Tangtou boasts millennium-old hot springs

There are many millennium-old hot springs in Tangtou sub-district of Hedong district, Linyi city, East China's Shandong province. They were formed after geological tectonic movements fractured a zone about 3 million years ago, creating an underground circulating mineral spring.

The hot springs in Tangtou are known to have "magic water" as it is said that it is capable of curing some diseases. The water contains more than 30 chemical elements such as sodium, potassium, and calcium, which are all good for patients with dermatitis and arthritis in particular. 

There is a legend of a disabled villager surnamed Wu who could wrestle with a strong man after three months of taking baths in the hot spring here.

The exterior of a hot spring resort in Linyi's Hedong district. [Photo by Xing Ziqin for chinadaily.com.cn]

Local people believe in an old saying: bathing in the hot springs on Tomb Sweeping Day will prevent boils and cure pain in the waist and legs. 

Even now, people within a hundred-mile radius will come to bathe in Tangtou's hot springs on Tomb Sweeping Day. Compared with hot springs in other regions, the hot springs in this sub-district are beneficial and budget friendly.

Decor in a local hot spring resort. [Photo by Xing Ziqin for chinadaily.com.cn]

Over the years, the local government has beefed up its efforts to develop the hot spring as its tourism calling card. A group of branded hot spring resorts have already been launched, and they draw more than 1 million visitors annually. (Edited by Xue Xinyi)