Chongqing's Cultural Canvas | Unlocking the Hidden Menu of Tongjing Hot Springs

In 1760, Wang Erjian, the magistrate of Ba County with refined literary and aesthetic sensibilities, selected twelve landscapes in Bayu that best represented its beauty, immortalizing them for nearly three centuries.

Wang Erjian never knew that his impromptu selection of the 'Twelve Scenes of Bayu' would spark countless later re-evaluations.

It is said that the criteria for selecting the Twelve Scenes of Bayu were: 'Their charm lies beyond the moon, dew, wind, and clouds; their beauty harbors the wonders of towering heights and profound figures. Ascending and looking down, one gains a unique insight... ethereal and elusive, existing between form and formlessness, considered most exquisite. They possess a secluded charm, ethereal and free of material traces...'

But these beauties have been worn away in this restless era.

Tongjing, in the eyes of the world, has become merely a place for hot springs: soaking, bathing, playing in water...

Yet this is far from the whole story of Tongjing Hot Springs—it doesn't even capture a third of it.

This time, let us delve into Tongjing Hot Springs and discover its hidden menu.

In ancient times, the most famous feature of Tongjing Hot Springs was actually monkeys.

Yes, as the title suggests, in ancient times, the most renowned scene of Tongjing Hot Springs was the monkey groups.

In the past, monkeys gathered in droves on the cliffs of Tongjing's Barrel Well Gorge, climbing trees and vines, or hanging upside down in play, bringing vitality to the tranquil gorge. Wang Erjian, the landscape enthusiast, waved his brush and composed a poem, creating the scene 'Barrel Well Gorge Monkeys':

As Wang Erjian's close friends, Zhou Kaifeng and Jiang Huizhao could not miss this beautiful and delightful scene.

Zhou Kaifeng wrote the fine lines 'A thousand monkeys leap among the laurel trees, peering at a thread of sky through the narrow pass. Where peach blossoms fall at the Peach Blossom Spring, how many times have they tricked the old fisherman?', vividly depicting the monkeys' leaping.

Today at Tongjing, every noon, the monkey troop crosses the river to the opposite bank in search of food. At a single call, over a hundred macaques swim across the river and come through the gorge.

Rest assured, you won't see such a spectacle at any other hot spring resort in Chongqing.

This is the most harmonious scene between humans and animals, humans and nature.

Boating on Wentang River is about nostalgia.

Tongjing Resort lies east of the Yulin River, covering 15 square kilometers, encompassing mountains, water, forests, springs, gorges, caves, waterfalls, a natural lake, an island, an ancient stockade, and eagle flocks. Praised as a 'Natural Museum' and extolled by literati through the ages as a 'Wuling Wonderland'.

The scenic Tongjing Gorge consists of Wentang Gorge, Barrel Well Gorge, and Eagle Gorge, stretching about 3 kilometers. The gorge walls are steep as if carved by knives, entwined with withered vines and old trees. The river is clear, with bamboo groves on both banks reflected in the water, creating a breathtaking landscape, earning it the name 'Little Three Gorges'. When it rains, the rain falls with a gentle breeze, veiling the gorge in an elegant ink-and-wash painting, with a white mist over the water, adding tenderness to its grandeur. Bamboo rafts drift through the mist, as if in a fairyland—a drizzling rain, thin mist, clouds intertwining, full of charm.

Riding a bamboo raft, leisurely threading through the towering mountains of Wentang River, listening to the rustling bamboo groves and birdsong in the woods, standing cliffs against the sky, and verdant bamboos covering the hills, one feels the scene described by the local Qing-dynasty scholar Huang Shanxi: 'On both banks, rows of stone walls stand like courtiers; several groups descend the cliffs to the river.'

With rolling mountains, ancient towering trees, and flowing streams, ancient Yubei rarely saw famous scholars pass through, but its beautiful scenery captivated the literati, leaving behind over two hundred marvelous poems, mostly composed by foreign officials in Chongqing and local scholars.

Throughout the long ages, who has sung for Tongjing?

Soaking in hot springs? Nothing beats the 'Ice and Fire Nine Heavens' experience.

At Tongjing, hot springs are the basics, while the alternating cold and hot springs are the surprise.

Compared to hot springs, cold springs may be unfamiliar to many. As early as the Ming Dynasty, Li Shizhen in his 'Compendium of Materia Medica' classified China's mineral springs into hot, cold, sweet, sour, and bitter. Cold springs require special geological formations, differing from ordinary mountain springs and groundwater. They emerge from the depths of Tongjing Gorge with bubbles, belonging to simple carbonated springs, clear and transparent, drinkable and bathable, with water temperature consistently below 20°C.

Cold springs are especially suitable for summer. In the scorching heat, plunging into 20°C cold spring water, after just a few minutes, the heat disappears, leaving a refreshing coolness that washes away all summer's heat and fatigue.

Tongjing Hot Springs has five pools for cold and hot springs, gathered in a flower shape—three hot and two cold, within easy reach.

In early spring, for the cold-hot spring experience, first soak in a 42-45°C hot spring for about ten minutes, accumulating body heat. Then plunge into a cold spring for 3-4 minutes to dissipate heat, then return to the hot spring to 'recharge'. Repeat this cycle.

The intense hot-cold stimulation boosts blood circulation, enhances metabolism, activates cell function, strengthens liver detoxification, improves immunity, increases the body's oxidation-reduction capacity, resists free radical generation, enhances detoxification and waste elimination, and normalizes autonomic nerves, among other benefits.

There's a splash called kayaking.

Splashing in water is swimming; splashing in a hot spring is soaking; splashing in a small leather boat is kayaking.

Tongjing Hot Springs' kayak area is located at the Roman Square (left of the resort entrance), covering 35 mu, with a professional boat dock and over two hundred pieces of water equipment including various kayaks and paddleboards. It boasts exceptional water resources: the clear Wentang River and the vast bamboo groves on both banks offer stunning scenery.

The threshold for kayaking is not high. The waters of Tongjing Gorge flow gently, and as long as you don't rock the boat vigorously, there's little turbulence.

I particularly enjoy putting away the paddle and letting the current drift me along, watching clouds roll and unfold in the gorge, and seeing the early spring sunlight sprinkle a layer of gold on the river. I also love watching the small whirlpools stirred up when the paddle dips into the water—slender, quickly forming and quickly disappearing... Occasionally, a fallen flower floating downstream sparks many thoughts—where did it fall into the water, how long has it drifted, to meet me for this fleeting encounter?

The Induction Cave senses the warmth of daily life.

Perhaps hidden within the blessed landscape and favored by nature, Tongjing has created this natural karst cave deposited over millennia.

Inside the cave, an underground stream flows gently, stalactites are magnificent and varied, strange rocks stand everywhere. Boating into the cave, an occasional bat flits by, like exploring an underground maze. The underground river flows ceaselessly from the cave, forming a shallow stream at the entrance, never drying up even in drought. The cave is warm in winter and cool in summer, with a constant temperature of 16-20°C, pleasant and refreshing, exuding a natural aura.

The Induction Tea House is located in the open space at the entrance of Induction Cave. Stone tables and chairs with woven grass mats, even in midsummer, you can brew a cup of spring water in covered bowls, wave a woven palm-leaf fan, and feel the cool breeze at only 24°C blowing from the cave. Relaxing and leisurely, you can sit all day without feeling hot. In winter, a warm breeze greets you, gentle as a modest gentleman, warm as jade.

The Induction Tea House uses natural cold spring water from Tongjing for brewing tea: in winter, it heats water for covered-bowl tea; in summer, the underground river water cools sour plum drink—a taste of childhood and the warmth of everyday life.

More exhilarating than hot pot is eating hot pot by the hot spring.

Eating hot pot at Tongjing is a ritual.

The Gorge River Hot Pot is set amid the gorges of Tongjing Hot Springs. Steam rises by the spring, blurring reality and illusion. Pots of bubbling spicy broth or clear broth, in the cold night, release the aromatic compounds of chili peppers, stimulating everyone's nose and taste buds. Combined with the fragrance of sesame oil dipping sauce (80% purity), it's like a devil tempting saliva, reaching out to all.

It's said the base is handcrafted by a professional hot pot chef. The chilies must be from last year or this year's Shizhu Red No. 3, cut, destemmed, and deseeded. The best Maowen Sichuan peppercorns, only the first-branch peppercorns (30% more expensive than non-first-branch). Beef tallow from a specific factory in Xi'an, made without chemical flavor enhancers...

In this rich red broth, diners toast and never put down their chopsticks, as the other end constantly fishes out crispy tripe, thick luncheon meat, soft potatoes...

Deliciously indulgent.

How about a market visit after the hot springs?

Tongjing Town has few people, with traffic lights spaced far apart, unlike the city's constant urgent or long honks revealing drivers' hunger and determination to eat.

On market days, farmers from miles around bring out fresh produce from their fields: lush greens with morning dew, radishes, plump pumpkins, sweet potatoes, free-range eggs, duck eggs... A riot of colors, baskets next to backpacks. The villagers aren't eager to sell; they chat with each other.

Steaming hot 'Ancient Town Tofu Pudding Rice'. A simple middle-aged boss, wearing an apron, tosses a plastic menu for diners to choose: steamed pork ribs with rice flour 38 yuan, lamb in bamboo steamer 36 yuan... Tofu pudding 5 yuan per bowl—order as many as you like, eat freely—no pressure on the wallet. Next door, at Qiwa's Stone Mill Rice Noodle Shop, dozens of bamboo poles overhead are hung with thin rice noodle sheets, glistening moistly, telling us they are very fresh.

Yes, handmade fresh in the morning, cut from the pole on the spot. Sales start at 5 PM each day for raw materials, and you can smell the rice aroma when passing by. The knife skill is excellent, cutting evenly and neatly. Boil for three minutes, top with minced meat sauce or pork intestines sauce—a hearty bowl makes everyone smile.

Village vegetables with original food flavors have a soul-stirring charm. Whether it's dipping in red chili sauce in sweet water, the tenderness of stir-fried liver and kidney, or the white rice noodles with green lettuce dipped in oil droplets, the pleasure of eating combined with the slightly crisp fresh air makes one feel this meal is truly worth living.

This is homesickness with a hot spring flavor.

The endless hidden menu

In truth, limited by space, we cannot show you all the ways to unlock Tongjing Hot Springs.

So we can't tell you about the Metasequoia Camp, where the trees change with seasons, displaying oil-painting-like splendor, and the swing swings through the beautiful late autumn and early winter;

Nor can we tell you that in the secluded Wentang Family Inn, not only can you enjoy a pot of tea and leisure time, but also authentic farmhouse small dishes; we can't even tell you about the winding paths and lush flowers on the peninsula...

Too many beauties and hidden menu items are concealed within these four words: 'Tongjing Hot Springs'.

In reality, for you reading this, all you need is to pack your backpack, set off, and drive to this wonderful place just 40 minutes away.

That is the best way to unlock the hidden menu of Tongjing Hot Springs.

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Text | Lian Er Ye

Layout | Hua Mei

Images | Provided by Lian Er Ye and Tongjing Hot Springs