The Huaqing Palace

The Tang Huaqing Palace, named the “Huaqing Pool” later, was once a resort for the feudal emperors in the Tang Dynasty. It is located in the Lintong District, Xi’an City, Shaanxi Province. Facing the Weihe River, the Huaqing Palace is built along the Mount Lishan. The large and spectacular palace has various towers and buildings standing everywhere on the Mount Lishan. It was first named as the “Tang Quan Palace”, then it changed its name to the “Hot Springs Palace”, and finally became known as the “Huaqing Palace” by Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (A.D.685-762). The Mount Lishan gave it the name of Lishan Palace, Li Palace and Xiuling Palace. Originally built at the beginning of the Tang Dynasty, the palace was decorated during the reign of Emperor Xuanzong. As the Emperor had invested a lot in building this temporary imperial palace, he would visited and stayed here every October until the end of the year. However, as the political situation was changed after the An-Shi Rebellion, the Huaqing Palace began to decline rapidly, and few emperors ever visited it after the Tang Dynasty. Though it was still maintained in the following dynasties, it became cheerless. After the founding of the new China, the People’s Government carried out a large-scale extension to the Huaqing Palace since 1959.