Stunning Huaqing Palace

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Huaqing Palace proved to be a very interesting lesson in different periods of Chinese history. The palace itself was once the winter palace of many emperors in China’s past. Emperors were drawn to Huaqing Palace due to its hot springs which were said to even have health properties aside from just warding off the cold.



I quickly discovered, thanks to a giant statue of a naked woman, that this was also the site for one of China’s most tragic love stories. Tang Emperor Xuanzong and his beautiful consort Lady Yang Guifei, spent plenty of time at these very springs and fell in love. However, during a rebellion, the emperor was forced to Kill Yang Guifei, an act that he never forgave himself for.





Another historical incident of note was when the Nationalist Guomindang Party set up their offices here. The Chinese Communist Party kidnapped Chiang Kai Shek, one of the leaders of the Guomindang Party. Bullet holes from the kidnapping are still present to this day at Huaqing Palace.

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