Hua Qing Gong

Huaqing Palace is located at the foot of Mount Li, surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. Mount Li is lush with forests and trees, and the color of the mountain changes in all seasons, with flowers blooming in spring and red leaves in autumn, making the scenery very pleasant. Every year in the fall and winter seasons, the hot springs here are dense with mist, reflecting the green mountains and green water, with picturesque scenery. The hot spring water gurgles and flows, and the environment covered with flowers and trees gives people a sense of tranquility in a paradise beyond the world. Mount Li is the perfect place to climb up and look down from the mountain, Huaqing Palace is like a picture scroll, the scenery is fascinating, providing visitors with a good viewing experience. Today, Huaqing Palace is both an important place for showcasing ancient Chinese royal gardens and hot springs culture, as well as famous for the love legend of Yang Guifei and Emperor Xuanzong of Tang. Here are a few of the main features of Huaqing Palace.

Long history of hot spring culture
Huaqing Palace was first built because of the hot springs. The area is rich in hot springs and has been known as “hot spring water is slippery and washes away grease” since ancient times. As early as during the Zhou, Qin and Han Dynasties, the area was used as a royal spa. The hot springs are rich in minerals, and the temperature of the water is constant at about 43℃ all year round, which is considered to have health care effects. During the Tang Dynasty, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty made a major construction project here to expand the hot spring pools and provide special bathing facilities for the royal family and nobles. Today, visitors can tour the remaining hot spring pools, including the “Lotus Soup” and “Begonia Soup”, which were used exclusively by Emperor Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei. The walls of the hot spring pools are decorated with stone carvings in an elegant and delicate manner, showcasing the ornate style of Tang Dynasty architecture.

The Magnificence of Royal Gardens in Tang Dynasty

Huaqing Palace during the Tang Dynasty was one of the representatives of the royal gardens, famous for its palace complexes and the grandeur of its gardens. During the reign of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, Huaqing Palace was magnificent and elaborate with its wide palaces, pavilions, and ponds and springs. The architectural pattern emphasizes symmetry and hierarchy, and combined with the natural landscape, it looks like a landscape painting. The main buildings include the “Hall of Eternal Life”, where Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty lived with Yang Guifei, the birthplace of their love story; in addition, there are also the halls and pavilions where Tang Dynasty officials accompanied each other, and the imperial garden, which are a combination of architectural art and natural beauty. Although the present Huaqing Palace has been rebuilt, you can still feel the grandeur of the royal gardens of the Tang Dynasty.

The Love Story of Emperor Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei

Famous for the love legend of Emperor Tang Xuanzong and Yang Guifei, Huaqing Palace is a classic place of ancient Chinese love legends. The love story between Emperor Tang Xuanzong, Li Longji, and Yang Guifei, Yang Yuhuan, is regarded as a symbol of “infatuation” and “luxurious” love in ancient Chinese culture. Emperor Tang Xuanzong loved Yang Guifei so much that he would spend the cold season with her in Huaqing Palace every winter. The poet Bai Juyi described the tragedy of their love in the Song of Everlasting Hatred, which popularized the legend. The “Hall of Eternal Life” in Hua Qing Palace symbolizes the vow of their love and has become a place for visitors to remember this touching love story.

Xi'an Incident Historical Site
Huaqing Palace not only has the remains of the Tang Dynasty, but also has a modern historical significance due to the Xi'an Incident. In 1936, Generals Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng staged the Xi'an Incident in Huaqing Palace, detaining Chiang Kai-shek and demanding a joint fight against the Japanese. This event had a profound impact on China's anti-Japanese war and the relationship between China and the Communist Party. The Five Rooms of the Huaqing Palace was Chiang Kai-shek's residence during the Xi'an Incident, and traces of Chiang Kai-shek's hiding place, including broken windows and walls, remain inside the hall. Nowadays, the five halls have been turned into the Xi'an Incident Memorial Hall, displaying historical artifacts and video materials, allowing visitors to understand the background and impact of this important historical event.

In order to vividly reproduce the history and culture of the Huaqing Palace, a large-scale live-action historical dance drama, “The Song of Everlasting Hatred,” is staged nightly at the present-day Huaqing Palace. Based on a poem by Bai Juyi, the dance drama takes the love between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Yang Guifei as its theme, combines the lakes and mountains of the Huaqing Palace, and utilizes sound, light, electricity, and other modern technological means to make the audience feel as if they were in the Tang Dynasty palace. The scene of the performance is set in the palace, with water and light reflecting each other, and the dancers wearing the costumes of the Tang Dynasty, singing and dancing, with sincere emotions. The performance made Huaqing Palace not only a place to visit monuments, but also a stage for people to experience classical Chinese culture and aesthetics.

In order to protect the hot spring pools and various ruins, the management has taken a variety of protective measures, so that the Lotus Soup, Begonia Soup and other buildings can better maintain their original appearance. In addition, the Xi'an Incident five halls and other modern historical sites have also been restored and maintained, allowing visitors to enjoy the culture of the Tang Dynasty and touch the pulse of modern history. Through many repairs and environmental improvement, the style of Huaqing Palace has been preserved, with a sense of historical importance, but also adapted to the needs of modern tourism.