Xingqing Park occupies the site of what was, in the Tang dynasty, the Xingqing Palace - an imperial residence and garden lying east of the main city. Almost nothing of the palace survives above ground, and the park that replaced it is the ordinary kind of Chinese city park: a lake, willow-lined paths, pavilions, an island with a small hill, and a monument marking the Tang remains. What makes it worth a visit is not the archaeology but what happens in it between six and nine in the morning.
The morning crowd
By seven the park is full. Groups of pensioners sing Qinqiang - the raw, high-pitched opera of Shaanxi - with a small ensemble of erhu and clappers, and the singing carries across the whole park. Others practise taiji and sword forms, dance in loose lines to recorded music, play shuttlecock with a weighted feather toy, or write calligraphy on the paving stones with long brushes dipped in water, so that the characters dry and vanish behind them. It is entirely unperformed: nobody is there for visitors, and no one minds being watched as long as you keep a respectful distance.
The rest of the park
Later in the day Xingqing becomes a family park. The lake takes pedal boats, there is a small children's fairground, and the paths along the water are shaded by old willows. In spring the peonies and the flowering shrubs draw crowds; in winter the lake freezes at the edges and the morning groups move to the sheltered courtyards. Because the park is large and free to enter, it never feels as crowded as the big central sights even when the city is busy.
Practical notes
Xingqing Park is in the eastern part of the old city, close to the Jiaotong University area and easy to reach by metro plus a short walk or taxi. There is no admission charge for the park itself. Arrive by half past six to see the singing groups at full strength, and go on a weekday if you want to photograph without a crowd. The park is a good first stop on a day that continues to the Stele Forest or the Shaanxi History Museum, both a short ride away.
