This is the first snow of this spring in Lhasa, which makes the way to Qiusang hot spring much cleaner. Although it's already the dusk, many vehicles of different kinds are still taking many guests up the hill.

Nearly all the guests are old men or sick people. Their eyes are full of desire. They come to these hot spring baths hoping to cure themselves of their ailments. One treatment takes seven days, so they have to take enough supplies to last.

After getting the permission of the township chief, we came to the Qiusang hot spring as photographers shooting pictures for publicity. However, when we walked into the flow, we found that we stood out.

Women were all wrapped in thick padded gowns and waiting outside. They just cared about when they could have a bath and paid little heed to us. When it's the time for women to take the baths, and no male are allowed to come into the hot spring. Males and females bathe in 6-hour turns and a bell notifies them when it's time to switch.

The Qiusang hot spring has existed for more than 1500 years. It's said that the court physician of Sontzen Gampo, king of ancient Tubo, had put many valuable medicinal herbs, so the hot spring is quite effective for curing rheumatoid arthritis, gout, stomach illness, fractures, and scalding. 

There were adobe houses and temporary tents for people who came here for therapeutic hot spring. The prices for tents are affordable: 25 yuan for one bed.

Males and females bathe in 6-hour turns and a bell notifies them when it's time to switch.

We climbed to the half-way up to the hill, and overlooked more than ten rows of houses full of people who came from different areas of Tibet. They all deeply believed in the effectiveness of the hot spring.

Males and females bathe in 6-hour turns and a bell notifies them when it's time to switch

It's said that in the 14th century, Tsongkhapa's foot was injured by a bamboo stick on his way from Qinghai to Lhasa. When he lamely walked by the side of a hot spring, he saw a limped crow put its injured foot into the hot spring and the foot was recovered later. Thereupon, Tsongkhapa followed the crow. After three days in the spring, his foot was cured as expected. The descendants named the hot spring "Qiusang" means the qualified water.

Two hours later, we came to the door of the hot spring again when the first group women who had finished their baths came out. Under the help of the manager there, the second group of women was stopped in front of the door. They allowed us to come into the hot spring to shoot pictures.

Before we left the hot spring, several children made faces to us and shouted, "6 p.m. tomorrow afternoon is for the men, 10 yuan each person!"