The Huangshan hot springs also referred to as the Spring of youths is something not to miss after your descent from the Yellow Mountain. After all the hard work of climbing up and down hundreds of steps (especially in -10ºC weather), what better way to unwind and relax those achy muscles.
Once you descent the Yellow Mountain there are coaches available to take you to the hot spring and it costs 8 Yuan each. Entry to the hot springs is 298 Yuan per person and at a discounted rate of 148 Yuan for students. I actually booked through my hotel, Cheng Jin Hotel and they offered an additional discount on this price. The price is a little steep for China but I thought it was well worth it, you don’t get many opportunities like this and I think if I skipped it I’d be kicking myself. The price includes access to the hot springs, locker room, towels, shower room (shampoo, conditioner, shower gel), hair dryer, flip-flops. Basically everything you could possibly need apart from your swimwear. However if you do forget your swimwear don’t panic, there is shop on site where you can buy something. The change area is split into ladies to the left and men to the right. Here you can change into your swimwear, leave your belongings in a locker.
The building is very clean and contemporary. On the day of my visit the place was pretty empty which I was glad about. There were approximately 6-8 people in the entire pool area at any one time including myself. This was great as you could have your own pool and not feel awkward being in a pool with some stranger, we’ve all been there right? The hot spring pools varied from 37-42ºC and their were many pools to choose from, some of which are infused with jasmine, coconut milk and red wine to name a few and each of them providing different health benefits. Some pools are fairly small, for about 2-4 people and others larger which could hold 10-15 individuals.
I fell in LOVE with this place and spent a good few hours here relaxing in all the different pools, sipping tea which was provided for free on site close to the pools and you could help yourself. They had a choice of ginger tea (which is LOVED), green tea and cold filtered water available. The setting was beautiful, as I looked I could see the amazing Yellow Mountains that I had descended and took some time to reflect and admire the breathtaking views and the experience of visiting this breath-taking place. It was exactly what my body needed after hours and hours of hiking.
If you’re visiting the Yellow Mountains I would highly recommend you visit the hot springs and set aside 2-3 hours to relax and enjoy the facilities.
On to the next stop…SHANGHAI!!
