People often ask me how to make traveling more interesting. My answer is, you must understand the story behind the attractions. I prefer to find true historical stories while traveling than TV and novels. Once we know the history that is far or near, tortuous or tragic, the scenery we see becomes more three-dimensional.

In Xi'an, one of the four ancient capitals of the world, my favorite attraction is Huaqing Palace. Emperors of the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui, Tang and other dynasties all built Li Palace Garden here. In addition to the love song between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Imperial Consort Yang, many historical events over the past five thousand years in China are also recorded here.
From the turbulent court battles to the war-torn patriotic battlefields,
The miracle of love has been bred here, and the sad song of love has also been buried here.
It records the change of dynasties and also witnesses the great love of the country and country.
It can be said that every incident leads the direction of the Chinese nation and the general trend of the world.

When traveling in Huaqing Palace, you must understand the four historical stories that took place here


[1] Ancient times: Nuwa mended the sky
Where Nuwa smelted stones to mend the sky, the rocks shattered the sky and startled the autumn rain.
--Li He's "Li Ping Qu Qu Yin"

Mount Li, with an altitude of 1302 meters, is an important part of the Huaqing Palace Scenic Area. The lush forest park is home to attractions of different styles such as Lao Ma Dian, Lao Jun Dian, Beacon Tower, Military Remonstrance Pavilion, Shiweng Temple, Yuxian Bridge. The famous "Evening Photo of Mount Li" is one of the "Eight Scenes in Guanzhong". In Mount Li, a well-known mythical story once happened here: Nuwa mended the sky.



Speaking of the myth of Nuwa mending the sky, maybe everyone can imagine a Xianxia fantasy movie. In legend, Nuwa "refined five-color stones to replenish the sky" in Mount Li. Here, people call her "Old Mother of Lishan", and the Old Mother Hall on Xixiu Ridge was built in memory of Nuwa.

The Old Mother Temple is located at the second peak of Xixiu Ridge. It was built in the Qin Dynasty and was called the Old Mother Temple in the Tang Dynasty. The current building structure is mainly renovated on the basis of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and generally maintains a simple and exquisite pattern. The main hall houses the golden statue of the mother of Lishan Mountain (Nuwa), and the Sanxiao Hall houses the statues of three female immortals Yunxiao, Qiongxiao and Bixiao, who are respectively honored as "Fushou, Fortune Star, and Child-Delivery". There is a lot of incense here. It is said that seeking money and sending children is very effective. It is a famous Taoist temple.

In the mountains and forests on the side of the Old Mother Hall, surrounded by clouds and mist, it seems like a dream from an ancient myth.

>>>Tips：
You can walk up Mount Li on foot from Huaqing Palace. If you want to save time and effort, it is recommended to take a cable car up the mountain to reach the vicinity of Lao Ma Temple. Then walk up the mountain and stroll down the mountain.


[2] Late Western Zhou Dynasty: Beacon fire plays vassals
The beauty loses the world with a smile, and the beacon tower sighs at the King of Darkness
--Historical allusions in Historical Records

Walking up the stairs of the Old Mother Hall, you will arrive at the beacon tower at the highest peak of Mount Li. The historical allusions of "beacon fires playing with princes" take place here.

In 779 BC, King You of Zhou made Baosi his concubine. Baosi's face is as beautiful as peaches and plums, but her personality is as cold as ice and never smiles. In order to impress the beauty, King You of Zhou lit the smoke of the beacon tower to tease the princes. Originally, the beacon towers were used to convey war reports and mobilize troops when the country was in crisis. The vassals who rushed here from all over the country finally discovered the truth of their being teased. Although the beauty smiled, over time, the vassals, as courtiers, lost their trust and support for King You of Zhou, which eventually led to the demise of the Western Zhou Dynasty.

The beacon tower is made of brick and stone and is 10 meters high. Climbing the tower of the beacon tower, you can overlook the entire view of Huaqing Palace and the city scenery of Lintong. Although the allusions of "the war is playing against the princes, and the world is lost with a smile" come from the historical records, many historians now speculate that this story may be just an unofficial history and not a real occurrence. Baosi's age, the distance between the beacon tower and the vassals, and the real reasons for the demise of the Western Zhou Dynasty all seem confusing in the long river of history. It is a matter of opinion whether the beacon tower truly witnessed the tragedy of a beautiful woman's disaster or just acted as a scapegoat for a beautiful woman who has been defeated. No matter what the truth is, looking far away here and imagining the story of thousands of years ago is ultimately sad.

Tips：
There is still a certain distance to walk from the Old Mother Hall to the Beacon Tower, which takes about half an hour to climb up. You can also choose to rent a car. In about 15 minutes, the local villagers are also very happy to tell the story of the bonfire and the vassals like tour guides. On the way, they will pass the most beautiful mountain road in Shaanxi, which is popular by Douyin. Don't forget to take photos ~

[3] The Prosperous Era of the Tang Dynasty: The Song of Eternal Regret
The eternal life of the world sometimes ends, and this hatred lasts forever.
---Bai Juyi's "Song of Eternal Regret"

As a landmark scenic spot for Tang cultural tourism in China, the most widely circulated Huaqing Palace is the love story between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Yang Guifei. In October 740 AD, their love sprouted when they met in the Hot Spring Palace that year. Since then, the couple, whose age difference is 34 years, stayed in love here for 11 years. Walking in the exquisite palace, people can remind people of the poems in Bai Juyi's "Song of Eternal Regret" everywhere. If you want to find traces of their love, you must not miss the following coordinates.
- Feishuang Hall: The legendary Imperial Consort Bedroom Hall

"The spring night is short and the day rises high. From then on, the king will not go to court early." Feishuang Hall was the sleeping hall of Emperor Xuanzong and Imperial Consort Yang in Huaqing Palace. When it snows, the heat from the underground hot springs of Huaqing Palace rises and mixes with the snow, turning the snow into frost, hence the beautiful name. In front of Feishuang Hall is Jiulong Lake, which exudes the aura of an emperor. There are 8 small faucets spitting water and an old faucet spitting water on the lake wall, symbolizing the supreme figure of the Ninth Five-Year Plan. The "Song of Eternal Regret" is played here at night.
- Temple of Longevity: The Most Romantic Oath of Love

If you understand the meaning of Changsheng Hall, you will definitely think that it is the most romantic place in Huaqing Palace. This was originally the place where the emperor bathe while worshipping the fasting, but on the night of July 7, 751 AD, Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Imperial Concubine Yang knelt at the entrance of the Temple of Changsheng and vowed to be husband and wife forever. This is the poem described in Bai Juyi's "Song of Eternal Regret":"July 7th in the Temple of Longevity, when no one is whispering in the middle of the night. In heaven, I wish to be a bird with wings, and on earth, I wish to be a connecting branch."

Compared with the magnificent Jiulong Lake, the Longevity Hall and the Furong Lake in front of the palace are more graceful and beautiful. In summer, you can see the fragrance of lotus flowers and clear shadows, while in autumn, you can see the fragrance of golden osmanthus. Closing your eyes seems to remind people of whether Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Imperial Concubine Yang often passed by here during the prosperous times.
- Begonia soup: the most expensive love gift

"The Imperial Concubine Coming out of the Bath" is a key chapter in every film and television work about Yang Imperial Concubine. This is of course not just for visual effects, but because the "Begonia soup" that the imperial concubine bathes in was itself a love gift given to her by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and one of the most powerful witnesses of this romance.

Lishan Hot Spring was formed 2 to 3 million years ago. It is known as the world's number one royal spring and the only royal bathing resort in China. At the Tang Yutang Ruins Museum in Huaqing Palace, you can see five Tang pond ruins, namely, the Begonia Soup of Imperial Consort Yang, the Lotus Soup of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, the Star Soup of Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty, the Prince Soup of the Prince in which the princes took a bath, and the Shangshi Soup dedicated to the meal ministers. Among them, Begonia soup, in which the imperial concubine has been bathing for eight spring and autumn years, is also called the "Imperial concubine Pool". The walls of the pool are made of ink and jade. It is named because it looks like a blooming Begonia flower when overlooking. Bai Juyi once described this in the Song of Eternal Regret: "The cold spring gives you a bath in Huaqing Pool, and the hot spring washes out the fat."



In a society where men were respected and imperial power was respected, Imperial Concubine Yang could actually have her own exclusive soup pond like the emperor. It was no wonder that people at that time began to "not regenerate men but reborn women."

Liyuan: The place where love begins

Perhaps many people will be curious as to how beautiful Concubine Yang was to be "doted on by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty." At the Tang Huaqing Palace Liyuan Ruins Museum, we may be able to see why their love is stronger than gold.

We often call opera practitioners Liyuan disciples, and the reason why "Liyuan" is called the name of opera culture is because of the prosperous era of Kaiyuan where Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty lived. As the first Royal Academy of Music and Drama in my country's history, the Liyuan founded by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty cultivated a large number of musical talents and laid the tone for the unprecedented prosperity of art and culture in the Tang Dynasty. Among the four pear gardens, Huaqing Palace is called the "Suijia Pear Garden" and is the most important and only site with the only remaining site today. This museum was built on the basis of the Huaqing Palace Liyuan ruins.

The museum has the theme of Dream-Seeking Pear Garden and uses various technological means to restore the style of the pear garden. It not only allows people to feel the charm of the Tang Dynasty music and dance art, but more importantly, it can discover the reason why Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Yang Guifei fell in love deeply. Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty was not only an emperor with outstanding political talents, but also created music and was a versatile musician. Concubine Yang is not only "naturally beautiful and difficult to give up", but is also proficient in many musical instruments such as chime beating, flute playing, and pipa. She is good at various dances and can be called the most outstanding dancer in the Tang Dynasty.

At the regular "Huaqing Palace First Meeting" between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei, Yang Yuhuan was fascinated by Tang Xuanzong with her exquisite dance. The dance music "Nishang Feather Song" in which she performed was a masterpiece of Tang Xuanzong. During the performance of the Liyuan disciples, the hearts of the pair came together. The common love for music finally burst out in this soul-deep love.

"Song of Eternal Regret": A performance that concluded a legend

Writer Chen Zhongshi once said,"No matter how happy the emperor and his concubines were here more than a thousand years ago, what remains to the audience today is still the coldness of history." Many times, our understanding of history comes from the processing of imagination. On the banks of Jiulong Lake in Huaqing Palace, we can enjoy the large-scale live dance drama "Song of Eternal Sorrow" to understand the love story between Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and Imperial Concubine Yang with a whole-hearted sensory experience.

The dance drama "Song of Everlasting Regret" is inspired by Bai Juyi's long narrative poem of the same name, including ten scenes including the Yang family having a daughter who is just growing up, choosing to be beside the king in the past, when no one is whispering in the middle of the night, bathing in Huaqing Pool in the cold spring, and entering the blue clouds high in the Li Palace, drunkenness and spring after the banquet in the Yulou, fairy music fluttering everywhere, the drums of the Yuyang River coming from the earth, no one picking up the mother of flowers, and meeting each other in the sky. With the mountains as the curtain and the lakes as the platform, you can see the stars in the mountains when you raise your head and eyes. The real-life dance drama combining nature and art gives people a shocking visual enjoyment, and the dreamy stage effect allows people to immerse themselves in this period of the Tang Dynasty. The sad song of love.

Some people said,"If you don't watch the song of everlasting regret, you will come to Xi'an in vain." After watching the performance, you will find that this description is no exaggeration.

>>>Tips：
Performance venue: Huaqing Palace·Jiulong Lake

Ticket price: Depending on the seating area, the ticket price ranges from 238 to 988 yuan.

🕙Performance time: end of March-end of October
The first game 20:10-21:20
Second game 21:40-22:50

[4] Xi'an Incident
The world called for anti-Japanese aggression, during the Xi'an Incident
--Liao Zhongan's "Xi'an Incident"

The Xi'an Incident is a historical knowledge that we learned in textbooks since we were young, but many people know little about the details of this important event that affected the process of the Anti-Japanese War. For example, the Xi'an Incident did not actually happen in Xi'an, but in Lintong, where the Huaqing Palace is located. The place where the first shot of the Xi'an Incident was fired was in the Wujian Hall in the Huaqing Palace.
Wujianting: The first shot of the Xi'an Incident

Wujian Hall is located in the ring garden of Huaqing Palace, and the entire garden is named after its circular layout. This place is full of elegant Jiangnan garden characteristics, among which the Bailian Pavilion and Lotus Pavilion have traces of the Republic of China.

The five halls around the garden were where Chiang Kai-shek worked and lived during his stay in Xi'an. They consisted of five halls. From west to east were Chiang Kai-shek's attendant room, bedroom, office, conference room and secretary room. The bedroom and office are a suite. All the rooms seem to have stayed on the day of the Xi'an Incident. The furnishings and layout have not changed. Even the bullet holes left in the windows on the day of the remonstrance are still clearly visible.
Military Remonstrance Pavilion: Commemoration of the Xi'an Incident

In the early morning of December 12, 1936, gunshots of remonstrance rang out in Wujian Hall. Chiang Kai-shek, who was resting in his bedroom, fled hurriedly through the back window wearing a nightgown and slippers. He ran all the way up Mount Li, hiding in the gaps between the tiger-spotted stones. It is said that Chiang Kai-shek only took 15 minutes for this journey, which usually takes 40 minutes. Listening to the tour guide joking beside him: There were tourists who were eager to break the speed running record set by Chiang Kai-shek. Of course, they failed in the end. After all, there was no pressure from the sound of guns chasing after them.

In 1946, a remonstrance pavilion was built in Chiang Kai-shek's hiding place to commemorate the Xi'an Incident. In the years where war was once raging, now there is only time in the deep mountains flowing quietly with the fresh air.
"12·12" Real-life Photography: A Shocking Performance of the Xi'an Incident

Just as if you want to understand the love story between Emperor Xuanzong and Yang Guifei in the Tang Dynasty, you must watch the performance of "Song of Eternal Regret", if you want to understand the dusty history of the Xi'an Incident, you must not miss the large-scale real-life film of "12·12" of the Xi'an Incident.

The whole play is divided into ten plots, including the ancient city of war, intensified conflicts, hastily plotting, the arrow on the string, the pillow waiting for it, the imminent war, the dawn of gunshots, the united front, and the vicissitudes of the world. The opening session uses an immersive performance method, allowing us to instantly enter the critical moment of the survival of that nation. The scene used high-tech stage means and screen props that combined reality and reality to integrate different expressions of movies and dramas. Together with Zhang Xueliang and Yang Hucheng, we fell into the whirlpool of the destiny of the country and the nation, and made choices for life. ups and downs.

Tracing the historical traces of the Xi'an Incident, you will find that there is a kind of love that is more touching than the love that lasts until death. This is the great love for the nation and deserves to be remembered forever.


>>>Tips：


Real history is far more tortuous and shocking than we imagined. Perhaps decades later, where we are today will become history. You and I who have come to Huaqing Palace will become someone in the story. Together with this great hot spring palace, we will conclude a legend and live forever. Four historical stories that are indispensable to visit Huaqing Palace through thousands of years