Public bath is  a particular feature of Yangzhou. Although showers have found their way into all local households, the custom of going to the bathhouse still prevails in Yangzhou, particularly among the younger generation.

At the weekend, many Yangzhou people spend the whole day at the local baths. The newly-built bath-houses usually contain three or four large bathing pools with water of a temperature 20 to 40 degrees centigrade. Some pools contain minerals, which are believed within traditional Chinese medicine to emit salutary elements. After bathing, attendants are on hand to rub the back, pedicure the feet or practice massage, or patrons may recline on a chaise longue, watching videos, taking some snacks or tea, chatting, having a hair-cut, or just sleeping. Waiters tuck bath towels around anyone who nods off. Lunch and dinner are also available, and the full-range service costs only 50 yuan -- one third of the price in Beijing.

Yongningquan on the Guoqing Road is a century-old bathroom. Its facade is a little worn, and the internal decor is in traditional style, taking everyone that crosses its threshold back in time. It still adheres to the public baths custom of admitting men only. The youth in the neighboring communities prefer the newer, better-equipped baths, so Yongningquan has a more elderly clientele, to whom it is a venue for meeting up with old buddies and exchanging chit-chat. Yongningquan is also famed for its excellent pedicures and back-rubs.