Xiazaotang Hot Spring in Caojian Town of Yunlong County, Dali

Chinese Name:云龙县漕涧镇下澡潭温泉
English Name:Xiazaotang Hot Spring in Caojian Town of Yunlong County, Dali

Xiazaotang hot spring（下澡潭）, located in the southeastern mountains of Caojian town（漕涧镇）, nine kilometers away from the government office of Caojian town（漕涧镇）, is surrounded by mountains on three sides and streams on one side. With beautiful scenery and trees, there are rare hot spring waterfalls and numerous hot springs in the world.

Since ancient times, Caojian county（漕涧镇） has been known as the hometown of hot springs. There are three hot springs in the territory, which are named Shangzaotan（上澡潭）, Zhongzaotan（中澡潭） and Xiazaotan（下澡潭） according to their geographical location. Among them, the two hot springs Shangzaotan（上澡潭） and Zhongzaotan（中澡潭） are located in a huge natural oxygen bar in Eastern Mountain in a forest. The Xiazaotang Hot Spring is one of the most famous hot springs, whose water contains potassium, sodium, chlorine, bicarbonate ions and rich sulfur. It is classified as a pure sulfur spring according to its chemical composition, and has good curative effects on a variety of diseases. After bathing, your skin will be comfortable, your hair will be silky, and you will feel cool. The daily flow of the hot spring is more than 3000 cubic meters, and the hot water forms into a river. Even if people bath at the same time can keep the pool clear and hygienic. The water temperature at the source of the hot spring is over 86 degrees Celsius. And it is classified as a high-temperature hot spring according to the water temperature, with few in numbers in China, which can be used to boil eggs, chickens and sheep.

Xiazaotang Hot Spring is actually a generic term of more than 10 springs, which includes Yunlong hot spring waterfall(云龙温泉瀑布)，Caojian hot river(漕涧热河), Small roll(小滚锅)，Stacked water rock pool(叠水岩澡塘)，Official pool(官澡潭), Inner Palace pool(内宫澡潭), Cypress pool(柏树澡潭), and Holy well(圣水井). Yunlong Hot Spring Waterfall cascades from the cliffs that are four or five feet high, splashing several waves, seeming like a flood dragon, and sounding like thunder. At the bottom of the waterfall are two large bath pools, which is, water rock pool. People use the hot spring water falling from the sky to hit their waist and legs to enjoy the “natural massage” granted by nature. Therefore, people call it “Hit waist bath pool”.

Official Pool, which means only officials can enjoy it in the old society, was a hot spring where the famous patriotic general Song Xilian bathed during the anti-Japanese War. Its water source is two hot springs that trickle down from the steep rocks.

Holy well, a clear spring that is boiling at the edge of the Stacked water pool(叠水岩澡潭)is said to have the effect of dispelling diseases and driving away evil spirits. Anyone who comes to this pool must drink. The reason why people should drink the water is that it mainly contains sulphur and bicarbonate ions and has a certain therapeutic effect on gastroenteritis. You can also boil eggs. All you need is to wrap the eggs with gauze and put them in the pool to boil for a while.

In the folklore, Xiazaotan has “parents pool”(父母潭) and “children pool”（儿女潭）. Inner palace pool(内宫澡潭) is the “mother pool”（母亲潭）, stack water rock pool(叠水岩澡潭) is the “father pool”（父亲潭）, and the cypress pool is the “children pool”（儿女潭）.

Every year around the Spring Festival, people from the surrounding areas would come here with their family. They would set up tents there and stay for 10 days or half a month to travel, relax and cure diseases. The diseases and troubles brought by a year’s hard work disappear with the hot spring water. As night falls, a bonfire lights up around the hot spring, making it a unique sight.
Translated by Chen Ziwei/陈紫薇
Chinese Version:
http://www.dalidaily.com/lvyou/20111026/143757.html