Xi'an: Tang Paradise after Dark

Tang Paradise occupies the site of the Tang dynasty's Furong Garden, rebuilt in 2005 at a scale the Tang court would have recognized: 165 acres of lake, pavilions, peony beds and covered corridors, with the Ziyun Tower at the centre. By day it reads as a garden. After dark it becomes a light show, and the two experiences are different enough that some guests come twice.

The evening runs on a fixed clock: the lantern route through the corridors, a costumed procession on the lake, and the water-screen show on the north lake, which projects a film onto a fan of water with fire and music. Times shift with the season and the summer show is the longest. Three hours covers all of it without rushing, with time to sit by the lake with a bowl of something before the show starts.

• 165 acres of lake, pavilions and peony beds, rebuilt in 2005 on the Tang Furong Garden site
• The lantern route through the corridors as the light goes
• A costumed procession staged on the lake
• The water-screen show on the north lake: film projected onto a fan of water, with fire
• The Ziyun Tower at the centre, lit from below after dark
• A domestic, family-heavy crowd - this is what a Xi'an evening out looks like
• Three hours without rushing, with time to sit by the lake before the show

• Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (no meals; a snack by the lake can be added on site)
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
• English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
• All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
• Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
• Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
• Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

• International air tickets and any domestic flights not listed in the itinerary
• China visa or visa-free entry documentation fees
• Meals not specified in the daily itinerary and all beverages/alcohol
• Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff (suggested USD 8-12 per person per day)
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping
• Optional activities and any item not listed under Price Includes
• Single-room supplement if a traveller requires a room alone
• The Tang banquet in the garden restaurant, if added (from about USD 45 per person)
• Costume rental inside the park, if you want it (from CNY 80)

Published: October 2026 — prices and itinerary reviewed on this date; later updates are shown in the revision note below.

Please read the notes below before you book. The garden is large and the walk between the entrance, the lake and the show is about two kilometres on the flat; there is a shuttle inside the park.

Q: Is the water-screen show every night?
A: In the main season, usually yes, once or twice an evening; in winter it runs fewer nights and sometimes stops altogether for maintenance. We confirm the schedule for your date before booking rather than promise a show that is not running. If it is off, the lantern route and the procession still run and we adjust the price.

Q: Is this good for children?
A: It is one of the best evening options in the city for families - lights, music, fire on water and space to run. The show is loud; very young children sometimes find it too much, and the lakeside seating fills early. Arrive thirty minutes before the start to get a place at the front.

Q: How does it compare with the Grand Tang Mall?
A: The mall is a free street with free performances and a huge crowd; Tang Paradise is a ticketed garden with a structured show. The mall is better for atmosphere and food, the garden better for a produced spectacle and for sitting down. If you have two evenings, do both. With one, choose according to whether you want a crowd or a seat.

Q: Is the garden worth seeing in daylight as well?
A: If you like gardens, yes - the peonies in April and the lake in autumn are the reasons. Most guests only come at night, which is the right call for a short trip. A combined ticket for day and night is available at the gate if you want both.

Q: How busy is it, and when should we go?
A: Busy on weekends and heavily busy during the Spring Festival lantern season, which is the best time to see it and the worst time to move. Outside those weeks, a weekday evening is comfortable. We schedule arrival about an hour before dusk so you walk the garden in daylight and leave in lantern light.

Q: Can we eat inside?
A: Yes - there are snack stalls and a restaurant, and the food is unremarkable but fine. The better plan is to eat before you come, in the Qujiang district, and use the garden for the walk and the show. A Tang-style banquet can be arranged in the garden restaurant if you want the full evening.

Q: Do I need a visa for this?
A: Most visitors do not. China's unilateral visa-free scheme covers 50 countries for stays up to 30 days, and 240-hour visa-free transit covers 57 nationalities through 65 designated ports. Confirm your nationality against the National Immigration Administration list before booking flights, because the scheme is revised from time to time.