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Tengchong Volcanoes and Hot Springs in Baoshan
 Tengchong is a town surrounded by volcanoes. Starting
from Baoshan city, and climbing over the Gaoligong Mountain, the China
to India highway, built half a century ago, leads you to Tengchong
Basin. In the distance you can see dozens of volcanoes, large and
small, with dense trees growing around them. Located on the border of
the Europe-Asia continental plate, Tengchong has witnessed many
activities of the earth's crust. Since 1500, there have been over 70
earthquakes in the area measuring 5 and over on the Richter scale. The
Daying Mountain volcano has erupted many times. Ma'an Mountain
consists of three volcanoes, some of which have formed lakes.
Tengchong has the best well-preserved volcano groups from the Cenozoic
Era in China.
 Over 80 vapor springs and hot springs are scattered around the
volcanoes, making this the second largest vapor field in China. The
famous Yihong Hot Lake is one of the biggest hot spring lakes in
China, covering a total area of10 square kilometers. The most
magnificent Dagunguo (boiling pan) Hot Spring, 6.12 meters in diameter
and 1.5 meters deep, has a water temperature of 96.6 degrees
centigrade, and resembles a pan of boiling water, sending steam high
into the sky. The Hamazui Fountain, with a water temperature of 95.5
degrees centigrade, looks like two frogs spraying out hot spring
water. Pearl Spring is a pool of water with hundreds of spray holes in
the bottom sending out pearl-like strings of hot bubbling water.
Other spectacular sights include Huaitaijing, Gumingquan, Xiaogunguo
and Yanjingquan springs and waterfalls. Hot springs in the adjacent
Longling County are also popular with visitors because of their
medicinal effects on the human body.
Tengchong County has been an important connecting link between
southwest China and both India and Myanmar since ancient times.
Business is brisk here. The Heshun Township is the well-known hometown
of many overseas Chinese. In1944, an anti-Japanese-invasion war broke
out here. A martyry was built near the county town where the soldier
who died in the war were buried. Tengchong is famous for producing
traditional Chinese herbal medicines, Xuan paper (high quality paper
for traditional Chinese painting) and rattan work, which are famous
throughout Southeast Asia. The jade processing industry has been
centered here in Tengchong for over 500 years. Local people work
jadeite into bracelets, ear-rings and many other decorations. The
local Duanjia, Wangjia, Qiluo and Zhengkun jade works (jade works
named after the makers) are all well known at home and abroad. |
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