Timeline
16:25
Enter Huaqing Palace and walk the grounds. The late afternoon light is soft, and you have plenty of time to see the Tang Dynasty bath ruins before the crowds arrive for the main event.
17:40
Find a spot with a view of the west. As the sun begins to set toward the WSW, the palace walls and the distant Mount Li are framed in golden light.
18:25
Stay for the final moments of daylight. The transition from golden hour to twilight is quiet here, away from the busy streets.
Local tip
Check the route if you are coming from the city center. The palace closes at 19:00 from March to November and 18:00 from December to February. On January 15, sunset is at 17:55, so you have time to explore before closing.
Check before you go
- Huaqing Palace hours: Mar-Nov: 07:00-19:00; Dec-Feb: 07:30-18:00.
Built from places in the Wikivoyage guide to Xi'an (CC BY-SA 4.0), with open map data from OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).