Chengde, Favored by Emperors

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chengde, lying in the northeast of Hebei Province, is close to Beijing, about 230 kilometers (140 miles) away, Tianjin, Tangshan and Qinhuangdao. The topography of Chengde is mainly divided into plateau and mountainous regions, including Yanshan, Yinshan and Qilaotushan mountains, as well as the Luanhe, Liaohe, Chaobaihe and Jiyunhe rivers flowing through the city.

Chengde, originally called Rehe was once the summer resort capital of the Qing Dynasty (1644 1911). It holds rich culture related to this history as well as many historic relics dating as far back as the Neolithic Age in this city. Ethnic groups such as Xiongnu, Xianbei, Qidan, Nvzhen, and Mongolian once led a nomadic existence in this region from the Qin (221BC 206) to the Ming Dynasty (1368 1644).

As one of the first famous historic and cultural cities of the nation, Chengde has plenty of sceneries, with some of them being renowned both at home and abroad. The Mountain Resort and Eight Outer Temples are listed as the world cultural heritage sites, which have contributed towards Chengde being one of famous cities in the world.

I. What to See

Mountain Resort of Chengde

The Mountain Resort of Chengde, a key national cultural protection unit, was listed in the World Cultural Heritage Directory in 1994. It was built in the Qing Dynasty (1644 1911) and took about 90 years (1703 1792) to construct. The Mountain Resort, also called Rehe Temporary Palace, is situated north of Chengde and 230 kilometers (143 miles) from Beijing. It covers an area of 564 sq meters (218 sq miles) and was originally built for the royal families to spend the hot summer months. When compared with the grand and solemn Forbidden City, the mountain resort is characterized by its simplicity and elegance. It is a grand architectural complex that consists of numerous palaces, the largest royal garden in China and wonderful scenery, combined with a pleasant climate.

The Mountain Resort is divided into four parts: the Palace Area, Lake Area, Plain Area and Mountain Area. The Palace Area lies in the south part of the Mountain Resort and is a concentration of palaces where the Qing emperors handled the political affairs and where the royal families lived. It covers an area of 100,000 sq meters (25 acres), consisting of four main complexes: the Main Palace, the Pine-Crane Hall, the East Palace and the Pine Soughing Valley. The Main Palace was the place where important ceremonies and events were observed but today it is used as the Mountain Resort Museum. The Pine-crane Hall was the residence built by Emperor Qianlong for his mother-the empress while the East Palace was damaged in a fire in 1945 with only the groundwork still visible today. The Pine Soughing Valley was the reading room of the emperors and the office where the emperors handled the political mandates.

The Lake Area lies in north of the Palace Area. Eight islets dotted in the lake, dividing the Lake Area into several fields of different sizes. In total there are eight lakes in the Lake Area, respectively called Cheng Lake, Mirror Lake, Ruyi Lake, Upper Lake, Lower Lake, Silver Lake, Half-moon Lake and Inner Lake. Cheng Lake is the deepest while Rehe Spring is famous for its crystal-clear waters.

The Plain Area is located at the foot of the mountain, north of the Lake Area. The plain is a vast area, and is covered with thick grass and trees. The plain area is broken into three areas: a garden populated by various trees in the east, a vast grassland for riding horses in the west and a group of temples in the north. Riding a horse over this broad plain leaves visitors feeling refreshed and relaxed.

The Mountain Area, located in the northwest of the Mountain Resort, accounts for 80% of the total area. The mountain area is formed by four valleys: Filbert Valley, Pine Valley, Pear Valley and Pine-cloud Valley, which run south to north. The mountain peaks surrounding the area form a natural curtain which impedes the cold winds blowing in from Northwest China. Various pavilions, temples and other structures dot the mountain slopes and valleys.

Eight Outer Temples

To the north-east of the Mountain Resort of Chengde, lies the Eight Outer Temples, the emperor’s summer residence during the Qing Dynasty (1644 1911). “Eight Outer Temples” is a collective name given to 12 temples located outside Gubeikou - a section of the Great Wall. Eight of the temples were administered by Lifan Yuan, an administration department for the affairs of minorities such as Mongolian and Tibetan, and so the name stuck. Together with the Mountain Resort of Chengde, the temple has been as a World Heritage Site.

The 12 temples were built in succession. Construction began in 1713 in the Qing Dynasty and completed in 1780. Six temples are now open to tourists Putuo Zongchengzhi Temple, Puning Temple, Xumi Fushouzhi Temple, Pule Temple, Anyuan Temple, and Puyou Temple. Each one has its own particular features and special appeal.

Putuo Zongchengzhi Temple is located to the north of Mountain Resort of Chengde. It is the biggest and the most magnificent building in Eight Outer Temples. Built in 1767 imitating the style of the Potala Palace, the temple is also named “little Potala Palace”. For another reason that “Putuo Zongchengzhi” is a Tibetan language meaning “Potala Palace” in Chinese. The halls and pavilions in it were designed to naturally strew on hillside according to the hypsography. The Big Red Platform is the principle construction of the temple. The platform and the three halls on it are all with the copper gold tiles roof.

Also located to the north of the Mountain Resort of Chengde is Puning temple which was built in 1755. It is also known as “Big Buddha Temple”, for a big wooden Buddhist statue housed there. The Buddhist statue is unusual, being of Kwan-yin, standing 22.23 meters (approx. 72.93 feet) tall, with a thousand eyes and a thousand arms. It is made with five kinds of lignum - pine, cypress, elm, fir and linden, and is one of the biggest preserved wooden statues in China.

To the north of the Mountain Resort of Chengde and to the east of Putuo Zongchengzhi Temple, lies Xumi Fushouzhi Temple, which was built in 1780. It is said that this temple was built as a residence for Panchen Lama (head of Tibet), who traveled far to celebrate the 70th birthday of Qianlong - a famous emperor of the Qing Dynasty. The temple not only has Han characteristics such as the square kiosk and glazed tile roof, but also has characteristics of Mongolian and Tibetan nationalities, which you can see in the trapezoidal windows, Lama pagodas and copper gold tiled roofs.

Pule Temple, to be found to the northeast of the Mountain Resort of Chengde, was built in 1766. The temple is divided between a front part, which reflects a traditional Han style, and a back part which has three walls from outside to inside.

The Eight Outer Temples were built by the Qing government to strengthen a unity with the minorities, thus the temples not only feature Han style, but also the Mongolian and Tibetan styles, with the symbolic meaning of unity in China. The architectures, inscriptions, sculpture, and murals in these temples are important materials for the study of history, culture, religion, and architectural art.

To get there, you can take bus No. 6 outside the Mountain Resort of Chengde.

II. Transportation

By Air

As Chengde is so close to Beijing, about 180 kilometers (112 miles) from Beijing Capital International Airport, there is only a small-scale airport in the south of the city. Only non-scheduled chartered flights operate between Beijing and Chengde from time to time. Therefore, you can take the long-distance bus from Chengde bus station to Beijing and take a plane from Beijing Capital International Airport in accordance with your needs. The journey will take between 3 and 4hours to Beijing and the ticket price is CNY 50.

By Train

Chengde Railway Station lies on Wulie Lu in the southeast of the city. Routes include Jingcheng (Beijing to Chengde), Shicheng (Shijiazhuang to Chengde), Shencheng (Shenyang to Chengde) and Chenglong (Chengde to Longhua County) railways convergeon this station. There are now trains to Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Shenyang, Baotou, Dandong, Ulanhot, Chifeng, Tongliao and Jinzhou available from the railway station. Generally, you can get the train tickets within four or five days priorto your desired departure date.

Chengde is 230 kilometers (143 miles) from Beijing, so you can use Beijing asa transfer station. Tourists can take trains from Beijing to destinations allover China with tickets purchased from Chengde Railway Station as it has linked to the ticket network for the main stations in Beijing.

By Long-distance Bus

The highway links of Chengde are very convenient and include the Jingcheng Tourist Highway, Weicheng Highway (Weichang County to Chengde) and three national highways linking Chengde with Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning, and Inner Mongolia, etc. Itwill take you 3.5 hours to travel from Beijing to Chengde via the Jingcheng TouristHighway.