Tang Paradise – Grandeur of the Tang Dynasty

Tang Paradise, located southeast of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in Xi’an, is China’s first large-scale cultural theme park showcasing the grandeur of the Tang Dynasty. The site, historically known as the renowned imperial garden during the Tang Dynasty, has been reconstructed to present the brilliant civilization of the Tang era.

The park is centered around Furong Lake and features a variety of attractions, including Ziyun Tower, Lu Yu Tea House, and Fengming Jiutian Theater, all situated around the lake. Visitors can enjoy a range of spectacular performances daily, such as the Tianqian Drum Dance, “Jiaofang Music and Dance” palace performances, “Yanying Ni Shang” costume shows, Shaolin martial arts demonstrations, lion dances, stilt walking, and acrobatics.

The park’s nighttime scenery is equally dazzling. As night falls and the lights come on, the Tang culture corridor, fragrant forest garden, and Ziyun Tower shine brightly, creating a spectacular display of elegance. The reflection of moonlight and colorful lights enhances the park’s sophisticated beauty.

Travel Information about Tang Paradise

Ticketing and Opening Hours

Ticket Price: ¥108.

Opening Hours: 9:00 AM to 9:00 PM. The “Dreaming Back to Tang Dynasty” performance is from 5:15 PM to 6:25 PM. Ticket exchange for the performance is available from 3:00 PM; tickets are not exchanged outside this time.

How to Get There

Address: No. 99, Furong West Road, Xi’an, Shaanxi Province.

Subway: Take Line 4 and get off at “Tang Paradise” station.

Attraction Rating

• Cultural: ★★★★☆
• Features: ★★★★★
• Leisure: ★★★★★
• Beauty: ★★★★☆
• Romance: ★★★★
• Excitement: ★★

Highlights of Tang Paradise

Imperial Culture Zone

The Imperial Culture Zone, represented by the park’s iconic structure, Ziyun Tower, showcases the imperial grandeur of the Tang Dynasty with the theme, “The soaring spirit of Ziyun Tower, where the emperor’s will commands the world.” Historically, Ziyun Tower was built during the 14th year of the Kaiyuan era (726 AD) of the Tang Dynasty. Emperor Xuanzong of Tang would often visit this tower during the Qujiang Grand Assemblies to enjoy performances, feast with his officials, and celebrate with the people.

The main building of Ziyun Tower comprises four levels, each offering a different perspective on the imperial culture of the Tang Dynasty. The first floor features sculptures, murals, and a large-scale model of Tang Chang’an City, as well as a national-level Tang dynasty artifact exhibition reflecting the governance of the Zhenguan era. The second floor depicts Emperor Xuanzong hosting a grand feast for his ministers, with large-scale sculptures representing dignitaries from across the empire coming to pay tribute. Ziyun Tower is a key performance area within the park, with a multifunctional performance hall on the third floor showcasing court performances such as the “Jiaofang Music and Dance.” The fourth floor includes an interactive game area with the “Ruyi Copper Tower” tossing game.

Food Culture Zone

“Where Tang Dynasty flavors delight, with delectable dishes that make mouths water. Enjoy exquisite wine by the water and savor the pleasures of life.” The Royal Banquet Palace, located on the north side of the west gate of the park, serves as the center for showcasing Tang Dynasty culinary culture. It is a large themed dining area that integrates gourmet food, beautiful tableware, fine wine, and delightful music.

The Food Culture Zone features a large experiential dining area decorated in Tang Dynasty style and themed around party culture. It offers a variety of dining experiences, including royal banquets, mid-to-high-end group feasts, and business banquets. Additionally, it provides buffet dining options to cater to all your dining needs.

Women’s Culture Zone

The Women’s Culture Zone, represented by the Lady Pavilion and the Colorful Sunset Pavilion on the north bank of Furong Pool, highlights the spirit of Tang Dynasty women who were “both graceful and bold, competing with men for supremacy; possessing tender emotions, their names enduring through the ages.” The Lady Pavilion is an imitation Tang Dynasty architectural complex centered around Wangchun Pavilion, showcasing the diverse aspects of Tang women’s lives, including their attire, sports, political involvement, and love lives, reflecting their positive, optimistic, and confident demeanor.

The Colorful Sunset Pavilion, stretching nearly 300 meters from the north to the east along the water, alternates between touching the lake shore and standing amidst the lake, resembling a streak of colorful sunset. This cultural corridor presents legendary stories of Tang women and reflects the various aspects of their lives during the Tang Dynasty.

Tea Culture Zone

“Three volumes of Lu Yu’s treatise, seven brews of Lu Tong’s tea; by the window, savoring Zen tea with friends, while gazing at the flowing waves of Qujiang, with a serene and detached demeanor.” Named after Lu Yu, the “Sage of Tea” from the Tang Dynasty, the “Lu Yu Tea House” in the Tea Culture Zone showcases the theme of Tang tea culture. It is a high-end tea house featuring imperial tea ceremonies, scholarly tea practices, folk tea ceremonies, and tea art performances. Visitors here can not only enjoy fragrant teas but also appreciate captivating tea ceremonies.

Poetry Culture Zone

Tang poetry is a treasure of classical Chinese literature and a jewel of world cultural heritage. The Poetry Culture Zone, represented by the Spirit of Poetry and Tang Poetry Gorge, not only showcases Tang Dynasty poetry through sculptures but also features a large-scale landscape art sculpture area. This zone combines traditional artistic techniques, including Chinese garden design, sculpture, calligraphy, seal carving, and graphic patterns, to create a rich and immersive representation of Tang poetry culture.

Diplomatic Culture Zone

The Diplomatic Culture Zone showcases the frequent interactions between foreign envoys and the Tang Dynasty, as well as the vibrant commercial atmosphere of the time, where merchants and traders from across the world converged. This zone allows visitors to experience the open and prosperous international relations of the Tang Dynasty firsthand. Within the zone, Qujiang Hudian, surrounded on three sides by water, serves as a docking port for boats and a prime spot for water-based leisure and entertainment.

Entertainment at Tang Paradise

Folk Culture: On the southern side of the park lies the Folk Culture Zone, featuring Tang-style markets and an opera square. This area showcases various traditional crafts, folk arts, performances, cuisine, tea, wine culture, fine arts, and calligraphy. The Tang market is lively with numerous folk performances, offering visitors an immersive experience of the Tang Dynasty’s bustling street scenes.

Poetry, Music, and Dance Drama: The park hosts a grand performance of the poetry and dance drama “Dreaming Back to the Tang Dynasty” daily. The show is divided into six acts: “Dreamy Garments,” “Dream Invites King Qin,” “Dream Bathing at Huaqing,” “Dream of the Western Regions,” “Dream Wandering Qujiang,” and “Dreaming Back to the Tang Dynasty.”

Water Curtain Movie: The park features the world’s largest water curtain movie, spanning 120 meters wide and 20 meters high. This world-class water feature combines a water curtain movie, musical fountain, laser, water jets, mist, fireworks, and 3D effects. After the movie, enjoy a fire dragon steel flower performance, where the “World’s First Dragon” soars through the fire, enchanting visitors.

Other Performances: Daily performances across the park include the intangible cultural heritage “Dongcang Drum Music,” “Palace Music and Dance,” “Elegant Costumes,” Shaolin martial arts, lion dances, stilt walking, acrobatics, and themed activities during holidays.

Performance Schedule at Tang Paradise

Here’s a combined table for the autumn performance schedule at Tang Paradise: