Hot spring heats up Wudang's tourism market

Tourists soak in the hot springs in Wudang. [Photo/WeChat account of Wudang district]

In recent years, Wudang district in Guiyang, capital of Southwest China's Guizhou province, has taken the hot spring industry as a leading force to drive the development of local tourism.

To date, Wudang is home to four hot spring enterprises, and three of its hot springs are rated as national 4-A level scenic spots.

One of them is Guiyu Hot Spring Scenic Spot, selected as a national 4-A level scenic spot in 2011. With a total of 23 characteristic bubble pools and one standard-level swimming pool, it is an open-air hot spring leisure resort comprising a hot spring bathing spa, accommodation and catering, conference chess and cards, and health care.

The spring's geothermal mineral water originates from 1,900 meters underground, meaning its water temperature reaches as high as 53 C. The water is rich in more than 30 kinds of mineral trace elements such as strontium, sulfur, iron, and radon.

During the just-concluded Mid-Autumn Festival and National Day holidays, the scenic spot launched a series of promotional activities, receiving approximately 800-900 guests per day.

Li Shengyu, general manager of Guiyu, said that they plan to develop more projects catering to young people.

During the holiday period, Wudang's hot spring scenic spots received 21,600 visitors, bringing in 2.65 million yuan ($362,752.56) in tourist revenue.