Tengchong Hot Springs

Tengchong sits on one of the most active geothermal fields in China, and the Rehai valley, the sea of heat, concentrates it: boiling springs, steaming vents, mud pools and a large pool called the Big Boiling Pot where water rises at close to a hundred degrees, with paths and railings running past them and eggs cooked in the outflow. Bathing pools are fed from the field at safe temperatures. A short distance north, the volcano park holds a cluster of young cones, Dakongshan and its neighbours, whose craters are climbed by steps, with columnar basalt exposed in a nearby gorge.

What you actually see

• The Big Boiling Pot - a pool of near-boiling water in the Rehai valley.
• The vents and mud pools - steaming ground along the marked paths.
• The bathing pools - geothermal water at usable temperatures.
• The volcanic cones - young craters climbed by steps in the park nearby.

When to go

October to May for dry weather; western Yunnan's monsoon runs June to September. Steam shows best on cold mornings. Weekends and holidays bring crowds to the bathing complexes.

Honest expectations

Both sites charge entry and are some distance apart. The geothermal valley is developed with railings and stalls. The volcanic cones are low, vegetated and modest to look at.

Nearby

Heshun lies south; the Burmese border is west.