Top famous hot springs, great places for bathing in Tibet

June,10 2023 BY Master Catherine Jigme 0 COMMENTS

Tibet is endowed with over 1000 hot springs. You can find hot springs everywhere across Tibet. Some are clean, some are not. Here we recommend four top famous hot springs, great places for bathing in Tibet, Yangpachen hot springs and Dezong hot springs in Lhasa, Xiqian hot springs in Lhatse, and Tirthapuri hot springs near mount Kailash.

Yangpachen hot springs

Yangpachen hot springs are world famous for the spectacular phenomenon of hot springs boiling on the cold plateau. There are all kinds of hot springs including high-temperature hot springs, boiling springs and geysers as well as common hot springs, the area of which totals more than 7,000 square meters. The hot springs there are rich in minerals, high content of sulfureted hydrogen in particular, and therapeutic to many chronic diseases.

The bathing place is an open-air swimming pool. The hot spring, the temperature of which is too high, needs to be cooled in two open-air cisterns before it is available for bathing. With the snow-capped mountains in the distance, it is really an enjoyment to have a hot-spring bath in the swimming pool. Especially in winter, it is very pleasant and romantic to enjoy the heavy snowfall by bathing in the hot spring.

The early morning in Yambajan is the most beautiful. In the cold morning, the hydrothermal fields are always suffused with white haze and the lake surface is always covered with great steam agglomerations, which is really fascinating and makes Yambajan a wonderland. If you are lucky enough, you may have a chance to witness the fantastic and splendid scene: the boiling water is erupting to the sky from the mouth of hot spring.

After viewing the most beautiful holy lake in Tibet, the Namtso Lake, you can enjoy a bath at the hot spring on the way back to Lhasa. You tiredness will vanish in the water.

Xiqian hot springs

Located at 10 km east of Lhatse, the Xiqian Hot Springs are widely renowned for their healing properties. These hot springs attract people coming from every corner of Tibet to bathe in. People believe that the water is able to cure a number of illnesses, especially skin irritations, gastropathy, nephropathy and arthritis. In recent years, the facilities have been upgraded. The odorless spring water is now also piped into two large indoor pools. The pool is set under a canopy roof. If you come there, you definitely want to have a try, especially in the cooler month or in the evenings.

You can turn north of the Friendship Hwy at the town of Xiqian, and then go for another 750m to the north. You will meet a sign reading ‘Shi Chen Hot Spring Holiday Resort’. It is a bit of a stretch, but you can also go to the new guesthouse beside the pool house. To go for a walk outside is highly recommended, as the area is much more pleasant than Lhatse.

You can take a bath in the hot spring on the way to visit Mount Everest from or back to Lhasa.

Dezong hot springs

Renowned for its bubble hot spring, the Dezong hot springs are pitted into an icy valley, a chilly 4200 meters above sea level and nestled in the majestic slopes of the Himalayas. Just imagine you are in the highest place of the world. You prepare to face the severe, cold, extreme climate there. But when you come to Dezong, you find yourself in a warm, waterfall-fed pool. Is it amazing?

Once come to Tibet Dezong Hot Spring Resort, visitors can never forget the experience: bathing in curative, calcite and tussilago-infused waters, gazing upon the most rugged, photogenic landscapes on the planet, and meditating the mystery of the world.

Romance does not fade away in such a height. Dezong Hot Spring, 140 kilometers far from Lhasa is a charming village of Tibetan ethnic minority. It is surrounded by mountains and livestock farms. Moreover, you can go to pay a visit to the self-buried platform and Drigungtil Temple, which is only 7 kilometers away from here.

The style here is simple and rustic. The hot spring is divided into two pools: a men’s pool above, and a women's pool below. The spring water keeps 40°C all year long. And it is famous for its jade-colored water, which comes from a cascade 20 meters into the resort’s pools.

After visiting the Drigungtil monastery, you can take a bath in the hot spring and then spend a night at the nearby guesthouse.

Tirthapuri hot springs

The first scenic spot to see is the Tirthapuri hot springs closely related with Guru Rinpoche. Lying on the bank of the Sutlej, the spring is only a few hours' drive northwest of Darchen. As a traditional place for pilgrims to bathe after their circuit Kailash, the spring is worshiped and treasured by the local people. However, as time goes by, the spring becomes weaker and weaker. Now it has already turned into a barren field. There is a one-hour kora route in Tirthapuri which is interesting to follow.

If you are in a hurry, you can simply give the place a miss. If you go on from the hot spring, on the top you can see an oval of rocks of old clothes and rags--the cremation point.

About the Author - Master Catherine Jigme

With exceptional passion and outstanding leadership, Mrs. Catherine has dedicated herself to Tibet inbound tourism and China tour for 15 years. As one of the handful females who see great potential of Chinese inbound tourism, Catherine has made great contribution to promoting Tibet tourism and enhancing the employment of Tibetans and prosperity of local Tibetan community.

Over the years, she travelled overseas with Tibet Tourism Bureau many times to promote Tibet tourism. Currently, Catherine works as the marketing director of Tibet Vista, an opinion leader behind the whole team of Tibet Vista.

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