Huaqing Palace (华清宫)
Attraction · Xi’an. Explore Tang palace hot-spring ruins and later history at the foot of Lishan.
Also called: Huaqing Pool.
Source: https://chinafootnotes.com/places/huaqing-palace · Data checked 2026-10-06 · Rendered for 2026-10-08 (Asia/Shanghai). Facts carry their status; "not found yet" means we searched and found no reliable source.
Why go
Huaqing Palace in Lintong brings together Tang imperial hot-spring remains, lakes and garden pavilions, plus sites associated with the Xi’an Incident. Its evening Song of Everlasting Sorrow show is sold separately from daytime scenic admission. This entry covers Huaqing Palace, not the Terracotta Army or a Lishan cable-car journey.
What to do
- See the royal baths. Visit the Tang imperial hot-spring ruins and their museum displays.
- Walk the gardens. Explore Furong Lake, Jiulong Lake and the palace setting below Lishan.
- Look at recent history. Visit the Five-Room Hall area to understand the site’s Xi’an Incident association.
- Best time: Morning before a Lintong day trip
- Skip if: If only the Terracotta Army interests you, this is a separate paid stop.
Practical details
- Hours: 07:00–18:00 · last entry 17:40
- Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun: 07:00–18:00, last entry 17:40
- Ticket windows stop selling at 17:30, last entry through the gate is 17:40, and the park is cleared at 18:00. The operator says hours can be adjusted by season, crowds, weather or events.
- The English and Traditional Chinese ticket pages show a second set (07:00–18:40, clearing at 18:30) that contradicts itself; the Simplified Chinese guide and ticket pages agree on 07:00–18:00.
- The municipal “Xi’an Release” holiday round-up of 29 September 2026 also gives 07:00–18:00 with entry stopping at 17:40.
- Admission: Ticketed · adult ¥120
- Adult: ¥120
- Song of Everlasting Sorrow show: price not found yet — The guide lists ¥199–988 by seat; the Chinese seat table’s standard prices run ¥249–988, with lower activity prices from ¥179 on that page. Prices vary by date.
- Concession: Chinese citizens (including Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan) over 1.2 m or aged 6–18 ¥60 (ID)
- Concession: Students studying in China with a valid student card ¥60 (Valid student card)
- Free: Foreign citizens: children 1.2 m or under, or aged 6 or under (Height or age)
- Free: Chinese citizens only: seniors 65+, serving military and families, police, people with disabilities and others on the notice (Chinese documents (foreign seniors do not get free entry))
- Free entry for seniors aged 65 and over does not apply to foreign visitors; foreign citizens are free only at 1.2 m or under (or aged 6 or under). One ID can buy one ticket a day; tickets are valid for two days with re-entry.
- The Song of Everlasting Sorrow show is sold separately and needs no scenic ticket.
- Posts add: 艺文游 (2025-07) lists student and child half price (¥60) and 1.2 m or under free; a Chinese poster’s “65 and over free” does not apply to foreigners per the operator’s notice. Show prices seen by visitors are in the tips.
- Booking: Buy online or at Jinyang East Gate
- Jinyang Gate ticket window (津阳门（东门）售票处) · passport: yes
- Huaqing Palace official account (华清宫景区) — WeChat → search 华清宫景区 → 票务预订
- Passport accepted: yes — Foreign guests, and visitors from Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan, exchange online tickets at the ticket office before entry. The only office the operator names is at Jinyang Gate (East Gate); the page does not say which gate exchanges online tickets.
- Tickets bought online must be exchanged for a paper ticket at the scenic area’s ticket office before entry (Chinese citizens can swipe their ID card). The only office the operator names is at Jinyang Gate (East Gate), where on-site tickets are sold; it does not say whether the West Gate exchanges online tickets.
- One valid ID can buy only one palace ticket a day; the ticket is valid for two days with re-entry.
- Last admission: 17:40 at the gate · ticket windows stop 17:30
- Time to allow: 2–3 hr in palace
- Getting there: Line 9 · Huaqingchi · exits B/C
- Metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi (华清池), Exit B or C, about 5 min walk
- Show a taxi driver: 华清宫望京门，西安市临潼区华清路3号
- Foreign visitors: Foreign checkout details pending
Not found yet
- admission.paidExtras[0].amount: Seat-dependent range: the operator guide says ¥199–988; the Chinese ticket page’s standard table runs ¥249–988 and another undated table from ¥179; the English page labels one table as a 1–5 October holiday price. No single price. Visitors report about ¥300 (2026-08), ¥409 for the central zone (2025-04, two posters) and just over ¥100 for an off-season third session via a resale listing. (searched: Exa web search (Cloudflare), Linkup web search (Cloudflare), Operator or government page (curl), Xiaohongshu)
- booking.channels[0]: The operator names the Jinyang Gate (East Gate) office for on-site tickets but does not say which gate exchanges online tickets, including whether the Wangjing Gate (West Gate) has a window. (searched: Exa web search (Cloudflare), Linkup web search (Cloudflare), Operator or government page (curl), Xiaohongshu)
Traveler tips
- Use the palace gate name. Line 9 Huaqingchi station Exit B or C is a 3–5 minute walk to Wangjing Gate (望京门, the west gate). The only ticket office the operator names is at Jinyang Gate (津阳门, the east gate); it does not say which gate’s office exchanges online tickets, so ask staff. Caveat: The operator’s guide says Exit B or C is a 3–5 minute walk; 艺文游 (2025-07) says Exit B and 曼曼不太慢 (2025-07) says B/C, both from before October 2025. Mdzzyxs (2025-08) found no signs to the gate and a long flight of steps. (2 travelers) source
- Keep an online ticket exchange step. The operator says foreign guests holding valid documents exchange online scenic tickets at the ticket office before entering. The only ticket office the operator names is at Jinyang Gate (津阳门, the east gate), where on-site tickets are sold; for online tickets it says only to exchange them at the scenic area’s ticket office before entering, without naming a gate. Bring the original passport used to buy the order. Caveat: From the operator’s ticket pages (Simplified Chinese and English). source
- Buy daytime entry separately. The palace scenic ticket is ¥120 for an adult. The Song of Everlasting Sorrow performance has its own seating and ticket; it is not included in ordinary daytime admission. source
- Follow the official route from west to east. The palace’s half-day route enters at Wangjing Gate (west), passes Furong Lake, Changsheng Hall and Jiulong Lake, then the Yutang ruins museum and the Five-Room Hall, and leaves by Jinyang Gate (east). The imperial bath ruins come late, not first. source
- Set aside the Five-Room Hall. The Five-Room Hall area relates to the Xi’an Incident as well as the site’s palace history. Include it if you want more than garden photography. source
- Allow a separate Lintong transfer. Allow a separate Lintong transfer: the Terracotta Army needs a further bus ride and a different ticket, so treat the two as separate stops. source
- Book English guiding ahead. The operator lists an English guide service and asks for at least one day’s advance arrangement. Ask the operator about availability before using a paid guide as your only interpretation plan. source
- Do not plan the show by daylight hours. The 07:00–18:00 timetable is for daytime scenic access. Evening performance sessions have their own timetable, seat category and entrance: the first session enters through the west gate, later sessions through the east gate. source
- Reach a ticket window by 17:30. Ticket windows stop selling at 17:30, the gate stops entry at 17:40 and the park is cleared at 18:00. Online tickets must be exchanged at a window, so 17:30 is the real cutoff for foreign visitors. Caveat: Bendibao (a ticket-selling page) lists 07:30–19:00 until 9 September and 07:30–17:30 with entry stopping at 17:10 from 10 September to 31 December; the English page shows 07:00–18:40; the operator’s own pages do not publish seasons but say hours can change. source
- Up to four evening show sessions. The Song of Everlasting Sorrow (长恨歌) runs up to four evening sessions, and the palace posts the day’s times because the show is outdoors. Caveat: The operator’s Chinese page on 2026-10-06 lists 19:10, 20:35, 22:00 and 23:25. Bendibao (2025-09-22) lists 19:40, 21:05, 22:30 and 23:55. iruri (2025-11) lists 18:30–19:45, 19:55–21:05 and 21:20–22:30, three sessions in the autumn; session times change by season and no official season dates were found. (2 travelers) source
- Song of Everlasting Sorrow is the evening draw. Visitors rate the evening show “Song of Everlasting Sorrow” far above Datang Everbright City. It is staged at Huaqing Palace in Lintong, so pair it with the Terracotta Army day and check the finish time and the ride back. Caveat: webw06’s “consistently sold out” is about what they saw last year (2025); the others do not mention availability. (4 travelers) source
- The palace itself is mostly ruins. A visitor says the grounds are basically a ruin with a new palace-style building on top and advises not paying for tour combos that add it to the Terracotta Army. source
- Collect your show seat voucher after 15:00. On the day of the show, from 15:00, exchange your booking at the designated window of the East Gate ticket office with the original passport (or ID card) of each viewer. Queue for security one hour before the session; the first session enters through the west gate and sessions two to four through the east gate. Caveat: From the operator’s ticket pages; the show is real-name and bookings cannot be refunded or exchanged. Children under 1.3 m are free without a seat, one per adult. iruri (2025-11) says the ticket is collected at the East Gate ticket office with the ID card and the face check at the gate is 40 minutes before the show, not an hour; an unnamed commenter (2025-11) says the staff would not let a foreign friend in until a long delay, with the booking done by the hotel. source
- Foreign seniors pay full price. The free entry for visitors aged 65 and over is for Chinese citizens only. Foreign visitors pay ¥120, except children 1.2 m or under or aged 6 or under, who are free; students studying in China can buy a half-price ticket with a valid student card. One ID can buy one ticket a day, and the ticket is valid for two days with re-entry. Specially priced tickets are bought at a ticket window with valid ID. Caveat: From the operator’s guide page: the half-price groups are Chinese citizens over 1.2 m or aged 6–18, and students studying in China; the page says specially priced tickets are bought at the window with valid ID. source
- Doing the Army and Huaqing Palace in one day is tight. Posters who went to the Terracotta Army first and Huaqing Palace afterwards were short of time: one arrived at 16:45 and was cleared out from 17:30; another arrived at 17:00 and had an hour. The one who started at the Army in the morning and reached the palace in the afternoon with a guide spent about two hours there. If you do both in a day, start the Army at opening. Caveat: Annnn~ (2025-11), 钢铁侠小屋 (2025-03) and 清欢。(2025-09); an unnamed comment (2026-01) says it works with the Army and Lishan Garden in the morning and the Shaanxi History Museum in the afternoon. Plan the evening show last. (3 travelers) source
- Guides at the palace: about ¥106 for two people, ¥60 quoted at the gate. A visitor in September 2025 hired an official guide in a dark-red uniform for two people for about two hours for ¥106; another in November 2025 hired an official guide who was about to finish his shift, and the one-hour talk was done in half an hour with no discount. In August 2026 a third visitor was quoted ¥60 by a guide at the gate late in the day; it is not stated that this guide was official. Caveat: 清欢。(2025-09) and Annnn~ (2025-11) hired the official guides; 中女～爱Carrie (2026-08) hired one at the gate whose status is unknown. An unnamed commenter doubts that ¥106 could cover a family. The operator’s own English guide service needs a day’s notice (see above). (3 travelers) source
- Lishan: the ¥120 ticket covers it, the cable car does not. The ¥120 palace ticket also covers Lishan, valid two days with re-entry (including the beacon tower). The cable car costs extra, about ¥35 up and ¥30 down; its station is outside the palace, though the footpath up is inside it. A visitor said the cable car is slow and the view from the top is not special. _Caveat: 山山不来迟 (2026-06, a local) and 艺文游 (2025-07) give the ticket and cable-car prices; the up fare is ¥35 in 艺文游 and ¥30 in 山山不来迟. Mdzzyxs (2025-08) says the cable-car station is outside; ffonina_io (2025-04) found the ride slow and the top unremarkable. The climb to the 兵谏亭 takes about an hour; unnamed commenters (2026-07) say most visitors in summer heat only reach the Five-Room Hall._ (4 travelers) source
- Ignore “free Lishan” and “you need a guide” offers at the ticket gate. From the metro there are no signs to the ticket gate and a long flight of steps; on the way touts call out “follow me up Lishan for free” and “you need a guide”. The “free” route just walks you to the cable-car station outside the palace. Caveat: Single August 2025 account (Mdzzyxs); unnamed commenters (2025-08 to 2025-12) confirm unofficial offers and say they only asked staff in uniform. source
- Evening show: opinions are mostly positive, a few say dated. Most 2025–2026 posters rate the outdoor Song of Everlasting Sorrow highly (the Lishan backdrop, the light-up and the fire in the rebellion scene); a June 2026 visitor’s five-year-old watched it without fidgeting. Two April 2025 posters found the new version dated or dance-heavy and thought the ¥409 central-zone ticket too much. It runs about an hour and is outdoors. Caveat: 中女～爱Carrie (2026-08), iruri (2025-11), CC的养龟日记 (2025-12, show in snow with heated seats), Miu妈育娃 (2026-06), Music勇敢小乔 (2025-04) and YUAN.YUAN (2025-04, preferred a rival show). An unnamed commenter fell asleep and another found it too cold; most advise warm clothes after mid-October. (6 travelers) source
- What posters paid for the show. Visitors paid about ¥300 in August 2026 (Carrie); about ¥409 for the central zone in April 2025 (two posters); and a bit over ¥100 for a third-session central seat in the off season, bought on a resale listing (iruri). The operator’s ticket page says the show is real-name and tickets cannot be refunded or exchanged once booked. Caveat: Prices differ by session, zone and date and are not from the operator. iruri (2025-11) advises booking at least five days ahead and says tickets cannot be refunded within three days of the show; the operator’s page says no refund or exchange at all, so go by that. Resale-listing tickets are not recommended by the operator, and unnamed commenters question whether they are safe. The official price table is in the paid-extras note. (4 travelers) source
- Free daytime street shows inside the palace. A July 2025 visitor lists daily costume shows inside the palace: 09:30 welcome ceremony, 09:35 palace parade, 10:00, 10:40 and 11:10 performances, 15:30 and 16:00 shows, with costumed actors around the grounds all day. Caveat: One account (曼曼不太慢, summer 2025); an unnamed commenter says there are various shows from 09:30 to 16:30. The schedule is not from the operator and may differ by season. source
- After the third session the metro may be gone. A visitor in April 2025 noted that the metro runs directly to the palace, but you cannot catch it after the third session; a taxi to the city (about 30 km) costs around ¥80. Caveat: YUAN.YUAN (2025-04) on the last train; 曼曼不太慢 (2025-07) on the taxi fare. The last Line 9 train time was not found; check it before booking the third session. (2 travelers) source
- Hot-spring pool ¥50 per person, unlimited time. A visitor in September 2025 soaked in the palace’s hot-spring pool for ¥50 each with no time limit, and her mother called it the best-value item of the day. An unnamed commenter (2026-05) says a guide advised against it because the water is reused. Caveat: Single account (清欢。, 2025-09); another unnamed commenter insists the water is real spring water. Price and availability not from the operator. source
Sources
- Huaqing Palace
- Huaqing Palace
- Huaqing Palace
- Huaqing Palace
- Xi'an Bendibao (西安本地宝) (published 2026-02-12)
- tiagofsa (published 2026-07-04)
- Designer_Lie_6677 (published 2026-09-26)
- Saralentine (published 2026-09-26)
- ezgosim (published 2026-09-26)
- webw06 (published 2026-09-26)
- Annnn~ (published 2025-11-15)
- 钢铁侠小屋 (published 2025-03-17)
- 清欢。 (published 2025-09-12)
- 中女～爱Carrie🥕🥕 (published 2026-08-06)
- 山山不来迟 (published 2026-06-19)
- 艺文游 (published 2025-07-17)
- Mdzzyxs (published 2025-08-09)
- ffonina_io (published 2025-04-05)
- iruri (published 2025-11-01)
- CC的养龟日记 (published 2025-12-31)
- Music勇敢小乔🎹（只回粉丝私信） (published 2025-04-09)
- YUAN.YUAN (published 2025-04-21)
- 曼曼不太慢 (published 2025-07-08)
- Miu妈育娃 (published 2026-06-09)
- Xi’an Release (Xi’an municipal government account) (published 2026-09-29)