Mount Li
Mount Li is home to the Xi'an Incident Pavilion (兵谏亭), commemorating the Xi'an Incident; the Beacon Tower (烽火台), linked to the legend of the 'Beacon Fires and the Fickle Consort' (烽火戏诸侯); and Shiweng…
Mount Li, Xi'an
Key facts
- Admission
- Mount Li and Huaqing Pool have been merged into the Huaqing Palace Scenic Area; ticket ¥120
- Time needed
- 0.5–1 day
- Getting there
- From the east square of the railway station, take Tour Bus No. 5 or Route 306 bus and get off at the Lishan National Forest Park stop (骊山国家森林公园站). The journey takes about 45 minutes.
- By car
- From Xi'an, drive along the Xilin Expressway (西临高速) for about 24 km. Mount Li can be reached in about 30 minutes.
- Guidebook rating
- 3 / 5
From China Self Guided Travel 2025, page 653. Open in Google Maps
About Mount Li
Mount Li is home to the Xi'an Incident Pavilion (兵谏亭), commemorating the Xi'an Incident; the Beacon Tower (烽火台), linked to the legend of the 'Beacon Fires and the Fickle Consort' (烽火戏诸侯); and Shiweng Temple (石翁寺), among other sights. You can take a bus to the rear of the mountain, where the foot of the slope leads to Huaqing Pool.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Mount Li cost?
Admission to Mount Li is Mount Li and Huaqing Pool have been merged into the Huaqing Palace Scenic Area; ticket ¥120, as listed in the 2025 guidebook. Prices can change; check the official channel before you go.
How do I get to Mount Li?
From the east square of the railway station, take Tour Bus No. 5 or Route 306 bus and get off at the Lishan National Forest Park stop (骊山国家森林公园站). The journey takes about 45 minutes.
How long should I spend at Mount Li?
Plan on 0.5–1 day for Mount Li.
Where is Mount Li?
Mount Li is in Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, in the Northwest of China.
More places in Xi'an
Museum of the Terracotta Army of Emperor Qinshihuang
Standing before the Terracotta Army, the irresistible astonishment, fascination, delight and emotion that every attentive visitor feels is the highlight of any trip to Shaanxi. Nowhere else in the world has so many soldiers stood waiting for you for so long. Today the Terracotta Army Museum covers more than 20 hectares. Pit 1 covers 16,000 square metres and Pit 2 more than 6,000 square metres. A comprehensive exhibition building of over 17,000 square metres has been built over Pit 2 and serves as the main exhibition venue. Hall 1 in particular displays about 6,000 life-size terracotta warriors and horses. Along the walkways you can still see the black traces left when Xiang Yu's army set fire to Xianyang. The figures are vivid and lifelike, with well-proportioned and accurate bodies, and no two are alike. The sculpting is meticulous: even the stitching on the soles of the cloth shoes is evenly spaced, and the hair, beards, belts and the subtle expressions at the corners of the mouths, some angry and some smiling, make it feel as though you are facing an ancient army frozen by magic. The 360-degree cinema screens a film of several dozen minutes that outlines the process of the Qin unifying China and then falling. The scenes are grand, especially the thousands of troops fighting all around you in 360 degrees, which makes you feel as if you are right in the middle of the battle. It is a pity the sound quality is poor, which seriously undermines the sense of presence. However, the film is screened on a continuous loop, so you don't have to worry about missing a showing.
¥120 · 2–3 hours
Shaanxi History Museum
The Shaanxi Local History Hall displays seven major periods of history, from Lantian Man through to the Opium War: prehistoric, Zhou, Qin, Han, Wei–Jin–Northern and Southern Dynasties, Sui–Tang, and Song–Yuan–Ming–Qing. It houses over 370,000 precious cultural relics unearthed in the Shaanxi region, making it the best place to understand the true culture of Shaanxi.
Free admission, but reservations are required via the WeChat official account · 2–4 hours
Huaqing Palace (Huaqing Pool)
Huaqing Pool is a famous hot spring in Shaanxi. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang and Yang Guifei spent the winter here every year. The Lotus Bath (莲花汤) was where Emperor Xuanzong, Li Longji, bathed, while the Begonia Bath (海棠汤) was Yang Guifei's bathing pool. In recent years, a Tang-style museum and gardens have been built on the original site, recreating the appearance of the Huaqing Palace. In the southeastern part of the grounds are the remains of the ring-shaped palace site and the Five-Room Hall (五间厅), where Chiang Kai-shek stayed during the Xi'an Incident. The northeastern part houses hot spring bathhouses open to visitors. The water of Huaqing Pool stays at a constant 43°C and is rich in minerals, making it well suited for bathing and therapy. A live show, *Song of Everlasting Sorrow* (长恨歌), has also been added and is reportedly very moving.
Merged with Mount Li into the Huaqing Palace Scenic Area; unified ticketing
Qinling Wildlife Park
Here you can get up close to animals, and the most famous residents are the 'four stars' of the Qinling Mountains: giant pandas, takins (羚牛), golden snub-nosed monkeys, and crested ibises (朱鹮). The park is divided into three areas. The walking area is mainly home to rare animals in dedicated enclosures, such as the Panda House and the Red Panda House. The grassland area is the realm of takins and sika deer. The predator area is the most thrilling, with lions, tigers, bears, and wolves, all full of wild energy.
¥100 (peak season), ¥80 (off-season) · 3–5 hours
Great Tang All Day Mall
A famous pedestrian street and a must-visit for experiencing Tang culture in Xi'an. The ancient-style buildings, dazzling lights, tempting snacks and elaborate exhibitions all leave a lasting impression. Only by strolling through Datang Everbright City at night can you understand what 'fire trees and silver flowers light up the night like day' really means. The southernmost Kaiyuan Square is the climax of the whole street. The tall statue of Emperor Xuanzong looks even more majestic under the lights, and the distinctive performances and music on the square are spectacular, making visitors linger.
1–3 hours
Xi'an Beilin Museum (Forest of Stone Steles Museum)
The Xi’an Beilin Museum (Forest of Stone Steles) was first built in the Northern Song dynasty and has a history of more than 900 years. It was originally established to preserve stone steles inscribed by Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan and others, which had been abandoned in the markets during the chaos at the end of the Tang and the Five Dynasties. Today it holds nearly 3,000 steles and epitaphs, from the Han dynasty to the present day, the largest collection in China. It is not only a repository of ancient Chinese classics carved in stone, but also a gathering place for the calligraphy of famous masters through the ages.
¥10 · 1–2 hours