SHENYANG, April 9 (Xinhua) -- Raindrops patter and thunder rolls as one feels the rhythmic ebb and flow of sea waves while reclining in the warmth of a pool, and in another room, the ambiance shifts into a lush rainforest with verdant foliage and swirling mist.
These captivating scenes come not from a blockbuster or a far-flung Southeast Asian getaway, but from a bath center in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province. "It's not that Southeast Asia is out of reach. The bath centers here offer better value," said Hiroto Uchida, a Japanese tourist.
He is among a surging number of international tourists who flock to various bath centers across China seeking a deeper immersion into the country's rich cultural tapestry.
While Japan is renowned for its onsen culture, Uchida was taken aback by the sheer scale of the hot springs at Shenyang's bath centers. Take the Qinghe Peninsula Hot Spring & Bath Center, for instance. Spanning over 100,000 square meters, the size of 14 football fields, it offers visitors the chance to swim, drift and slide down water chutes. Guests can also enjoy singing in a KTV lounge, playing billiards, or indulging in a unique bathing experience in a giant "iron pot."
"And the price is reasonable," Uchida told Xinhua. "Spending only about 300 yuan (about 43.6 U.S. dollars), one can enjoy bathing and a buffet for half a day." He visited the Qinghe Peninsula in the afternoon and stayed until evening.
Bathing in China was once a folk tradition, with many considering it as a ritualistic practice before important occasions. As living standards improved, the country's bathhouse industry evolved, shifting from a basic necessity to an experience driven by quality, comfort and leisure.
Gone are the days of single-purpose bathing facilities. Modern bathhouses have evolved into all-in-one lifestyle complexes featuring spas, food courts, social clubs and hotels. They offer everything from all-you-can-eat buffets with lobster and durian to gaming lounges, themed suites and even co-working spaces.
The industry's market size is projected to surpass 200 billion yuan by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of up to 12 percent, according to a report released by the Zero Power Intelligence Research Institute.
Shenyang, often hailed as the "capital of bath centers," is home to nearly 1,500 bathing businesses, including around 60 large-scale establishments each spanning over 5,000 square meters, and it is estimated that some 200,000 people are employed in the local bath industry.
Shenyang is not alone in attracting international visitors. While "China Spa" has become a buzzword on social media, international tourists are adding spa recreation to their wish lists during their travels in China.
China's bathing industry saw rapid growth last year as searches for "overnight stays at bathhouses" jumped 61 percent year on year in August, according to a bathhouse guide released by Meituan, a major online lifestyle platform in China.
Zheng Xueda from Shanghai Chunqiu International Travel Agency (Group) Co., Ltd. noted that many tourist groups have recently requested visits to bath centers. "This is particularly true for international tourists attending meetings, conferences and exhibitions, who prefer bath centers where they can sing in KTV lounges, enjoy dinners and play games," he said.
One example involved a group from Southeast Asian countries. After exploring traditional attractions such as the centuries-old Yuyuan Garden, the visitors spent their last night at a bath center. "A budget of less than 200 yuan per person is highly appealing to tourists and offers great value," Zheng added.
Tang Lizhong, executive chairman of the Shenyang Bath Trade Association, attributes the sector's success in attracting international visitors to the upgrading of consumption. "Today bath centers have evolved from traditional bathhouses into mini resorts," he said.
He added that bath centers offer a highly interactive cultural immersion. "They are not just places for physical cleansing and relaxation, but also venues for cultural and social exchange."
He also noted that, amid the rise of the "China chic" trend, the growing popularity of bathhouse culture reflects a deeper shift in international tourists' desire to experience authentic Chinese culture.
"In the past, their trips were mostly limited to 'check-ins' at iconic landmarks as outsiders, focusing on sightseeing and taking photos," Tang said. "Now they are more eager to participate and experience, trying to live like locals".
China recorded over 150 million inbound visits last year, marking a year on year increase of over 17 percent, and the spending of inbound travelers surpassed 130 billion U.S. dollars. Visa-free entries by foreigners exceeded 30 million, data from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism showed.
In 2025, China expanded its unilateral visa-free access, allowing citizens of 48 countries to enter without a visa, while the number of countries offering reciprocal visa exemptions rose to 29.
While such policies made it easier for more visitors to enter China, improvements in facilities and travel convenience encouraged longer stays and deeper exploration. In the words of Dai Bin, head of the China Tourism Academy, China's inbound tourism "is embarking on a new era of flourishing growth."
The latest edition of Blue Book of China's Tourism Economy, released by the China Tourism Academy, noted that inbound tourism is shifting from "See China" and "Shop China" toward a comprehensive experience of everyday life in contemporary China.
Many international tourists now choose to traverse China via high-speed trains, immersing themselves in unique experiences such as visiting bath centers, wearing Hanfu attire for photos, collecting stamps at tourism service centers, and dining at immersive restaurants. Some even venture into the countryside to participate in activities like cotton planting and bamboo shoot digging.
"International tourists are now seamlessly integrated into the fabric of Chinese daily life, exploring everything from theaters to vegetable markets," Dai said. "Bath centers are certainly not the final destination on their itinerary. The next hotspot could be the public squares where seniors gather to dance. The possibilities are endless."
During this process, he has observed a growing trend of integration between Chinese and foreign tourists into each other's daily life scenes. "Through their travels, people can gain profound cultural insights, foster mutual understanding, and strengthen interpersonal exchanges, thereby becoming more familiar and closer to one another," he said.
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