Huaqing Hot Spring
Huaqing (Hua means brilliant, qing means clear or pure) Hot Spring is situated at the base of Lishan Hill in Lintong County,30 kmeast of Xi’an city. It was a popular retreat with Emperors more than 2,500 years ago.
It is famed because of its spring scenery and romantic love story of the emperor Xuanzong (685-762) and his concubine Yangguifei in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The Hot Spring has been operating since the Tang Dynasty, and offers mineral water at43°Cwarmth. The mineral water at the Hot Spring contains sodium carbonate, lime and sodium sulphate. The Hot Spring mineral water is recommended for the treatment of rheumatism, arthritis, dermatitis and muscular pain patients. This site is particularly popular among the Chinese tourist than foreign tourist.
Today only small part of theTangDynastyPalaceremains at the Huaqing Hot Spring which is around 85,560 square meters. If you enter to the Huaqing Hot Spring by West gate, you will see Nine Dragon Pools, Lotus Flower Pool and Frost Drifting Hall which were rebuilt during the 1959 by accordance to the Tang Dynasty Architectural style.
It is said that King You built a palace here during the Western Zhou Dynasty (1045 BC – 256 BC) and named it Li Palace after the Li Mountain, a branch ofQinlingRange. In the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC), a Stone Pool was built and was given the name Li Mountain Hot Spring (because of the hot spring there). This site was enlarged into a bigger palace on the site of the Stone Pool during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) then name Li Palace.
The first Emperor, Tai Zong from Tang Dynasty (618-907) ordered to enlarge the palace. Then the emperor Xuanzong built walled palace around Li Mountain in 747 then the name changed toHuaqingPalacethen to Huaqing Hot Spring because of the Hot spring at the site. The Tang Dynasty (618-907) Emperor Xuanzong used to spend his winter time in Huaqing Hot Spring with his favourite concubine Yangguifei. Due to Xuanzong misused power result the An Lushan Rebellion which damaged the stability of his regime and resulted the destruction of some of the palaces built at this site.
Tourist to this site can visit the emperors bathing pool and Hibiscus Pool dates back to 712 AD. There is a museum which exhibits building material used during Tang Dynasty. There is alsoHoveringRainbowBridge, this bridge reflects the sunset in such a way that it appears to be a rainbow. Visitors to the site can take a bath at the imitated Yangguifeis Pool to have the experience. Tourist at the Huaqing Hot Spring can experience the same confort as Emperor Xuanzong or Yangguifei did. Tourist to the site also can experience the imitated Tang Style dance performance and Chinese Tea Ceremony in the Teahouse. Tourist also can enjoy Chinese calligraphy collection at the site.
Today, Huaqing Hot Spring ranked as one of the Hundred Famous Gardens in China, and protected under the National Cultural Relics and National Key Scenic Spot.