Author | Chibubao
In the warm water pool, the rain pours down from above, electrifying flashes and sounds from LED screens bring an illusion of raging waves at sea, water splashes on me while mist rises, creating a truly immersive experience.
In another room, a healing scene surrounded by greenery awaits. With mist enveloping and fresh oxygen continuously supplied, it feels like entering the Amazon, a real tropical rainforest…
△ The scenery in Shenyang’s bathing center is more elaborate than some filming sets. (Image/Xiaohongshu screenshot)
This is not a Hollywood movie shooting scene, but a bathing center in Shenyang. Yes, the Northeast bathing experience has evolved again. Locals know, “If you want to see bathing centers in the country, look at the Northeast; if you want to see it in the Northeast, look at Shenyang.” Recently, Shenyang’s bathing centers have become even more colorful and entertaining than theme parks. Taking a bath feels busier than making a movie.
Northeast people’s imagination about bathing is constantly improving. While southern tourists are just getting used to scrubbing baths, locals in Shenyang have already created various new experiences in the bathing industry.
△ Luxurious buffets in bathing centers have almost become standard in every establishment. (Image/Visual China)
The mentioned “Storm Spa” originates from a hot spring hotel in Shenyang’s Huanggu District. To help you take better photos, the staff will carefully design your photo shoots to maximize emotional value.
Its prototype is from Milan, Italy, where the romantic and extreme photographic effect of storm spa has emerged in various places, becoming a global trendy project. However, this is just a small detail of Shenyang’s innovative bathing experience. Recently, the bathing scenery in Shenyang is so abundant that not filming would be a waste.
The fancy storm and tropical rainforest have achieved international standards while also embracing local flavors. For instance, a certain popular bathing center’s outdoor pool area features “Iron Pot Braised Yourself”, where a giant bubbling pot sits over a real flame. In the icy outdoor environment, lying in the steaming pot while watching the sunset is quite an abstract scene.
△ “Iron Pot Braised Yourself”. (Image/Visual China)
In addition to iron pot braising, there are also various themed pools including noodle pools, steamer pools, and lotus pools… as long as the idea flows, various shaped soaking pools can be formed.
△ In Shenyang, the motto is “Anything Can Soak”. (Image/Xiaohongshu screenshot)
One highlight is the “Glacier Bathing Pool”. The outdoor hot spring surrounded by an ice house is colored pink, referred to as “Rose Hot Spring”, and any random snap is a fashionable cover shot.
Speaking of fashion, some places are opting for an “ultra-minimalist art gallery” vibe. The bathing center is primarily decorated in pure white with INS-style, incorporating Bauhaus, Barn style layouts and light and shadow art installations, along with meditation rooms. Posting photos on social media might make it look like you’re visiting an exhibition.
In the evening, the bathing center, comparable in size to a theme park, lights up, creating an atmosphere like a “White Lotus Resort”, making one feel that Lisa might just walk out from somewhere.
△ Shenyang’s Qinghe Peninsula, famous for its grand exterior. (Image/Visual China)
The well-known “Ice and Snow World” can connect seamlessly with bathing experiences. At one bathing center, the outdoor “swimming suit snow slide” lets people slide down from a 100-meter slide directly into warm soaking pools, while nearby there’s “swimming suit drifting”, where one can leisurely float along in a water circle while soaking.
Traditional bathing centers are now employing robots reminiscent of the Spring Festival Gala as waiters at the bar. Of course, even more absurd is the fact that several real penguins have been brought into the bathing center. Inside one bathing center in Shenyang, a few penguins are housed in glass enclosures, visible throughout various areas, where visitors can wash and watch the waddling penguins, creating a somewhat magical experience.
△ You can enjoy a bath next to penguins in Shenyang. (Image/Video screenshot)
It can be said that Northeast bathing has officially “taken off” today. In Shenyang, even locals walking into a bathing center casually often exclaim about how “extravagant” it is. For tourists who want to experience different bathing centers within days, it feels like traversing through different Hollywood sets.
During holidays, the bathing centers in Shenyang become filled with luggage, as travelers have embraced the concept of staying not in hotels but in bathhouses.
△ Staying in a bathing center, even luggage can have a bath. (Image/IC Photo)
It’s well-known that most bathing centers in Northeast China allow overnight stays. Public resting areas have also taken on innovative formats. Some are styled similarly to camping, with tents and camping tables; some are like space pods; and others feature grid-like rooms with starry ceilings… These free overnight compartments perfectly cater to today’s popular “solotrip” trend.
The love for bathing among Shenyang residents is evident from the numbers — there are over 1,300 bathing centers in Shenyang, a city of over 9 million, with more than 52 exceeding 5,000 square meters, and the largest reaching 100,000 square meters, an unprecedented feat globally.
According to the recently released “2026 Bathing Guide”, 19 bathing enterprises from Shenyang topped the city list in the country, followed by Beijing, Harbin, and Changchun. Bathing has long been a calling card for the city of Shenyang, attracting visitors from all over the country who contribute to its reputation and popularity.
△ Bathing tips summarized by workers in Beijing for weekend getaways. (Image/Xiaohongshu screenshot)
Visitors coming to Shenyang are advised to experience the bathing culture, which has also been incorporated into the city’s development plans. In recent years, Shenyang has issued the “Three-Year Action Plan to Promote High-Quality Development of Bathing Industry” and the “Work Plan to Build a Bathing Leisure Capital”, aiming to fully promote Shenyang as a “Bathing Leisure Capital”.
In March of this year, Shenyang also hosted a “Hotel Bathing Exhibition”, bringing together over 700 vendors and industry professionals from all over the world. It seems Shenyang’s goal of becoming the top city in the bathing industry is more than clear.
△ Night view of Shenyang. (Image/Visual China)
For Northeasterners, bathing has never been just about cleanliness; it reflects a lifestyle. Once a moment of relaxation after work, it has now evolved into quality family time, and has become the most direct scene for visiting tourists to feel the warmth of Northeast hospitality. This winter, many tourists flocked to take photos at the East Square of Shenyang station, with the huge “Bathing Snowman” becoming a new landmark frequently shared on social media.
Locals understand: the bathhouse is a second home, washing away fatigue while leaving warmth in daily life. Regardless of how many fancy innovations are made, the essence of Shenyang’s bathing experience remains unchanged — a love for life that keeps the warmth alive.
References:
China Consumers News, “Shenyang’s ‘Bathing+’ Market Expansion Lights Up Holiday Economy”
Liaoning Daily, “In Liaoning, Bathing Experiences Will Exceed Your Imagination”
Central Broadcasting Network, “Which City Excels in Bathing Nationwide? Shenyang! Business Hosts Exceed 1300”
Shenyang Daily, “Transforming Functional Spaces into ‘Emotional Stations’ – Shenyang Ranks First in National Bathing Transactions”