Huaqing Palace and Hot Springs

Tang-era imperial hot springs on Mt Lishan, 30 km east of Xi'an. Famous as the bathing place of Yang Guifei, Emperor Xuanzong's consort.

Huaqing Palace was the imperial bathing complex from the Western Zhou through the Tang. Most associated with Emperor Xuanzong (8th century) and his consort Yang Guifei — their love story is one of the canonical tragedies of Chinese poetry. The site also features in 20th-century history: the Xi'an Incident of December 1936, when Chiang Kai-shek was kidnapped here, was a turning point in the Sino-Japanese War. Combine with the Terracotta Army on a single day trip.