Fancy an invigorating hot spring dip? Then plan a trip to Sheshan Hill.

Shanghai will get its first hot springs bath house in Songjiang District, with construction expected to start early next year.

The bath house will be included in the picturesque Yuehu Park complex at the base of Sheshan Hill, as part of the Songjiang Tourism Administrative Bureau's efforts to promote the region.

Officials, however, can't set a date yet as to when the hot springs bath house will be ready. The hot springs were discovered in Sheshan Hill in March this year and water quality is being tested to check its suitability for public bathing, according to bureau officials.

"We have asked experts to study the land structure of Sheshan area," said Wu Ming, director of the bureau's tourism promotion section. "And they have picked Yuehu Park as the site."

"The hot springs well is more than 2,000 meters deep, the deepest in our district," Wu added.

The temperature at the bottom of the well is 61 degrees Celsius, while the surface water is around 46.7 degrees.

The district will also get a five-star hotel with hot spring facilities on the northern side of the hill, according to bureau officials.

"The hot springs project is part of a plan to improve Sheshan National Scenic Area, which is vital for the tourism of Songjiang," Wu said.

A giant amusement park - Happy Valley - will open in the district by mid-2009. It will be almost as big as 10 Jinjiang Amusement Park, the biggest now in Shanghai.

Yuehu Park is also being redesigned, with more than 60 sculptures planned to be placed in the park, Wu said.

(Shanghai Daily October 13, 2008)