An Emperor And His Concubine

One of the sights at the Hua Qing palace near Xian, the capital of the Shaanxi province, is the daily re-enactment of a procession, pictured above, by an emperor and his chief concubine.

The palace was built during the Tang Dynasty as a winter retreat for emperors, who came with their concubines to bathe in the natural hot springs.

The Tang Dynasty, which governed China from A.D. 618 to 907, is considered by many historians to be the golden age of Chinese civilization.