Huaqing Palace Heritage Site

The Huaqing Hot Springs (or Huaqing Palace Heritage Site) is a famous spring resort in China located at the foot of Lishan Mountain in Lintong about 30 kilometers east of Xi’an. It is modeled after North China’s royal gardens, and integrates tourism, culture, gardening, bathing, entertainment, and dining perfectly as one. In 1982, the site was named as part of the First Batch of Cultural Relics under state protection by the State Council, and in 2000, deemed a national AAAAA-level scenic area by the National Tourism Administration.

The Huaqing Palace Heritage Site is composed of 3 zones: the bathing zone in the east, the gardening zone in the west, and the cultural relics protection zone in the south. Included on site in the bathing zone are the Lotus Pool, Imperial Concubine Pool, Star Pool, and Prince Pool. In the gardening zone, the main architecture is Flying Frost Palace, with Agilawood Palace and Yichun Palace distributed symmetrically in a magnificent and elegant style. Walking past the Dragon Wall, visitors will see the fantastic Nine-Dragon Lake and the weeping willows on its banks; the reflections of pavilions in the calm lake are a sight to behold. Finally, in the cultural relics protection zone, visitors may enjoy the time-honored Lishan Hot Spring.

1. Lotus Pool
Covering an area of 400 square meters, the Lotus Pool was only used by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty (618-907) for bathing. This royal bath is magnificently decorated, and with a double-lotus shaped nozzle at the bottom of the pool which symbolizes the holy love between Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved concubine,Yang Yuhuan.

2. Imperial Concubine Pool
The Imperial Concubine Pool was built in 747 for the renowned beauty and royal consort, Yang Yuhuan, under imperial order. It takes the shape of a blooming Chinese crabapple flower, and is where Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Yuhuan, his concubine, took baths together every winter.

3. Star Pool
The Star Pool was built in 644 for Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty. It is said that initially, there was no cover for the pool so that he could admire the shining stars of the night while taking a bath.

3. Tang Well
This ancient oval-shaped well in the Huaqing Palace Heritage Site has a long history of over 1,300 years and measures 1.9 meters long, 1.26 meters wide, and 8.3 meters deep. It was used just by concubine Yang Yuhuan for drinking water.

4. Nine Dragon Lake
Like a bright mirror at the foot of Lishan Mountain, Nine Dragon Lake is divided into an upper and lower lake. It is particularly calm and graceful in the daytime, although all the architectures around the lake are beautifully accented at night with colorful lanterns or lamps. What’s more, during the evening shows, a 1000-square-meter water stage gradually emerges from the lake and displays the love story between Emperor Xuanzong and Concubine Yang Yuhuan using many forms of digital effects and laser lights.

5. Huaqing Hot Springs
The Huaqing Hot Springs were named “The First Hot Springs in the World” in the Tang Dynasty by Emperor Xuanzong, and it functioned as an imperial pool during the Zhou, the Qin, and the Han to the Tang Dynasties. The annual water temperature stays at a constant 43℃, and it contains different kind of minerals and organic substances including sodium carbonate, silicon dioxide, sodium sulfate, and silicon oxide, all of which are very good for the human body.

As well, many cultural relics are well preserved within the scenic area, including 7 historical steles, 7 stone inscriptions, 4 stone sculptures, and 17 large rocks with poems carved on them.

Address: at the foot of Lishan Mountain in Lintong, 30 kilometers east of Xi’an
Opening hours: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm every day
Bus routes: 914, 915, U5, and 306