Qionghai Hot Springs

Qionghai Hot Springs is a geothermal bathing destination in the coastal city of Qionghai on the eastern coast of Hainan Island, known internationally as the permanent site of the Boao Forum for Asia—the Asian equivalent of the World Economic Forum at Davos, held annually in the nearby district of Boao whose estuary of three rivers meeting the South China Sea creates a landscape of scenic island sandbars and tropical delta that Chinese authorities have designated as a model of ecological coastal development. The bicarbonate-rich thermal waters of Qionghai draw from the volcanic basement geology of eastern Hainan's coastal plain, providing warm mineral bathing in a city that combines international diplomatic prestige with the quiet agricultural character of Hainan's coconut palm and rubber tree farming culture in the Wanquan River valley. The Boao Forum's annual diplomatic spectacle, the Wanquan River's scenic boat culture, and the warm geothermal waters give Qionghai an unexpected combination of global significance and Hainanese provincial tranquility.