Travels in Xi'an: Huaqing Hot Springs

Huaqing Hot Springs is enroute to the Terracotta Warriors and the Qin Mausoleum. What is special about this place is that for thousands of years, Huaqing Hot Springs was the imperial bathing site of many emperors of ancient China. The hot springs are particularly associated with the Emperor Xuanzong (唐玄宗) of the Tang Dynasty and his favourite concubine, Yang Guifei (楊貴妃).



A statue of Yang Guifei, one of the four beauties of ancient China.




The Crabapple Pool （海棠汤）was built for Yang Guifei. Only Yang Guifei could bathe in this pool.


Only Emperor Xuanzong could bathe in the Lotus Pool （莲花汤).

The hot springs at Huaqing come from four sources. Here is hot spring source number two:


The water temperature of the hot springs is around 43 celcius degrees. The water contains many minerals, including sodium carbonate, sodium sulfate, sulphur and silicon dioxide.