The Huaqing Hot Spring

Situated at the northern foot of Mt. Lishan in Lintong County, 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) from Xian City, Huaqing Hot Spring is famed for both its dainty spring scenery and the romantic love story of Emperor Xuanzong (685-762) and his concubine Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). Its long history and location among the wonderful landscapes of Xian should entice any visitor to visit and bathe in this hot spring.

It is said that King You built a palace here during the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century BC-711 BC). Additions were subsequently made by the First Emperor Qing (259 BC-210BC) and Emperor Wu during the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-24). During his reign, the Emperor Xuanzong spent dizzying amounts of his funds to build a luxurious palace, changing its name to Huaqing Hot Spring or Huaqing Palace. Over the course of 41 years in his days, he visited the palace as many as 36 times. The palace thus has a history of 3,000 years and the hotspring a history of 6,000 years! Ranked among the Hundred Famous Gardens in China, it also has the status as a National Cultural Relic Protection Unit and a National Key Scenic Area.

A Visit to the Huaqing Hot Spring

Nine-dragon LakeEntering the gate which bears the inscription 'Huaqing Chi' (Huaqing Hot Spring) by Guo Moruo, a noted literary in China, visitors are greeted by two towering cedars. By continuing inward passing two symmetrical palace-style plunge baths and turning right, you will see the Nine-Dragon Lake. Despite the fact that the lake is artificial with an area of 5,300 square meters (6339 square yards), it constitutes one of the main enchanting sceneries in the Huaqing Palace. You will see lotus floating on the water and emitting sweet fragrance, and a white marble statue of Yang Guifei - recognised as one of the four most beautiful women in ancient China - stands tall by the lake like a shy and appealing fairy. Mirrored in the lake you will see a surrounding complex of constructions interspersed with willows and rocks, including Frost Flying Hall (Feishuang Hall) in the north, Yichun Hall and Chenxiang Hall respectively in the east and west as well as Nine Bend Corridor and Dragon Marble Boat. The magnificent Frost Flying Hall used to be the bedroom of Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei, with red supporting pillars and fine-patterned carving. Living in a place so full of spice must have made the inhabitants invigorated and pleased.
Walking southwards through Dragon Marble Boat and several pavilions, you will find the Site of Imperial Pool, which is the only one of its kind to be discovered in China. The five remaining pools are the Lotus Pool, Haitang Pool, Shangshi Pool, Star Pool and Prince Pool. The lotus-like Lotus Pool was made for the Emperors' bath, the Haitang Pool resembling a Chinese Crabapple was intended for concubines, and the Shangshi Pool was designated for officials. It is said that the former Star Pool had no roof and nothing to cover its four sides. There, must have been possible to truly experience the eternal beauty of Yang Guifei. Huan Garden is the former garden of the Huaqing Palace. There lie the Lotus Pavilion, Viewing Lake Tower (Wanghu Lou), Flying Rainbow Bridge (Feihong Qiao), Flying Glow Hall (Feixia Ge), and Five-Room Hall (Wujian Ting). In popular legend, the Flying Glow Hall was once the place where Yang Guifei would overlook the scenery and cool down her long hair. The Five-Room Hall was built in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). It was the shelter of Empress Dowager Cixi after the Eight-Power Allied Force captured Peking in 1900, and was also the temporary residence of Chiang Kai-shek, the leader of the Chinese Nationalist Party during the world-famous Xian Incidence in 1936. The Huan Garden also features a large-scale mural carrying the inscription 'Yang Guifei Was Summoned to Serve the Emperor in Huaqing Hot Spring'. Composed of 90 white marbles, the mural is 9.15 meters (30 feet) long and 3.6 meters (11.8 feet) high. Depicting the scene of the feast in which Emperor Xuanzong summoned Yang Guifei, it reflects the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. Odes of Huaqing Hot Spring are also witnesses of past politics, economy and art.
By visiting the Huaqing Hot Spring, you will not only enjoy the scenery, but also taste the joy of imagining yourself back in the days of the Tang Dynasty.

The first pleasure to experience is to have a bath in the imitational Guifei Pool. With an even temperature of 43 degree (109 F), the ever-flowing water of the hot spring contains minerals and organic materials that have therapeutic effects on the skin. Water originating from four spring reaches a discharge level of 112 tons per hour. In the bath pool, you can experience the same comfort as did the Emperor Xuanzong or Yang Guifei.

After the discovery of remains of Tang operas and entertainments, the Exhibition Hall of Tang Art was built in 1995. Here, you can enjoy dance performances imitating the Tang style and a Chinese tea ceremony in the teahouse.

In the palace of Huaqing Hot Spring, visitors who are interested in calligraphy will be delighted to discover the inscriptions collected there. Currently, the inscriptions include in total 7 steles, 16 stones with poems, 7 stone inscriptions, 4 stone carving, and an additional 69 tablets discovered in 1949. All of them represent elite work in the field of calligraphy art and materials of their kinds.

Mount Heng

Heng Shan in Shanxi province is one of the Five Sacred Mountains of Taoism। At 2,017 m, it is one of the five tallest peaks in China Proper. Heng Shan in Shanxi province is sometimes known as the Northern Heng Shan, and should not be confused with the Southern Heng Shan in Hunan Province. Both mountains have the same pronunciation in Chinese, and the Southern Heng Shan is also one of the Five Sacred Mountains.

Like the other four sacred Daoist mountains in China, Heng Shan has been considered a sacred mountain since the Zhou Dynasty. Due to its northerly location, the mountain was often under the control of non-Chinese dynasties, such as the Liao (916-1125). This made it impossible for pilgrimmages by the Chinese to take place for much of its history. Because of this, Hengshan is not nearly as religiously important in China as the other four Daoist mountains.


During the Han Dynasty, a temple called the Shrine of the Northern Peak (Beiyue Miao), dedicated to the mountain god was built on Hengshan's slopes। While periodically destroyed and rebuilt, this temple has an uninterrupted history from Han times to the present day.


The most famous temple at Hengshan is not Daoist, but is actually the Buddhist Hanging Monastery (Xuankong Si). The Hanging Monastery stands at the foot of Mt. Hengshan and is one of the most dramatic sights at Hengshan - a wooden temple clinging to the cliff side, appearing to defy gravity with only a few wooden posts as support. The Hanging Monastery, built in 491, has survived more than 1,400 years. The extant monastery was largely rebuilt and maintained in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The buildings were restored in 1900 and there are 40 wooden halls and structures linked by an ingenious system of pillars, posts and walkways.

Mount Huashan

Situated in Huayin City, 120 kilometers (about 75 miles) east from Xi'an City of Shaanxi Province, Mt. Huashan is known as 'The Number One Precipitous Mountain under Heaven'. It is one of the five sacred mountains in China. The other four mountains are Mt. Taishan in Shandong, Mt. Hengshan in Hunan, Mt. Hengshan in Shanxi, and Mt. Songshan in Henan. In ancient times, Mt. Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in Chinese), hence the name 'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism. In ancient times, Mt। Huashan was called Mt. Taihuashan. From a distance the five peaks seem to form the shape of a 'flower' (hua in Chinese), hence the name 'Huashan'. It is famous for its natural vistas of steep and narrow paths, precipitous crags, and a high mountain range. It is home to several influential Taoist temples where emperors of past dynasties made pilgrimages, making Mt. Huashan the holy land of Taoism.

North Peak (Cloud Terrace Peak)

Across the 'Qianchi Zhuang' are two similar precipitous paths-respectively called 'Baichi Xia' and 'Laojun Li' above which climbers reach Mt। Huashan's North Peak. There are precipitous cliffs on all sides of North Peak, making it look like a flat terrace in the clouds, hence the name Cloud Terrace Peak. It is 1,614 meters (about 5,295 feet) high. Three sides are cliffs and one side is to the 'Ca'er (the ear rubbing the cliff) Cliff' which is the fourth precipitous path where tourists can climb up only by pressing an ear close to the cliff। In the waist of North Peak trees are luxuriantly green, creating a good rest spot.

Jinsuo Guan (Gold Lock Pass)

Mount HuashanWhen climbing over the 'Blue Dragon Range', regarded as the must-pass way to the other four peaks from North Peak, travelers arrive at Gold Lock Pass। Mt. Huashan visitors know that it is customary to buy a golden lock, and then lock it in the iron chains on both sides of the Gold Lock Pass for families and friends to pray for their safety and health. It is a marvelous spectacle to see thousands of golden locks in the iron chains. Within the mountain gate of Gold Lock Pass, a huge golden lock of about 4 meters (about 4.37 yards) long and 1 .5 meters (about 1.64 yards) high stands in a big rock. It is made of pure copper and forged by 9,999 locks left by visitors. It is a popular photo site. This huge lock can only be opened by throwing coins - one coin represent the status of an ordinary person; three coins, a blessed person and nine coins a most blessed one. Gold Lock Pass is the throat to Middle Peak, East Peak, South Peak and West Peak.

Middle Peak (Jade Maiden Peak)

Middle Peak clings to East peak and is in the center of East, South and West Peaks. There is a Taoist temple in the peak named 'Jade Maiden Temple'. Legend has it that the daughter of Qin Mugong (569 B.C.-621 B.C.) loved a man who was good at playing Chinese tung-hsiao (vertical flute) and she gave up the royal life to become a hermit who cultivated her spirituality here, hence the name Jade Maiden Peak. Today Jade Maiden Temple and Jade Maiden Basin for Shampooing can be found on the peak.

Other scenic spots in Middle Peak include Rootless Tree and Sacrificing Tree which have beautiful stories and add to the supernatural atmosphere of Middle Peak.