Huaqing Palace
The Basics
Travelers almost always visit Huaqing Palace from nearby Xian. One very popular option during the summer season is a trip to theSong of Everlasting Sorrow song-and-dance performance, also known as the Tang Dynasty Show. Most travelers opt for packages that include door-to-door round-trip transfers and a set dinner.
Alternatively, come during the day to pose for photos against one of Xian’s most scenic backdrops, or combine the palace with Xian’s most famous sight, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. Despite the name, it’s not possible to swim in the hot springs at Huaqing Palace, but many tour packages include a visit to a nearby resort to bathe in the warm waters.
Things to Know Before You Go
Huaqing Palace will appeal to photographers, Instagrammers, and fans of cultural shows.
Visitors are not allowed to swim in the hot-spring pools here. Join a tour that includes a trip to a hot-spring resort.
Steps and arched bridges make Huaqing Palace a challenging destination for travelers who use wheelchairs.
How to Get There
Huaqing Palace is located about 20 miles (32 kilometers) northeast of downtown Xian. Buses including the 914 and 915 run here from Xian Railway Station, continuing onwards to the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) farther east. Depending on your Chinese-language skills, a tour may prove an easier option.
Trip ideas
When to Get There
Huaqing Palace is open from early in the morning until early evening seven days a week, with slightly reduced hours in winter. It’s a very popular destination with Chinese tour groups, so avoid weekends and public holidays, and aim to arrive early in the day to beat the crowds.
The Tang Dynasty Show
Before there was Xian, there was Chang’an. The city reached its peak during the Tang dynasty (AD 618–907), with a population as high as a million, and theSong of Everlasting Sorrow show commemorates this era with a cast of hundreds. Based on an ancient poem, it tells the tragic story of Tang dynasty concubine Yang Guifei on a stage set atop Nine Dragon Lake.
- Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor (Qin Shi Huang Tomb)
- Terracotta Warriors Museum (Emperor Qinshihuang’s Mausoleum Site Museum)
- Banpo Village
- Muslim Quarter
- Tomb of Emperor Jing Di (Hanyangling)
- South Gate (Yongningmen)
- Bell and Drum Tower Square
- Drum Tower (Gulou)
- Shuyuanmen Pedestrian Street
- Xian Great Mosque
- Xi'an City Wall (Chengqiang)
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayanta)
- Guangren Temple
- Tang Dynasty Show
- Shaanxi History Museum