Tangshan Hot Springs

Tangshan's mineral springs have bubbled since the Ming dynasty, when imperial officials built retreats around them. Today the valley is a proper resort town: dozens of pools from chest-warm to 42 degrees, many set in gardens that go silver under the moon.

It is a full-day reset from Nanjing - lunch, a long soak, a massage, and the metro back. The mineral water is the real thing, and the evening session (when the day-trippers leave) is the best hour.