Huaqing Hot Springs 华清池

The Huaqing Hot Springs, located about 35 kilometers east of Xian city at the foot of the Lishan Mountain is a must for every visitor to Xian. For centuries emperors had come here to bathe and enjoy the scenic beauty, and it has been a favorite spa since the Tang dynasty. Huaqing Hot Springs can be conveniently visited on returning from the Terracotta Army site.

History
During the Western Zhou, Li Palace was originally undertaken here as resort palaces. Later the First Emperor Qin built a stone pool and gave the name "Lishan Hot Springs," and it was extended by the Han Wudi, Martial Emperor. However, the strongest associations are with the Tang and most of the present buildings have a Tang style.

The Hot Springs Palace was built by Emperor Taizong and a walled palace was added by Emperor Xuanzong in 747 A.D. unfortunately, it was damaged during the An Lushan Rebellion at the middle Tang. The present site was rebuilt on the site of the Qing dynasty structure.

A visit to the Huaqing Hot Springs
Through the west gate visitors can visit Nine-Dragon Pool, the Lotus Flower Pool and the Frost Drifting Hall rebuilt in 1959 in Tang architectural style.

Emperor, Xuanzong used to spend winter in company of Yang Guifei (Lady Yang) - his favorite concubine in the Hall of Fluttering Frost. The hall gains its name due to the slightly milky mist and vapor over the pool year around. In winter, the snowflakes also thawed immediately in front of the Hall because of the lukewarm vapor rising out of the hot spring.

Close by the hall is the Nine-Dragon Pool. It has a legend that a severe drought once happened in central Shaanxi. The Jade Emperor (the Supreme Deity of Heaven- a legendary figure) ordered a dragon with his eight sons to rain. The dragons got slack when the disaster was just abating, and the drought became much more severe. Young dragons later were suppressed under the Jade Causeway, with the pavilions of Brilliant Dawn and Glowing Sunset built on each side. The dragons spout clear water all day long. And the old dragon was confined to the bottom of the Murmuring Dragon Pavilion at the upper end of the Jade Causeway.

The Nine-Bend Corridor to the west of the Nine-Dragon Pool leads directly to the Marble Boat resembling a dragon boat floating on water. In the Marble Boat lies the Nine-Dragon

Hot Spring Palace where emperor Xuanzong with court ladies and officials used to spend his winter. The Nine-Dragon Hot Spring Pool was originally built with crystal jade beautifully decorated with carvings of fish, birds and flowers. A lotus-flower-shape carving bathed in the spring water spouting from a wellspring hence the name, Lotus Flower Pool.

To the east part of the Huaqing Pool, Source of hot springs and the Five Chamber Building are sightworthy.

The imperial bathing pools from the Tang period were discovered in 1982 by workmen renovating the Guifei Pavilion. Archaeologists found the ruins of four bathing pools include
the Star, Long, Lotus and Guifei pools. The Guifei or Hibiscus pool, dating from 712 A.D.- 756 A.D., has been restored and is open to the public - just for viewing. It is a terraced structure with a central, empty, pool in the shape of a Chinese crab-apple blossom. The fountainhead, designed to represent the stamens of a flower, is a reproduction of the original. A museum was built on the remains and was opened to public in October 1990. On display in the museum are excavations of building materials of the Tang unearthed.

The Baths
The best way to appreciate the Huaqing Hot Springs is to take a bath. The water rises at the temperature of 43C(109F) and contains lime, sodium carbonate, sodium sulphate and other minerals, which makes it suitable for bathing and the treatment of quite a few diseases such as dermatitis, rheumatism, arthritis and muscular pain. Climb the steps east of the source of hot springs, and you will gradually see the Five- Room Hall where Chiang Kaishek stayed temporarily during the Xian Incident. Up the winding path, east of the Five-Room Hall, you will see a bridge-like structure. On summer and autumn evenings the sunshine off this bridge in a way that makes it look very much like a rainbow. So it was named the Hovering Rainbow Bridge.