If you mention to an Expat your going to a bath house (especially North Americans) they look at you a little funny. Public, group bathing rituals are not something that we practice and to make matters worse we associate them with places gay men go to have gay sex.

Chinese water culture however takes a different, more practical and less sexual view of public bathing. You can find a bath house that follows the North American model, but the majority of bath houses in China are simply places to get clean, relax and have a foot or body massage.

During the colder months, especially if you decent lack bathroom heating, heading to a bath house for a sit in a hot tub and shower just make really good sense. One should not however confuse Chinese water culture with Japanese public bathing pratacities. In a Chinese bath house men and women enter and bath in seperate areas. After bathing however you can join each other in a private or public room to relax with a massage or just watch TV together.

Last saturday night my wife, son and I spent a relaxing couple of hours getting clean and having a foot massage at the Landison Spa at Number 8, Jincheng East Road. Located on the fourth floor this new bath house spa in the Wuxi New Distric is family orientated, very clean, well maintianed. It is also reasonably priced. We spent 380 RMB over the course of the night for a private room, foot massage and drinks for two adults. (Children cost 28 RMB to enter Adults 38 RMB)

Address

No. 8 Jinchen East Rd, Wuxi, China 214026, +86 0510 8233 3333 (see map above for location)