Imperial Hot Springs: Hua Qing Palaces

#hotsprings Huaqing Palace, also known as Huaqing Hot Springs, is a well-known historical site and tourist attraction in China. It gained its fame as the place where the romantic story of Emperor Tang Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and his beloved Yang Guifei (or concubine Yang) took place. In fact, this place has served as the imperial palace for short-term trips of emperors outside the capital for more than 3,000 years. The emperors of the Zhou, Qin, Han, Sui and Tang dynasties spent the winter in this place every year. It is said that Emperor Zhou Yu Wang of the Western Zhou Dynasty was the first emperor to order the construction of a palace on this site. During the following dynasties, the palace was renovated and expanded several times, was named the "Palace of Hot Springs" and, finally, Emperor Tangxuanzong called it the "Huaqing Palace". The palace was built over hot springs, so this place is also called "Huaqing Hot Springs". During the Tang Dynasty, emperors came to Huaqing Palace with their concubines every October and did not leave it until spring. It is recorded that Emperors Tangxuanzong and Yang Guifei visited it most often, as many as 36 times from 714 to 755, using the Flying Frost Palace as a bedroom. A relic of the Tang Dynasty Imperial Hot Spring was discovered in April 1982. During the excavations, which lasted more than three years on an area of 4,600 square meters, five imperial hot springs were discovered, including the Lotus spring of Emperors Tangxuanzong and Yang Guifei, the Begonia Spring, the Star Spring of Emperor Tangtaizong, the Prince's Spring and the Shangshi Spring. Meanwhile, more than 3,000 antiquities have been discovered. The water in the current pool is very clear, so you can see its bottom. Up to 113 tons of hot water with a temperature of 43 degrees flows out of four springs in the stone cave every hour. One of the four springs was discovered and used since 771 BC, and the other three were developed in the second half of the 20th century. It has been proven that the spring water contains several mineral and organic substances that are useful for the treatment of certain diseases such as dermatosis and arthritis. Currently, the Hot springs center has more than 100 hot spring halls, with a maximum capacity of almost 400 people at a time.