Xi'an
Huaqing Palace
Huaqing Palace lies 30 kilometres east of Xi'an at the green foot of Mount Li, where natural hot springs have drawn emperors for three thousand years. It reached its peak under the Tang, when Emperor Xuanzong built a winter palace here and shared its steaming pools with his beloved consort Yang Guifei — a romance that the poet Bai Juyi immortalised in the 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow'. Today the grounds blend excavated Tang baths with lakes, pavilions and gardens.
The excavated Tang imperial bathing pool at Huaqing Palace
The imperial baths
The heart of the site is the cluster of excavated marble pools, each named and shaped for its bather — the lotus-petalled Hibiscus Pool of Yang Guifei the most famous. Around them stand reconstructed halls, the lakeside Frost Drifting Hall and quiet courtyards that recreate the Tang retreat.
History on the hillside
Huaqing is also where modern China turned: the Five-Room Hall on the slope is the site of the 1936 Xi'an Incident, where Chiang Kai-shek was seized and pressed into a united front against Japan. Above it, Mount Li rises with temples, pavilions and trails, reached on foot or by cable car within the same scenic area.
Lakeside pavilions and gardens of the Huaqing scenic area
When to go and getting in
The scenic area opens early, roughly 7:30 to evening, with shorter winter hours. Admission is around 120 RMB and covers the baths, halls and Xi'an Incident site. The famous open-air night show 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow' runs on the lake from about April to October and is a separate ticket — reserve ahead in peak season.
Practical notes
Huaqing sits on the same Lintong road as the Terracotta Army, so most travellers pair the two in a single day, doing the warriors in the morning and the palace and night show in the late afternoon. Allow extra time and energy if you also want to climb Mount Li.
Highlights
- Tang-dynasty imperial baths fed by natural hot springs at the foot of Mount Li
- Excavated marble pools, including the lotus-shaped bath of Yang Guifei
- Setting of the Emperor Xuanzong romance retold in 'Song of Everlasting Sorrow'
- The Five-Room Hall, site of the 1936 Xi'an Incident
- Lakeside pavilions, the Frost Drifting Hall and gardens below the green peaks
- Cable car and trails up Mount Li within the same scenic area
Travel Tips
Book the night show
'Song of Everlasting Sorrow' runs on the lake from roughly April to October and is a separate ticket — reserve ahead in peak season.
Allow extra time for Mount Li
Lishan is part of the scenic area but a real climb; take the cable car if you want both the baths and the peak in one visit.
Pair with the Terracotta Army
Huaqing is on the same Lintong road as the Terracotta Army, so many travellers do both in one day.
