Must-Stay Hotel in Chengdu's Huashui Bay!

Weekend morning light spills over the ridges of Xiling Snow Mountain, scattering into golden fragments on the creek stones of Huashui Bay. Barefoot in the cool stream, I watch waterweeds sway around my ankles as Chengdu families nearby set up bamboo chairs and submerge watermelons in the creek to chill—this valley's summer is always ten degrees cooler than the city. Arriving at Howard Johnson Hot Spring Resort's courtyard feels like stepping into an ancient retreat. Tang-style eaves peek through bamboo groves, and my private-villa booking hides deep within three layered courtyards. Pushing open the latticed wooden door, premium bath amenities and a Kingkoil mattress add understated luxury to the rustic space, but the star is the private hot spring pool—gauze curtains fluttering in the mountain breeze, water mirroring drifting clouds. Afternoons call for immersion in the "Bai Le Spring." Forty-thousand-year-old mineral water surges from the earth, its sulfur scent dancing on skin. Reclining in the bird's nest-shaped pool, I watch red maples and emerald bamboo blur into ink-wash paintings through the steam, almost hearing cicadas harmonize with the babbling creek. Dusk transforms the lawn into a light theater. Hanfu-clad girls chase paper lanterns as amber glows float against twilight. Following locals' lead, I order a snow-mountain cured ham hotpot—smoky umami bursting with wild mushrooms—while distant mahjong tiles clack a Chengdu rhythm. When stars embroider the sky, I slip back into the private pool, buoyed by thermal waters. Gazing at the Milky Way cascading over peaks, I finally understand why Chengdu folks say: "A calm heart finds its cool"—true refreshment lies not in temperature, but in breathing in sync with nature. Mountain springs still tinkle through rocks as my clothes absorb earthy fragrances. Chengdu's summer never hides in air-conditioning—it steams in hot spring mist, chills in creek-cooled wine cups, and lingers in the unhurried anticipation of evening breezes across the lawn. #Howard Johnson Hot Spring Resort Chengdu Huashui Bay