Hotpot Hot Springs: China’s Tastiest Bathing Experience

China boasts a wealth of renowned hot springs scattered across its vast landscapes. One hot spring sparked widespread interest among them due to its distinctive characteristics.

This curiosity has drawn attention from netizens globally, prompting exploration into the extraordinary qualities that set this hot spring apart. Let’s explore what makes this hot spring so unique.

Hangzhou is renowned for its hot spring offerings. In 2018, the First World Hotel in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China, introduced a unique hot spring experience: the hot pot hot spring. This innovative concept divided the hot spring into compartments resembling a hot pot, with various fruits and vegetables such as apples, bananas, corn, peppers, and lettuce floating in the water.

Guests delighted in soaking in this inventive hot pot hot spring, reminiscent of traditional Chinese hot pot culture. To complement the experience, the hotel also served generous skewers of assorted meats and vegetables, allowing guests to indulge in culinary delights while luxuriating in the warm waters.

The hotel planned the hot pot hot spring as a special event for the Spring Festival, promoting a healthy lifestyle by offering these services.

As the hot pot hot spring concept gained traction across China, it gradually started trending. Following suit, the Hangzhou First World Hotel introduced a hot pot bathtub within its Yunman Hot Spring. This sizable 5-meter (16.4-foot) bathtub was divided to mimic a hot pot filled with peppers and lettuce.

To enhance the experience, guests were offered individual hot pot stews alongside the hot spring. This unique combination allowed guests to indulge in hot pot delicacies while soaking in the rejuvenating waters, creating an unparalleled hot spring experience within China.

Chinese netizens reacted with a mix of curiosity and skepticism, with comments like “Is this hygienic?”, “Would you feel like eating here?” “This seems like a waste of food,” “I can’t accept this,” “It’s so convenient that I could keep eating,” and “Really innovative ideas keep emerging that I never imagined.”

Ronghui Hot Spring Village in Chongqing, Sichuan Province, is renowned for its unique hot pot hot spring. Combining Chongqing’s reputation for hot springs with its spicy Sichuan cuisine, this destination offers a distinctive fusion of these iconic elements. Ronghui Hot Spring features indoor and outdoor hot springs, with the outdoor area comprising a large hot spring pot divided into four sections.

The hot spring pot is filled with vibrant red water infused with herbal ingredients while various vegetable models float around, enhancing the resemblance to a traditional hot pot. To add to the immersive experience, giant wooden chopsticks are placed for guests to pose with, creating the illusion of becoming hot pot ingredients themselves. Ronghui Hot Spring has quickly become a popular photo spot among visitors.

When it opened, the hot pot hot spring of Ronghui Hot Spring started gaining popularity online, becoming a representative attraction of Chongqing.

A representative from Ronghui Hot Spring said, “The steaming hot spring in winter is very similar to a boiling hot pot. We created the hot pot hot spring to provide tourists with a more fun and interesting hot spring experience.”

The cost of using the hot spring is about 30,000 won ($26.50).

Visitors have left reviews such as “You can enjoy various hot springs at a reasonable price,” “The hot pot hot spring is fun starting from its visuals,” “It feels like I’ve become a real hot pot ingredient,” “I thought it would be strange at first, but it’s fun,” “There are so many types of hot springs, perfect for relieving fatigue,” and “The hot spring water is clean and well-managed.”

You can also find a hot pot hot spring hot spring at the 5-star Maple Leaf Village Hot Spring Resort in Harbin. It is an indoor hot spring, and the usage fee is 40,000 won ($35.33). The place is equipped with various themed hot springs.

Among them, the hot pot hot spring stands out. It consists of hot spring pots that remind visitors of the red and white soup of a hot pot filled with peppers, jujubes, and lemons.

Some Chinese people, however, continued to point out that it was a waste of food. In response, the hotel explained that half of the peppers were fake models. The hotel reportedly puts in about 20kg (44 pounds) of peppers daily, explaining that it’s not a waste of food as the nutrients from the peppers are absorbed into the body.