When Jinzu Wang and his friends are looking for something to do, they often go to a large spa facility near his university in Beijing.
After soaking in a hot bath, the 22-year-old might want to go get a massage. Additionally, there will be less traditional spa activities such as billiards and karaoke. In between, we gorge ourselves on the all-you-can-eat fruit buffet.
He often stays overnight from his dormitory to get some rest. A night’s stay costs around 300-350 RMB ($45-52), a bargain compared to many hotels in the capital.
All over China, people like Wang visit sprawling, multi-story, 24-hour establishments that combine spa facilities with all kinds of entertainment.
Many offer arcade games, movie theaters, and nap pods. One has a tank for scuba diving. Another has a waterslide. Located in the southern metropolis of Shenzhen, Shuiguo+ offers all-you-can-eat caviar and spiny lobster on its seafood buffet. Visitors to the nearby 430,000-square-foot Tangqi Tangquan Life TENZ spa applaud all-you-can-eat Haagen-Dazs. At a spa in Harbin, the capital of Heilongjiang province, there is a bathtub resembling a pot of soup with chili peppers floating in it.
China has a long history of public baths, where people without bathrooms or hot water would gather to wash, relax, and socialize with their neighbors. This tradition is particularly strong in northeastern China, where the freezing, dry winters brought people there for warm baths and scrubs to remove dry skin. Traditional bathhouses are mostly functional, but sometimes include social activities such as cricket fights and mahjong, making them popular among older Chinese people.
But in recent years, they have evolved into large-scale, multi-purpose venues made for social media, attracting a new generation of fans, including locals and tourists alike.
People go to company retreats, birthday parties, girls’ nights out, etc. Young people sometimes go to study groups. There are countless reasons for its rise in popularity beyond just online spread.
According to a 2025 study by McKinsey & Company, 94% of Chinese consumers said health was their “top” or “important” priority.
Dr Anna Iskra, a researcher in China’s therapeutic culture and mental health at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said that in a country where counseling is increasingly popular among the urban middle class, visiting spas is seen as an acceptable form of self-care, but remains stigmatized. “People are decompressing,” she says.
Furthermore, with China’s economy in a slump, it also has the appeal of being a bargain. Admission fees for many giant spas start at around 300 yuan (about $40). Services such as massages usually come at an additional charge.
“You pay so little and you get so much,” Iskra said.
Changes in travel habits may also play a role. Xinyi Zheng, who heads the branding and marketing team at Xiangshanghui Group, told CNN in an email that demand for “urban microvacations” is exploding. The company operates spas across the country under the Qushui Lanting, Shuiguo and Shuiguo+ brands.
“As the pace of life becomes faster and faster, people lack time for long-distance travel, but they need a place where they can completely disconnect from work and relax,” Zheng said.
Megaspas offer a one-stop shop for “efficient relaxation,” which is “particularly appealing to busy city dwellers,” she added.
Wang said he goes to have fun and relax. There’s a reason why young people like him are stressed. Chinese students have been studying for years for the “world’s toughest” university entrance exam. They face fierce competition for jobs after graduation.
“College students certainly feel a lot of pressure,” Wang said. “I think it’s really relaxing to go to a mega spa with friends.”
Spa culture has long fascinated tourists visiting Asian countries. South Korea’s jjimjilbangs attract tourists who stop by for a soak in the heated pool and a full-body scrub. Japan’s hot springs are so popular with tourists that some hot spring areas are facing strained water supplies.
China’s mega-spas are now popular among international tourists, who are returning in droves as the government tries to lure them back with measures such as widespread visa-free entry after years of pandemic-related restrictions.
Social media has helped push Instagram- and TikTok-enabled mega spas to the top of travel itineraries.
Chinese cities have secured four of the top five trending spa cities in 2026, according to analysis by UK-based spa booking agency SpaSeekers. Searches for spas in Shanghai jumped 67% year-over-year.
Sasha, a photographer from San Francisco, visited Shenzhen’s Akira Hot Spring Spa in July and asked to be referred to by her first name only. She told CNN that her 10-year-old daughter enjoyed playing arcade games and getting massages. “It had been raining all day, so it was a nice way to spend a few hours.” Admission was about $75, including a massage and free fruit and drinks.
Technology is being used to help tourists experience a huge spa in China, where staff don’t typically speak English. Admissions and services for many businesses can be booked online using platforms such as Klook, and payments are most often made digitally through apps such as Alipay and WeChat Pay. Most travelers download the app before entering the country anyway. Some places have English menus, but if that doesn’t work, visitors use translation apps.
Sometimes the zen vibe is missing. Several tourists who recently visited the mega-spa said other spa patrons were watching videos on their cell phones without headphones, and the sound of snoring could sometimes leak through their sleep capsules. Some spas have smoking rooms.
This concept is also spreading outside of China. In May, Bubble House Plus, a 24-hour facility that bills itself as an “urban charging mecca”, opened in Singapore. There’s a deep-deep pool, steam room, meditation room, capsule rest pod, movie theater, and e-sports room. 24-hour admission and lunch costs SGD 129 ($100).
Megaspas may offer a space for self-care, but the sheer variety on offer appears to be a big draw for new fans.
“Many spas these days combine entertainment facilities,” says Wang. “It solves the problem of[different friends]wanting to go to different places.”
