Workers steam into bathhouses this time of year
Print Edition
Public bathhouses are seeing more customers in the rural areas of central China as migrant workers return home to celebrate the Spring Festival.
Although the Lunar New Year is still a week away, Zhang Shumei鈥檚 bathhouse has attracted an increasing number of customers.
Zhang, 58, runs the Dama Bathhouse in Dama Township, Weishi County, in central China鈥檚 Henan Province. The bathhouse includes 27 shower rooms and two large communal pools in an area of 350 square meters.
鈥淏usiness is the best near the Spring Festival, as people come here to wash away bad luck and prepare for good fortune in the new year,鈥 she said.
The tradition is called Xifulu in Chinese, or 鈥渨ash for happiness and good fortune.鈥 It is one of the traditional events in Dama, where people from all walks of life go to bathhouses with their families days before the Lunar New Year, wash away ill fortune of the past year, and usher in a good new year.
Spring Festival, or Chinese Lunar New Year, falls on February 16 this year. Hundreds of millions of Chinese will return to their hometowns for family gatherings.
About 2.98 billion trips are expected to be made during the holiday travel rush from February 1 to March 12, about the same as last year, according to China鈥檚 top economic planner.
Zhang鈥檚 bathhouse opens at 8am and closes at 11pm Since December, business there has been 鈥渟imply great.鈥
鈥淢any migrant workers have spent the year working hard in the cities, and when they return home for Spring Festival, they bring their families to the bathhouse,鈥 she said.
Many people have left rural China for jobs in big cities. According to official figures, Henan has almost 30 million migrant workers. In the last month on the lunar calendar each year, migrant workers return home from developed areas.
The last eight days of the lunar year typically are the busiest for Zhang, and customers have to wait in line to shower, she said. Zhang鈥檚 office covers 46 square meters, where customers usually pay their bill, change shoes and wait for their turn.
鈥淚t is common to see more than 200 people waiting in line in the days leading up to the Spring Festival,鈥 she said.
Sun Zhenchao, 25, is a migrant worker who returned home to Dama on February 1. Last year, when he came to Zhang鈥檚 bathhouse, there were 125 people waiting ahead of him. So this year, he brought his family at noon, when there were less customers.
鈥淚 have had a great year,鈥 Sun said. 鈥淏ut I hope it will be even better next year.鈥
Zhang鈥檚 previously used coal-fired boilers to heat water. But as the government has called on the public to join the fight against air pollution, all coal-fired boilers were replaced with electric versions.
In 2017, Zhang spent 50,000 yuan (US$7,970) buying the electric boilers.
鈥淚n the past, I had to employ two workers to take care of the coal-fired boilers,鈥 she said. 鈥淣ow with the electric ones, I can save up to 6,000 yuan per month.鈥
The electric boilers are quite convenient, she said. 鈥淵ou just have to press a button and there is hot water.鈥
Zhang said she expects to receive about 6,000 customers before the Spring Festival, a year-on-year increase of 10 percent. 鈥淚 wish everyone a great new year,鈥 she added.
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