new high.

Source: Hakone Hot Spring and SPA Group