Huaqing Palace: Tang Hot Springs at the Foot of Lishan
Excavated Tang imperial bath houses, a 1936 kidnapping site, and a mountain behind — 10 minutes from the terracotta warriors on the same bus.
Duration
1.5-2 hours
Cost
¥120 ($17) Mar-Nov, ¥90 ($13) Dec-Feb; evening show from ¥218 ($30)
Hours
7:00-19:00 Mar-Nov; 7:30-18:30 Dec-Feb
Booking
No booking needed
Huaqing Palace (华清宫, Huáqīng Gōng), also known as Huaqing Pool (华清池, Huáqīngchí), sits at the base of Mount Li in Lintong district, 30km east of central Xi'an and only a few kilometres from the terracotta warriors. Emperors have bathed in the natural hot springs here for nearly three thousand years, but the site's fame rests on the Tang emperor Xuanzong (玄宗) and his consort Yang Guifei (杨贵妃), whose affair — and the rebellion that followed it — became China's most famous romantic tragedy, retold in Bai Juyi's poem Song of Everlasting Sorrow.
The archaeological core is a set of excavated 8th-century bathing pools, including the lotus-shaped Lianhua Tang for the emperor and the smaller Haitang Tang for Yang Guifei, displayed under a modern shelter with the stone drainage and steps intact. They're genuinely old and genuinely interesting, though small; the surrounding pavilions, gardens, and statues are 20th-century reconstruction.
The second layer of history is the Xi'an Incident of 1936, when Chiang Kai-shek was arrested here by his own generals and forced into an alliance with the Communists against Japan — a turning point in modern Chinese history. The building where it happened still carries bullet holes.
Verdict: not a standalone destination, but a smart 90-minute add-on to a warriors day since it's on the same bus route. You can also dip your hands in a hot spring tap, which every visitor does.
Getting there: Bus 306 (游5) from Xi'an Railway Station east square, ¥7 ($1), about 45 minutes. High-speed rail to Lintong South station also works.
Practical tips
- Same Bus 306 (游5) as the terracotta warriors — get off at Huaqing Chi (华清池), roughly 15 minutes before the warriors.
- Do this before the warriors, not after; the pools take under two hours and you'll want the warriors' Pit 1 with fresh legs.
- The Five Room Hall preserves bullet holes from the 1936 Xi'an Incident, when Chiang Kai-shek was seized here — easy to miss without a guide.
- The Song of Everlasting Sorrow show runs on the lake stage in the evening from about ¥218 ($30); shows at 20:10 and 21:35 in season, and it's cancelled in winter.
- Skip the cable car up Lishan unless you have a spare hour; the climb is more rewarding on foot in autumn.