Huaqing Hot Springs and Its Love Story Of Emperor Xuanzong and Lady Yang

Huaqing Hot Springs and Its Love Story Of Emperor Xuanzong and Lady Yang

Table of Contents

1. Things To Know Before You Go

Huaqing Pool, also called as Huaqing Hot Spring, is a renowned hot spring pool. It is jointly known as one of the Four Great Imperial Gardens in China along with the Summer Palace, the Old Summer Palace, and Chengde Mountain Resort. It is 30 kilometres west of Xi'an, with Lishan Mountain to the south and Wei River to the north, adjacent to the "Eighth Wonder of the World" -The Terracota Warriors.

According to historical records, the hot springs were discovered approximately 3,000 years ago during the Zhou Dynasty. Since then, many imperial palaces and villas for emperors and nobles were built during the Han Dynasty. However, "Huaqing Pool" got its name for the magnificent "Huaqing Palace" constructed in the Tang Dynasty. 

Huaqing Pool

"On a cold spring day, she was bestowed a bath in Huaqing Pool. The warm spring water was slippery, caressing her creamy skin. The maids helped her up, weak and delicate, for she had just received the emperor's favor.春寒赐浴华清池,温泉水滑洗凝脂。侍儿扶起娇无力,始是新承恩泽时" This is a vivid description about the imperial concubine Yang taking a bath in Huaqing Palace written by Bai Juyi, the great Tang Dynasty poet. Thanks to this, Huaqing Pool has become famous all over the world and are yearned for by people.Currently, it has become the "Oriental Magic Spring" on a par with Caracalla Baths in ancient Rome and Bath Spa in the UK.

Huaqing Hot Springs

2. Why Is Huaqing Hot Spring So Special?

2.1 The Tangible Benefits Bring To Tourists

The hot spring water in Huaqing Pool has been flowing continuously for thousands of years, the scorching lava heats up the clear springs and the hot spring water becomes silky and delicate after the refinement of time. When tourists arrive at this imperial bathing sanctuary, they may want to enjoy hot spring baths at the level of emperors and imperial concubines, while Huaqing Imperial Hot Spring is just located within Huaqing Pool scenic area. The hot spring water comes from the "normal temperature layer" underground, and the water temperature remains at 43°C all year round, unaffected by the changes of the four seasons, such a water temperature can make people feel comfortable when soaking, helping to relax the body and mind and relieve fatigue, so it is really amazing!!

Huaqing Hot Springs

Since the hot spring water in Lishan contains rich minerals including silicon monoxide, fluoride ions, etc., taking a shower can relieve rashes and diseases, thus better exerting its nourishing and recuperative effects. It is especially worth mentioning that the mineral components it contains can penetrate into the human body through the skin, playing roles such as reducing inflammation, relieving pain, and soothing, so it has certain curative effects on diseases such as skin diseases, rheumatism, and arthritis, thus attracting emperors of different dynasties to bathe and visit.

Huaqing Hot Springs

2.2 Attractions Overview

2.2.1 Geographical Features

As one of the Four Great Imperial Gardens in China, Huaqing Pool is located in Lintong District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. It is adjacent to Lishan Mountain in the south and Wei River in the north. With a very long history, emperors of different dynasties such as Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang Dynasties had built palaces and other gardens here.

Huaqing Hot Springs

2.2.2 Tourism Resources

Huaqing Pool has become a famous cultural tourism scenic area in China due to its unchanging hot spring resources, the love story between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei, the site of the Xi'an Incident as well as its rich humanistic and historical resources.

Currently, the natural scenic area of Huaqing Pool is divided into three parts. The eastern part is a bathing area, equipped with high-end health care bathing places such as Shangshi Tang, Shaoyang Tang, Chang Tang, and surfing baths. The western part is a garden tour area, where the main building, the Feishuang Hall, is magnificent, and Yichun Hall is symmetrically arranged on both sides. The southern part is a cultural relics protection area, and the world-renowned Lishan Hot Spring is located right here.

Tourism Resources in Huaqing Hot Springs

2.2.3 Climatic Features

Xi'an is situated in the middle of Guanzhong Plain of the Yellow River. It is adjacent to Qinling Mountains in the south and Weihe River in the north. It belongs to the warm-temperate semi-humid monsoon climate zone with four distinct seasons. Therefore, it is with a mild climate with an average annual temperature 13℃.

2.2.4 Architecture Characteristics

In Huaqing Pool, there are five major cultural areas, namely the Museum of Tang Imperial Hot Spring Relics, the former site of Xi'an Incident - the Five-room Hall, Nine Dragons' Lake, Furong Lake Scenic Areas together with the Pear Garden. Some iconic architectural complexes such as Feishuang Hall, Wanshou Hall, Changsheng Hall, Huanyuan Garden and Yuwang Hall, also make Huaqing Pool become one of the foremost tourism attractions in China.

Architecture Characteristics in Huaqing Pool

2.2.5 Culture Resources

The large-scale live-action historical dance drama "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" (长恨歌)in China is wonderfully staged in Huaqing Pool. It adopts the artistic form of dance drama and takes the love theme presented in the world-renowned masterpiece "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" by Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. With the love vow of "In heaven, let us be two birds flying ever together; on earth, two trees with branches interlocked forever" made by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei in Huaqing Palace as the main line, this performance artistically recreates the love story that took place here more than a thousand years ago, and its visual effects are extremely shocking.

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow

3. How To Get To Huaqing Hot Springs

There are several public transportation modes to reach Huaqing Pool
Subway: Take Metro Line 9 to Huaqing Pool Station and tourists can walk there after getting off from Exit B or C.
Bus: At the East Square of Xi'an Railway Station, tourists can take Bus No. 914, 915, or Tourist Bus 5 (306) and get off at Huaqing Pool Station. The departure time is from 7:00 to 18:00, with an interval of 15 minutes.
Self-driving: Starting from Xi'an, tourists can get on the Lianhuo Expressway (连霍高速), then get off at the Terracotta Army exit, and follow the signboards to reach the Terracotta Army Museum, finally head to the Huaqing Pool.
Taxi: It takes about 1 hour from the urban area of Xi'an to Huaqing Pool, and the cost is about 100 yuan.
Opening Hours: 07:00 - 18:00;
Closing Time of Ticket Sale: 17:30;
Ticket Price: The full price is 150 yuan in the peak season and 120 yuan in the off-season for adults, Children under 1.2m are eligible for free admission 


 

4. Highlights Of Huaqing Hot Springs

Hot Springs: Lishan Hot Springs were formed 2 to 3 million years ago and enjoy the reputation of being the "Number One Imperial Spring in China".
The only imperial bathing sanctuary in China: Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Yuhuan created a ten-year romantic love story in Huaqing Palace.
Two national treasure-level scenic spots: The Huaqing Palace and the former site of Xi'an Incident (The Xi'an Incident didn't actually happen in Xi'an, the first shot was fired in the Five-room Hall of Huaqing Palace).
The Forest of Steles: Figures from different dynasties span 3,000 years with their poems and inscriptions on steles.
Dance drama "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" : It utilizes some high-techs to make the most beautiful live-action historical dance drama "Song of Everlasting sorrow".
Dance drama "Song of Everlasting Regret"

4.1 The Relic of the Imperial Hot Spring of Tang Dynasty 唐御汤遗址

The ruins of Tang Imperial Hot Springs were discovered in April 1982. After more than three years of excavation, the ruins of five imperial hot spring pools were unearthed in the 4,600-square-meter excavation area, including the "Lotus Pool" and "Begonia Pool" where Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei took baths, the "Star Pool" where Emperor Taizong of Tang took baths, as well as the "Crown Prince Pool" and "Shangshi Pool". Meanwhile, more than 3,000 cultural relics were also unearthed, such as tricolor ridge beasts, lotus-patterned bricks, and cultural relics from the Neolithic, Qin, and Han periods. The discovery of the ruins of the imperial hot springs is another significant achievement in the archaeology of the Sui and Tang Dynasties in China, providing precious physical historical materials for the study of the bathing history, feudal hierarchy system, and court architecture of the Tang Dynasty in China.

The Relic of the Imperial Hot Spring of Tang Dynasty

The ruins of the Tang Imperial Hot Springs are the most important part of Huaqing Pool. There is a "Guifei Pool" that Emperor Xuanzong of Tang bestowed it as a love gift upon Yang Guifei. Its plane is like a blooming begonia flower, so it is also known as the "Begonia Pool". Yang Guifei, who was "lavished with the emperor's love", took baths here for nearly ten years. There is also the imperial hot spring "Lotus Pool" specially for Emperor Xuanzong of Tang to take baths. Not only does the pool look like a lotus, but even the drain outlet is in the shape of a lotus. In addition, there is the "Star Pool" where one can look up at the stars in the sky when taking a bath at night, and the "Shangshi Pool" specially for ministers and officials to use, tourists can visit them one by one.

The Relic of the Imperial Hot Spring of Tang Dynasty

4.2 Nine Dragons' Lake 九龙湖

The Nine Dragons' Lake is also called Jiulong Lake(九龙湖), covering an area of 530 square meters, it is divided into an upper lake and a lower lake with a long embankment (Jiulong Bridge) running east-west across the middle. There is Chenxu Pavilion in the west and Wanxia Pavilion in the east on the embankment, corresponding to each other and forming an interesting contrast with Longyin Pavilion on the south bank of the upper lake. Along the south and east banks of the Nine Dragons' Lake, there are Tang-style palaces such as Chenxiang Hall, Feishuang Hall, Yichun Hall, and Yichun Pavilion built one after another. With red as the main tone accompanied by green pines, cypresses, weeping willows, and lawns, the rippling Nine Dragons' Lake is just like a fairyland of the Jade Pool. The palaces around the lake are symmetrical, and the willows provide pleasant shade, making it a delightful sight.

Nine Dragons' Lake

When night falls, all the buildings are surrounded by dynamic colored lights, landscape lights and colored lights, nearly 1,000-square-meter water stage slowly emerges from the surface of Nine Dragons' Lake. With the high-tech introduced, such as laser radiation, computer special effects, and dreamy special effects, it creates a love world where Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei are deeply in love and a dreamy paradise for a large number of Chinese and foreign tourists, thus bringing a strong visual and sensory shock to the audience.

4.3 Palace of Eternal Life 长生殿

"On the seventh day of the seventh lunar month in the Palace of Eternal Life, when there was no one around at midnight, they whispered to each other." It is said that Palace of Eternal Life was once the place where Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Lady Yang made their vows on the Double Seventh Festival, holding great historical significance.

Palace of Eternal Life

Now, the restored and rebuilt palace is open to the public as a cultural exhibition hall. There are diverse functions in four floors: The first floor mainly displays the court life and diplomatic etiquette in Huaqing Pool. The second floor mainly introduces the political culture of the Tang Dynasty. From the founding of Tang Dynasty, through the Reign of Zhenguan to the Heyday of Kaiyuan, many historical traces were left in Huaqing Palace. The third floor mainly introduces the romantic love story of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei. The fourth floor systematically showcases the splendid six-thousand-year civilization of this Pool. It is especially worth mentioning that when visitors come here, they need to watch the 6D movie that is played on a loop. It tells the love story of Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Yuhuan. Many high-tech technologies such as holographic images and high-definition projections are harnessed in the movie, so the effect is extremely shocking and should not be missed.

Palace of Eternal Life

4.4 Five Halls Building In Huanyuan 环园五间厅

To the east of Tang Imperial Hot Spring lies Huanyuan, an elegant small courtyard with distinctive features of Jiangnan-style garden.The Five-room Hall is the main building in Huanyuan and is named because it consists of five single-room halls connected together. The Five-room Hall is a hall building with a brick and wood structure, it is adjacent to Lishan Mountain in the south and reaches the Lotus Pond in the north, the courtyard is flat and the trees are lush.

Five Halls Building

Built in the late Qing Dynasty, it is said that when the Eight-Power Allied Forces invaded China, Empress Dowager Cixi stayed here during her westward escape. In 1934, it was renovated and became a place for senior officials to visit and take a rest. Generals Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng launched a military remonstrance here to urge Chiang Kai-shek to resist Japan and save the nation, and a fierce battle took place in the courtyard. Now, the desks, chairs, beds, sofas, tea sets, stoves, carpets, telephones, etc. used in each room and office are replicated and arranged according to their original appearances, restoring the original appearance of Chiang Kai-shek's bedroom. And the bullet holes from the fierce battle during the military remonstrance of the Xi'an Incident still remain on the glass windows and walls of the Five-room Hall. At present, three of the rooms have been transformed into an exhibition on "Chiang Kai-shek in Huaqing Pool", displaying a large number of precious historical documents.

bullet hole in Five Halls Building

4.5 Pear Garden 梨园

During the prosperous period of the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Lady Yang presented a love story that has been passed down for thousands of years in Huaqing Palace, making this ancient imperial garden a witness to their love. Emperor Xuanzong was "particularly proficient in musical rhythms", and Lady Yang was "skilled in playing and singing". They were a perfect match and created many wonderful musical, dance and song works that have endured through the ages. The famous ones include "The Dance of Rainbow Skirts and Feathered Robes", "Debaozi", "Lingbo Dance" and so on.

Pear Garden

Emperor Xuanzong also founded the first imperial music and art school in Chinese history - the Pear Garden. He took the Pear Garden as the center of music, dance and drama activities, with a focus on teaching and performing Faqu (a type of music in ancient China), and combined with many famous music masters and dancers. Therefore, it is regarded as the originator of Chinese opera art.

The music and dance art of the Tang Dynasty represented by the Pear Garden was the peak stage of ancient Chinese song and dance art. At that time, the strong national strength, the thriving economy, associated with the exchange and integration of foreign music cultures, plus the emperors had a great passion and highly praised music and dance. As a result, a large number of musicians and dancers gathered in Huaqing Palace at that time, presenting a prosperous scene full of vitality and variety.

The Dance of Rainbow Skirts and Feathered Robes

4.6 The Relic of the Ancient Well of Tang 唐代水井遗址

It is the only existing relic of a Tang Dynasty well in the Huaqing Pool. When the emperors of the Tang Dynasty visited Huaqing Palace, they drew clean water from it for drinking and other uses. Especially during the Tianbao period, it became the exclusive well for Lady Yang in Huaqing Palace, when it was discovered by the archaeological team in 1987, it already had a history of 1,300 years. The well is 8.3 meters deep, with an oval-shaped wellhead and well shaft. It is 1.9 meters long from north to south and 1.26 meters long from east to west. The well wall is built by alternately laying bricks with fly-track patterns and bricks with handprint patterns in a circular manner, and there are no bricks paved at the bottom, so it looks very particular.

The Relic of the Ancient Well of Tang

4.7 The Forest of Steles 碑林

There are a total of seven famous historical steles, sixteen poem stones, seven stone inscriptions, and four pairs of stone carvings currently existing in Huaqing Pool. Among them, the famous ones include the "Inscription in Praise of the Hot Springs in the Northern Wei Dynasty" and the "Inscription on the Hot Springs". In 647 AD, Emperor Taizong of Tang, Li Shimin, had a stele made with his imperial calligraphy and erected it in the Imperial Calligraphy Pavilion on the left side of the south gate of the "Hot Spring Palace".

The Forest of Steles

4.8 Historical Dance Drama "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow" 历史舞剧《长恨歌》

It happened in Huaqing Pool, the actual place where the historical story took place. The artistic form of dance drama is used to present the love theme of the world-renowned masterpiece "Song of Everlasting Sorrow" by Bai Juyi, a poet of the Tang Dynasty. With the love vow of "In heaven, let us be two birds flying ever together; on earth, two trees with branches interlocked forever" made by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Lady Yang in Huaqing Palace as the main line, this performance artistically recreates the love story that happened here more than a thousand years ago. Since its official premiere in 2007, it has been performed more than 2,500 times and received 3.5 million audiences, reaching the grand occasion of being "hard to get a ticket".

Historical Dance Drama "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow"
Historical Dance Drama "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow"

5. Suggested Tour Routes And Attractions

The following are the recommended tourist routes for visitors:
Route for Exploring Ancient Relics
6D Movie "Mysterious Realm of Palace of Eternal Life" - Museum of Tang Imperial Hot Spring Relics - Huanyuan, a building of the Qing Dynasty - Five-room Hall, the former site of the Xi'an Incident - Enjoying the Scenery of Lishan Mountain (Taking the cable car up the mountain - Laomu Hall - Beacon Tower on the Mountain Peak - Walking down the mountain - Bingjian Pavilion) - "1212 Xi'an Incident" Moving Picture (Yaoguang Pavilion at 15:00)-Pear Garden

Route for Exploring History
Furong Lake Scenic Area - Treasure House - Museum of Tang Imperial Hot Spring Relics - Huanyuan, a building of the Qing Dynasty - Five-room Hall, the former site of the Xi'an Incident - "1212 Xi'an Incident" Moving Picture (Yaoguang Pavilion at 11:00) - Bingjian Pavilion (Taking an electric vehicle from Zhaoyang Gate)-Pear Garden

6. Best Time To Go

The best time to visit Huaqing Pool is during the spring and autumn seasons, specifically from March to May and from September to November. During this period, the weather is pleasant. Tourists can avoid the sweltering heat of summer and also enjoy the colorful autumn scenery. It is recommended to avoid holidays and weekends and choose to go on weekdays, which in turns to reduce overcrowding and allow for a more peaceful touring experience.

7. Nearby Attractions

7.1 The Museum of the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang 秦始皇兵马俑

The Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang is an important part of the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang. It is located in the pits of the Terracotta Army, 1.5 kilometers east of the Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in Lintong District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province. The Terracotta Army is hailed as "the Eighth Wonder of the World".

The Terracotta Army is a type of ancient tomb sculpture, mainly used as burial objects. The Mausoleum of Emperor Qin Shi Huang and the pits of the Terracotta Army were inscribed on the World Heritage List by UNESCO in 1987. There are three main pits in the pits of the Terracotta Army: Pit No. 1, Pit No. 2, and Pit No. 3. They respectively display different types of pottery figurines and weapons. Among them, Pit No. 1 is the largest in scale with about 6,000 pottery figurines and pottery horses buried.The Terracotta Army, it not only has extremely high historical and artistic values but also provides precious physical materials for the study of the military, political, economic, cultural, and scientific aspects of the Qin Dynasty.

The Museum of the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang

As an international first-class museum, the Museum of the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang attracts a large number of tourists every year and has become an important window for tourists to have in-depth knowledge of ancient Chinese civilization.

7.2 Lishan Forest Park 骊山森林公园

Located near Huaqing Pool‌, Lishan Forest Park is situated in the south of Lintong District, Xi'an City, Shaanxi Province, actually it is on a branch of Qinling Mountains. The highest peak is Jiulongding, with an altitude of 1301.9 meters. The name "Lishan" comes from the evergreen pine and cypress trees on the mountain. The scenery is lush and beautiful, so it is also called as "Xiuling", which means the picturesque scenery and deserves visiting.

Lishan Forest Park

7.3 Lintong Museum 临潼博物馆

It is a local historical museum and sited over a hundred meters to the east of Huaqing Palace at the foot of Lishan Mountain. It has a history of more than thirty years since its establishment and has collected over ten thousand cultural relics with a history of five thousand years. The exhibition area is over six hundred square meters. There are five exhibition rooms, a corridor of stone carvings and steles of different dynasties, and a protection room for a Ming Dynasty stone-carved tomb, so its time-honored history attracts numerous tourists to come here for exploring the ancient Chinese civilization.

Lintong Museum

8.Travel Tips

Watching the Performance of "Song of Everlasting Sowrrow": Tourists are reminded to prepare military coats to keep warm when watching the performance in the evening, and choose the rental service that provides disinfection and sterilization.
Accommodation Recommendation: If visitors plan to watch the performance of "Song of Everlasting Sorrow", it is recommended to stay in hotels near Huaqing Pool, such as Huaqing Yutang Hotel, which offers good value for money.

In this way, tourists can better plan their trip to Huaqing Pool and enjoy the perfect combination of historical culture and natural scenery.

Historical Dance Drama "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow"

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