Huaqing Palace
华清宫（华清池）Huaqing Palace · Lintong District, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China
At the foot of Mount Li, see the remains of Tang imperial bathing pools and the Five-Room Hall, which still bears bullet marks from the 1936 Xi'an Incident.
Know before you go
- Do not take the Tang-style buildings in the park for Tang-dynasty originals
- do not touch the bath-pool ruins or the relics in the Five-Room Hall
- do not play in the water or toss coins in the ruins area
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Huaqing Palace lies at the northern foot of Mount Li and is famous for its hot springs. According to tradition, the Li Palace was built here as early as the Western Zhou; in the Qin dynasty stone chambers were built and called the “Lishan Hot Spring”, and Emperor Wu of Han expanded it into a detached palace. Emperors Taizong and Xuanzong of Tang carried out two large-scale expansions; in the Tianbao era it was renamed Huaqing Palace and reached its greatest extent, and after the An Lushan Rebellion it gradually fell into ruin. In 1982 archaeologists discovered the foundations of the Tang imperial bath halls and cleared five groups of pools, including the Lotus Pool, the Crabapple Pool and the Star Pool; in 1990 they opened to the public as the Imperial Pools Site Museum. Most of the pavilions and towers in today's scenic area were built in imitation Tang style after 1949. During the Xi'an Incident of 12 December 1936, Chiang Kai-shek was detained at Huaqing Pool by Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng; the Five-Room Hall and the Bingjian Pavilion were listed in 1982 as Major Historical and Cultural Sites Protected at the National Level, as former sites of the Xi'an Incident.
Local customs
- The scenic area is roughly divided into three parts: the Tang-style gardens around Jiulong Lake and Furong Lake with the Imperial Bath Site Museum, the Xi'an Incident site, and Mount Li. Many visitors pair Huaqing Palace with the Terracotta Warriors on the same day, as the two sites are not far apart within Lintong District. In the evening there is an outdoor performance based on "The Song of Everlasting Sorrow"
- whether it runs and showtimes are as officially announced.
Religion & beliefs
- Huaqing Palace is the site of an imperial detached palace and a modern historic site, not a religious site
- on Mount Li there are Taoist temples such as the Laomu Hall—if you go up the mountain and enter them, follow the temple notices, worship quietly and don't photograph the statues of deities at will. The Five-Room Hall and the Bingjian Pavilion are modern historic sites, so please keep quiet when visiting them as well.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Rules that apply here
China: At Qingming tomb-sweeping, no burning paper or open flames in wooded areas
Do
- Check whether the cemetery requires a reservation before you go
- Stay quiet while laying flowers, bowing and observing silence
- Consider flowers, tree planting or online memorials instead of burning paper
- Dress soberly for tomb-sweeping
- Take offering wrappers and rubbish with you when you leave
Don’t
- Don't burn paper, incense or candles, or set off firecrackers, in woods or grassland
- Don't talk loudly or joke around in the cemetery
- Don't block cemetery paths for long to take photos
During fire-prevention periods, burning paper, incense and candles is strictly banned in forest and grassland fire zones, and anyone who starts a wildfire may be held legally liable. Whether and where a cemetery allows burning is set by its own rules on site.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Xinhua: Two departments deploy safety measures for the Qingming holiday
China: Go through security before the metro, and park shared bikes in marked zones
Do
- Cooperate with the security check at the entrance and put bags through the scanner
- On the platform, wait beside the doors and let passengers off first
- Register with your real name in the app before riding a shared bike
- Park in a marked bay or an app-designated spot, and make sure the lock clicks shut
- If the brakes or lock don't work, switch bikes and report it in the app
Don’t
- Don't linger in the doorway or force your way through closing doors
- Don't leave bikes in traffic lanes, fire lanes or on tactile paving
- Don't let children under 12 ride shared bikes
If you refuse the security check you will not be let into the station. Badly parked bikes are removed, and riders may face action under local rules and the operator's terms.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: People's Daily Online: Beijing issues standards for shared bike technology, services, parking
China: No smoking anywhere on high-speed trains, and no phone calls in quiet carriages
Do
- Sit in the carriage and seat shown on your ticket
- Put large luggage in the racks at the carriage ends or overhead
- Use headphones for videos and music
- In a quiet carriage, step outside to make or take calls
- Before getting off, check around your seat and take your rubbish and belongings
Don’t
- Don't smoke anywhere on the train, including toilets and vestibules
- Don't take someone else's seat
- Don't choose a quiet carriage when travelling with babies or toddlers (12306 advises against it)
Smoking on a bullet train can set off smoke alarms and slow or even stop the train. Smokers are fined by the police and, according to reports, may also be barred from buying bullet-train tickets; official rules prevail. If someone breaks the quiet-carriage rules, tell the train staff.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Travel China Guide: Smoking on Chinese trains
China: Stay on open sections of the Great Wall and never carve the bricks
Do
- Walk only on open sections and marked routes
- On steep stretches, stop and steady yourself before taking photos, and watch your step
- Wear non-slip shoes, carry enough water, and turn back if you are tired
- Carry your rubbish down or put it in a bin
- Check opening arrangements before you go; official announcements prevail
Don’t
- Don't carve, write on or prise loose the bricks
- Don't climb over fences or onto closed, crumbling walls and watchtowers
- Don't run or push on steep sections
Carving the Great Wall counts as damaging a cultural relic: one visitor who carved his name at Badaling was given administrative detention and a fine by the police and was blacklisted by the scenic area. Closed sections are not maintained and can be dangerous.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China News Service: Man detained for five days and fined 200 yuan for carving on the Badaling Great Wall
China: book popular sights in advance, under your real name, through official channels
Do
- Check the booking rules on the site's official website, mini program or account before you go
- Enter every companion's ID details in advance and pick an entry time slot
- Children, seniors and others with free or reduced tickets also book as required and show ID
- Book early for holidays and summer; popular dates often fill quickly
Don’t
- Don't trust third parties offering to grab tickets or sell 'insider' tickets
- Don't assume a free ticket means no booking is needed
- Don't count on buying tickets at the gate on peak days
Once a popular date is fully booked, you may be turned away. China's Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires sites to keep in-person ticket windows and to accommodate seniors and others, but on-site quotas are limited; booking windows, release times and visitor caps are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: China Daily: Ministry of Culture and Tourism requires all scenic areas to keep ticket windows
China: set up mobile payment before you go; hotels and tickets are booked under your passport
Do
- Link a foreign bank card to Alipay or WeChat Pay before departure
- Carry some cash in yuan for small stalls, remote areas or payment glitches
- Expect real-name checks at hotels, for train tickets and popular sights; use your passport
- Make sure the name and number on bookings match your passport exactly
- If a station gate cannot read your passport, use the staffed lane
Don’t
- Don't wait until you arrive to set up payment; verification can take time
- Don't assume cash alone or a bank card alone will work everywhere
- Don't book with details that differ from your passport
Without a working payment method, or with mismatched ID details, you may be unable to check in, buy tickets or enter sights. Payment limits, fees and platform rules are subject to official announcements.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Gov.cn: Payment services for foreign visitors to China
China: Queue, don't smoke where banned, and never carve on heritage sites
Do
- Wait your turn in line, and follow staff directions when it's crowded
- On buses and the metro, let passengers off first and offer seats to those in need
- Book popular sights and museums in advance, under your real name, through official channels
- Sort your rubbish into the right bins
- Use serving chopsticks and spoons, and order only what you can eat
Don’t
- Don't cut in line or walk side by side blocking the way
- Don't smoke where it is banned; many cities ban smoking in indoor public places and on public transport
- Don't carve or write on historic buildings or ancient trees, or climb on or touch relics
- Don't use flash or tripods in exhibition halls
- Don't talk loudly or play music out loud in public places
Staff will stop you from queue-jumping, smoking where banned or marking relics, and smoking in no-smoking areas or damaging relics can also lead to fines under the law. Fine amounts, booking methods and opening hours are as officially announced.
Verified Oct 19, 2026Source: Palace Museum official site: Visit
Don’t DON'T
- Do not take the Tang-style buildings in the park for Tang-dynasty originals
- do not touch the bath-pool ruins or the relics in the Five-Room Hall
- do not play in the water or toss coins in the ruins area
- the Mount Li trails are steep, so do not head up rashly in rain or after dark
- do not touch or carve on the bullet holes at the Five-Room Hall
Locals appreciate DO
- See the Imperial Pools Site Museum before touring the gardens, and tell the original remains apart from the new Tang-style buildings
- see the bullet holes in the windows of the Five-Room Hall
- if you are fit, climb Mount Li to see the Bingjian Pavilion
- plan it on the same day as the Terracotta Army
- if you are interested in Tang poetry, reread the Song of Everlasting Sorrow before you come
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Allow 2–3 hours, plus another 1–2 hours to climb Mount Li. Huaqing Palace is in Lintong District, about 30 km east of downtown Xi'an
- you can take a tourist bus toward Lintong from around Xi'an Railway Station, or drive or hire a car
- it is in Lintong along with the Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum (the Terracotta Warriors), so the two are often scheduled on the same day, and it is most convenient to see the Terracotta Warriors first and then Huaqing Palace. Tickets, booking methods, the Mount Li cableway and evening performances are as announced on the Huaqing Palace official website. The site is large with many steps
- with elderly people or children you can just walk the route of the imperial bath ruins and the Five-Room Hall. In summer it is crowded and the sun is strong, so go to the Terracotta Warriors in the morning, come to Huaqing Palace in the afternoon, and bring water.
Sources & verification notes
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