华清宫

Huaqing Palace (Huaqing Pool) sits at the northern foot of Mount Li (Lishan) in Lintong, about 25-30 km east of Xi'an. Emperors of the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties built palaces and villas here around the natural hot springs; the site is most famous as the setting of Tang Emperor Xuanzong's romance with his consort Yang Guifei.

Natural hot-spring water

Four springs feed the complex with mineral-rich geothermal water that holds a constant temperature of about 43°C (109°F), discharging roughly 112 tons per hour. The water carries minerals long valued for their effect on the skin.

Tang imperial bath pools

• Lotus Flower Pool (Nine Dragon Pool) - the emperor's bath
• Haitang (Crabapple) Pool - shaped like a Chinese crabapple flower, used by Yang Guifei and imperial concubines
• Shangshi Pool - for ministers and officials
• Star Pool - believed to date to a much earlier age
• Crown Prince Pool - for the crown prince

Heritage & bathing today

The excavated Tang bath foundations are preserved within the Tang Dynasty Imperial Hot Spring Relics Museum. Huaqing Palace is a National 5A-grade scenic area and a National Key Cultural Relics Protection Site, and it was also the scene of the 1936 Xi'an Incident. It functions primarily as an open-air heritage and scenic site rather than a public bathhouse; the hot-spring water can be touched at the site, while full soaking is offered at adjacent hot-spring hotels and spas.