The Complete Guide to Booking The Song of Everlasting Sorrow: Showtimes, Prices and Seats in One Place

The Song of Everlasting Sorrow is a large-scale historical dance drama built between Huaqing Palace and Mount Li, telling the story of Li Longji and Yang Yuhuan. For a first-time visitor, the sticking points are usually the same three things: where to buy, which zone to buy, and when to move. This article unfolds around those three questions and lays out venue, showtimes, prices, seat selection and refunds in one go.

1. Performance Basics at a Glance

• Venue: inside the Huaqing Palace scenic area in Lintong District, Xi’an, with Nine-Dragon Lake as the stage and Mount Li as the backdrop.
• Daily showtimes: normally 1–4 shows, the first at about 18:30 and the last at about 22:45; the exact start times and how many run that day are subject to the live showtimes on the booking page, and peak season may add shows.
• Running time: about 70 minutes.
• Open months: The Song of Everlasting Sorrow now runs year-round as a regular production, with a separate “ice and snow” version in winter; the specific showtimes and opening arrangements are subject to official announcements and what the scenic area announces on the day, so confirm there is a show that day before booking.
• Who it suits: families, couples, older visitors and history lovers alike.

2. Prices and Zones in Detail

Audience seating is divided into three bookable zones, above which sit higher-priced VIP areas:

Zone	Position	View	List price range
Central	Centred, facing the main stage	Front-facing, the best view, plenty of seats	¥369 – 409
East-West A	Extending along the east and west sides	Slightly off centre, good value	¥289 – 339
East-West B	Further out on the east and west	Off position and off angle, the lowest price	¥249 – 299

VIP zones A/B/C sit in a higher price bracket and are not part of the standard promotional price; consider them only if the budget is ample and you want the closest possible view. Instant discounts during coupon promotions may still change, subject to what the scenic area announces on the day.

How to choose by budget: for the best front-facing view, go up to Central; if the budget is limited but you will not compromise on the view, East-West A is where most people land; if you simply want to see a show at low cost, East-West B is enough.

3. Seat Selection and Audience Advice

• First visit, determined to have the front-facing view → Central.
• With elders or children → a seat in Central near the up-and-down aisle, so moving about mid-show is easy.
• Want to save → East-West A or B, and then take a later showtime: one saving stacked on another.
• Groups or teams → put the core members in Central and split the rest into the East-West zones; the per-person difference runs to tens or a hundred.

4. Where Booking Is Least Fuss (From a Third-Party Booking Perspective)

Tickets all originate from the official Huaqing Palace source, but the experience differs greatly between entry points:

• Official self-service channels: the ticket source is authentic, but hot showtimes sell out the moment they open, and seat selection, showtime verification and refunds are all yours to watch from start to finish;
• This site’s third-party booking service: a dedicated contact who advises on seats according to your headcount and budget, verifies the showtime and zone, and follows the order’s progress — easier for a first visit, for travelling with elders and children, or for assembling a group.

This article does not speak for any channel; it makes one honest point: if you do not want to refresh for tickets over and over and would like someone you can ask at any time, leave the requirement to this site’s booking service — it is less fuss than grabbing blind. Before you finally order, the live bookable price and remaining seats on the booking page prevail.

5. Release and Grabbing Rhythm

• Book early: for hot showtimes in peak season and on holidays, act one or two weeks ahead — the earlier, the more choice;
• Pick up returns: in the days after release, refunds and released remaining seats flow back in; if you want it cheaper, look again a few days later at the last show and the East-West zones;
• Choose the showtime: the first show has the best light, the biggest crowd and the highest price; the last is the cheapest and the latest. If your time is free, favour a later one.

6. Practical Tips for the Show

• Transport: from the city centre or from the Terracotta Warriors to Huaqing Palace, take Metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi Station, or a bus or taxi; check the last service in advance for the ride back after the show.
• Weather: it is an outdoor performance, so rain may mean adjustments or a cancellation; the wind on the mountain is strong at night in autumn and winter, so bring a jacket.
• Entry: registration is required, with ticket, ID and person all matching, and entry by swiping your ID card; members using passports or other non-ID documents should collect paper tickets at the ticket office first.
• Children: those at or under 1.3 metres go free without a seat (one per accompanying adult), and above 1.3 metres a ticket is required.
• Pairing it up: touring Huaqing Palace by day (the scenic ticket is valid for two days) and seeing the show at night is the classic one-day route.

7. Refunds and Common Questions

• Refunds: performance tickets can be refunded in full up to 12:00 on the day before the performance, and cannot be refunded or changed after that (subject to the rules confirmed at the time of purchase).
• Are there discounts for students, seniors or military personnel: the performance ticket is a commercial ticket with no group discount of any kind, priced uniformly by zone and showtime.
• What if rain cancels it: an outdoor real-scene show may be adjusted or postponed, so confirm the showtime arrangement once more on the day you leave.
• Can we take photos or film: photography and filming are banned throughout, phones included — do not wait until the show starts to put the equipment away.

8. Remembering the Three Questions at Once

Where to buy — tickets all come from the official Huaqing Palace source, so watch them yourself or leave it to a dedicated person; which zone — Central if the budget allows, the East-West zones to save; when to buy — one or two weeks ahead in peak season, and off season you can wait a few days for returned seats. Give the showtime, zone and headcount to this site’s booking service, hand over the seat selection and verification, and all you have to do is turn up on time for the show.