Donghai, a city located in the prefecture of Lianyungang, is most well-known in China for two things: hot spring and crystals.
Donghai Hot Springs
The hot springs in Donghai consist of geothermal water that could reach a temperature as high as With well-known hot spring resorts, Donghai has managed to attract thousands of tourists from China and abroad each year. As early as the Ming and Qing dynasties, the hot springs had been renowned throughout China and are still a popular destination today.
Having a hot spring bath is reinvigorating, refreshing, and beneficial to the health. The hot springs are known to be therapeutic and are recommended as treatment for a variety of illnesses relating to the joints, skin and nerves. The springs also help to treat high blood pressure, digestive system trouble, diabetes, and many other illnesses. Donghai's hot springs contain thirty-two different kinds of minerals, mainly potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and radon.
Donghai Crystals:
Donghai has been known throughout China as a major source of crystal for much of its 2,000-year history, and today is able to produce about 800 tons per year. Donghai crystals range in size from small pieces that fit in the palm of the hand to what is known as the Crystal King, a 3.5-ton monster discovered in 1995.
The crystals, not normally sold in raw form, find their way into consumers' hands as jewelry, glasses, Buddhist icons and also figures from Chinese history and mythology. They range in price from a few RMB for a small crystal ball or pendant to 36,000 RMB (about 5,000USD) for a statue of Guan Yin. In fact, the transparent covering of Chairman Mao's tomb is made from Donghai crystal.
Quartz crystal has held a special place in Chinese culture over the centuries. The famous Ming Dynasty physician Li Shizhen claimed in his Compendium of Materia Medica that it held sedative properties and could even bring down a fever.
Only a few blocks away from Donghai's train station lies the Crystal City, Shuijing Cheng in Mandarin, which is an indoor market built in 1992 that houses the Crystal King near its entrance. The craftspeople who make these crystal products sell to both Chinese and foreign buyers.
