Sunday, June 19, 2011

China's outback?

Welcome
East of Baoshan lies Dehong AP, a prefecture with mostly minority inhabitants in a corner with Burma.

The city of Luxi (or Mang(xi), Dehong's prefectural seat) is mentioned as having the Daijingxiang Hot Spring Hotel which is located in Fapa (tripadvisor and looks very posh) as well as the Fapa Hot Spring Village (tripadvisor).

Eight kms from Luxi is Pago Mans Hot Spring resort:
' ... a group of hot springs, water temperature around 46 ℃, flow stability, clear spring water, water does not contain harmful elements. Get-together in 1956 during the Sino-Burmese border between China and Myanmar Prime Minister and the guests have to welcome home. In recent years, new resorts, equipment, more complete' (source).
Elsewhere in Mang/Luxi is the more rustic Luxi Shudong hot spring (source). At a distance of 25 km is the Bamboo River hot spring (source).

Fame
Odd, a Luxi hot spring located further away in the direction of Ruili county is mentioned as
'China's five famous nude bathing customs (中国五大著名裸浴风俗)' (source).
Another website lists this spring in its China's most famous nude bathing, surprisingly with very a photo of very conservatively dressed ladies!

Unfortunately the name is not so translatable, it could well be the "Collapse of the Dragon". It's pretty well-known. It is a hot spring that once was beside a banyan tree but is now partially under it. One can enter these holes and bath under the tree as well as the adjacent pond. This Chinese language
website also has a couple of photo's (though no mention of soaking couture). Reference is given to it being in Mangbang which rings a bell. This blog mentions Meichan hot spring, Mangbang, Zhefangzhen. A look at a map puts Zhefang between Riuli and Luxi / Mang close to the Burmese border. Looks very idyllic (below).

A great photo shoot, this is regarded as China's top 5 skinny dips?

Molified

Others mention the above hot spring as Longchi, but all web searches link through to a hot spring in Sichuan. Some mention even Moli as in Moli Tropical Rainforest Eco-tourism Area. Then again not so sure. Possibly a totally different hot spring. From this website:
'Moli Tropical Rain Forest Area is a national 4A scenic area, and was constructed by Taiwanese businessman Zhan Maosheng. It is located in Moli Valley in the northwest of Wanrui Bridge and is about 21 kilometers away from the downtown Ruili. The entire area is in a small basin with an altitude of 940 meters.
It covers an area of about 7 square kilometers. It is pleasant and sunny there with a tropical rainforest climate. By taking advantage of the existing natural landscape, forest resources and hot spring energy, builders has created a comprehensive ecological tourism area integrating functions of holidays, scientific research, rehabilitation, leisure and entertainment'.
So now we are in Ruili county. Close by to the collapsed dragon (or Zhefang) is Law Pa hot spring. This website shows a big cement pool with (if I read the translation correctly) a men and a women's pool. This website mentions a joint venture and presents a photographic overview of the not so enticing surroundings.
Link
Riuli county also counts the Bada Hot Spring Hotel (tripadvisor) as well as Yurui Hot Spring hotel (tripadvisor) and despite the photo of a slab of concrete the Chinese commentaries pick up on the villa's with hot springs.

Other counties
In Yangjiang county is the Fenghuang Hot Spring Resort (tripadvisor). Another hot spring in Yangjiang is Mangyun hot spring (source).

Lianghe county has the Longwo hot spring (Panaramio). More fame is given to big boiling pot (Dagunguo):
'The most magnificent view of the "hot sea" is the boiling pool with a temperature of 97℃. So it is called "the Big Boiling Pot" by the local people. It is above 3 meters in diameter and 1.5 meters deep. There are dozens of big springs of vapor with a temperature of 94℃ at the mouths of the springs, where you can steam food. There was a legend that once upon a time, an ox drank salty water of spring and dropped into it owing to its carefulness. When the shepherd boy turned back with villagers, the ox has already become beef. The two Chinese characters "热海" (Hot Sea) were carved on the stone standing 30 meters away from "the big boiling pot". There are some bathrooms and steam beds for people to take a steam bath or receive medical treatment'. (source)
Though I have doubts whether it really is located in Lianghe (rather in Tengchong, Baoshan), let's just list it twice ....

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