Winter is the perfect time to take a dip at the Asian-style bathhouses in town.Photo: IC

Unlike Western spas that tend to be private and quiet, Asian bathhouses are usually attended by groups of people at the same time in large pools. It is a happy, communal experience for family and friends to get together on cold winter days, and enjoy warming waters. As the temperature in Shanghai dropped to 0 C Thursday, now's the perfect time to take a dip at one of the many bathhouses around town.

Winter is the perfect time to take a dip at the Asian-style bathhouses in town.Photo: Zhao Dan/GT

New Star Spa

One of the most popular Korean-style bathhouses in town, New Star was established in 2006 and has earned many loyal customers since. In the female bathing area, there are three indoor pools with temperatures ranging from 37 C to 43 C, together with a large, cold pool. A shower area, a sauna room and a steam room are also in the same area with the pools. After you finish bathing, you can dress in Korean-style bathing robes.

The ground floor of the bathhouse is designed in typical Korean style with a wooden pavilion where families and friends can enjoy group activities. There are also traditional Korean kiln sauna rooms, where the temperature ranges from 43 C to 76 C. A wide-screen TV is set up in each kiln for people to kill time while detoxing. Downstairs in a Korean-style pavilion which houses several spa rooms, there are also cave-like units offering far infrared treatments where people may take a nap. On Fridays and Saturdays, traditional Korean music performances take place.

The whole space is child-friendly with a kid's pool in the bathing areas, and a children's playground just next to the gym. There are also rooms for people to lie down and have a rest, and each bed is equipped with a computer. The space boasts a Korean restaurant upstairs, which serves kimchi hotpot, the perfect choice on windy days.

Add: 1900 Tianshan Road

天山路1900号

Tel: 6259-7771

A bathing pool at Fei Spa Photo: Courtesy of the venue

Fei Spa

The Chinese-style bathhouse Xiaonanguo Tangheyuan has enjoyed popularity for years. Run by the same company, Shanghai Min Group, Fei Spa is the higher end incarnation that combines the Chinese bathhouse with a Western spa. Covering an area of 5,000 square meters, Fei Spa opened in October 2012 inside the WH Ming Hotel, and boasts nine spa rooms, a sauna area, a gym and a swimming pool. The five-star treatment is evident even in the shampoos and lotions provided at Fei Spa, which are French brands Phytomer and L'Occitane. Customers can also enjoy an impressive view of the greenery of Huangxing Park from the spa's windows.

A signature service at Fei Spa is the Southeast Asian-style massage that uses warmed up natural bamboo combined with Thai medicine. A massage therapist will press your body with the medicine to relax your muscles and ease your nerves.

Add: 777 Jiamusi Road

佳木斯路777号

Tel: 2525-8888

A customer makes mochi at Gokurakuyu.Photo: Courtesy of the venue

Gokurakuyu

In Japan, where there is a long history of hot springs and bathing culture, people believe minerals in the water have healthful properties and can even treat some diseases. But with no good, natural hot springs in big cities such as Tokyo and Osaka, man-made hot spring bathhouses, or sento, sprung up for avid bathers, offering saunas and catering services. Established in 1980, Gokurakuyu is the biggest sento chain in Japan, and its Shanghai branch opened in early 2013. After just a year of operation, it has already become one of the most popular bathhouses in the city.

The interior decoration in Gokurakuyu is typically Japanese with cream-colored tatami exuding a homey ambiance, and the whole space is equipped with an underfloor heating system, making even the coldest days feel warm and cozy.

The water quality in the pools is checked every hour in the interests of hygiene. Both indoor and outdoor pools (pictured above) are available. One of the indoor pools is a soda spring, which is believed to improve blood circulation. Another pool, in which milky water flows like silk, contains tiny bubbles of hydrogen, which is said to have anti-ageing effects. The outdoor hot spring is surrounded with bamboo and stones, creating a natural environment reminiscent of forests and valleys.

Customers are required to take a bath before they go into the pools naked - pools for men and women are separate - and female customers are requested to tie their hair up. After bathing, eight styles of chic bathing robes are on offer, and even children are provided with smaller sized robes. There are seven kinds of ganbanyoku for post-bathing, where customers lie down on heated stones. These ganbanyoku rooms are kept from 52 C to 72 C.

Activities celebrating traditional Japanese events are held regularly for customers to participate in. On the first day of the coming lunar new year, for instance, customers can make mochi, sticky rice cakes traditionally eaten for the holiday, by pounding them with a large wooden hammer.

Address: 600 Xinjinqiao Road

新金桥路600号

Tel: 3875-1245