Lishan National Forest Park, Xian

Imperial Forest Park in the Xi'an Eastern Suburbs

In the eastern Xi'an suburbs there is Lishan forest park, famous for its scenic beauty and many historical monuments of the Imperial period. It is a beautiful and quiet place where during Zhou’s ministry the metropolitan officials began to build country houses.

Not far from Lishan forest park there is the Museum of Terracotta Warriors, tomb of Qin Shi Huang, Taoist temple dedicated to Lao Tze, and Huaqing Hot Springs. Thirteen centuries ago, at the top of the Mount Lishan, Emperor Xuan Dzun of Tang Dynasty and his beauty-concubine Yang Guifei gave each other an oath of eternal love and fidelity.

On the slopes of Mount Lishan there stands the Lighthouse. The legend has it that, Yu, Emperor of the Western Zhou Dynasty, often lit the signal tower to entertain his beloved wife Baosi. Therefore, when the city was attacked and the tower lit with lights, none of the generals responded because they thought that the emperor was having fun again.

In the territory of Lishan forest park there is also Sunset Pavilion, which greets stunning views of the surrounding area. There is also found Pavilion of the Soldiers’ Protest, where Chiang Kai-shek, leader of the Nationalist Party, opposing the communists was arrested in 1936.