Photo by Panoramio upload bot, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
🇨🇳 China · Gansu Province
Photo by Panoramio upload bot, via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0)
🇨🇳 China · Gansu Province
♨ Temperature
52°C
⛰ Altitude
1100 m
⚗ pH
8.4
💧 TDS
1600 mg/L
🌊 Flow rate
45 L/s
📅 Established
Han Dynasty
✓ Verified on 2026-07-22
The Tianshui region's thermal springs have been referenced in Chinese medical texts since the Han Dynasty. Located near the famous Maiji Shan Buddhist cliff grottoes, these fluorinated sulphurous waters were used by pilgrims and traders on the Silk Road. Chinese traditional medicine (TCM) classifies these waters as particularly beneficial for skin conditions and joint pain, and they remain integrated into regional medical practice.
| Fluoride | 6.8 mg/L |
| Sulphur (H₂S) | 3.2 mg/L |
| Sodium | 420 mg/L |
| Bicarbonate | 680 mg/L |
| Silica | 42 mg/L |
Tianshui's thermal springs have been documented in Chinese medical texts since the Han Dynasty (206 BC–220 AD) and were used by Silk Road travellers and Buddhist pilgrims visiting the adjacent Maiji Shan Grottoes — one of China's four great Buddhist cave complexes. The integration of thermal bathing with Buddhist pilgrimage culture created a unique heritage landscape in the Gansu corridor.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), Tianshui's waters are classified according to their Five Element properties and prescribed for specific constitutional imbalances. Fluoridated sulphurous springs are considered to address Kidney Yang deficiency — a framework of practice 2,000 years old and still alive today. The springs represent the living heritage of Chinese balneological medicine, distinct from Western spa culture.
The Maiji District has implemented environmental protection zones around the spring sources to prevent agricultural and industrial contamination. The springs are fed by the Qinling-Daba mountain system's groundwater, and the Tianshui-Maiji Shan National Scenic Area provides a protected landscape for the spring catchment. Ecotourism frameworks are being developed to ensure growing visitor interest benefits communities without compromising spring quality.
Phone+86 938 821 5678
AddressMaiji District, Tianshui, Gansu, China