Mountain Resort, Chengde
By the end of the 17th century the Qing emperors had established their capital at Beijing, and they began to look around for somewhere cool and green to retreat to when the dusty heat of summer set in. They found what they were looking for at Chengde, beyond the Great Wall.
Here they created a summer residence, exploiting mountains, woods and other existing natural features to which they added contrived landscapes to make settings for innumerable pavillions, palaces and temples. Construction took a total of 87 years. The buildings and gardens cover an area of 560 hectares, and are surrounded by a wall 10 km. long.
Outside the palace walls, to the north and west, a total of 11 temples were built. Manyof them were built in Tibetan style. Divided into eight groups, they became known as the Eight Outer Temples. The main gates of these buildings pointed towards the palace, symbolising the unity of China's various ethnic groups under the central rule of the Qing emperors.
Visit April 2004
I spent two full days in this city, four hours north of Beijing by bus. Chengde itself is a nice enough encounter with Chinese city life outside the capital. No McDonalds or Starbucks can be found here. What it does have is steam trains - an internetsearch in preparation of this trip resulted in many excited stories by trainspotters.
But I had my own spotting to do: the Chengde Imperial Resort as World Cultural Heritage. On my first day I explored the huge park. Don't be fooled by the somewhat standard Chinese gates and buildings at the entrance: when you've passed them you enter a lovely landscape park. There are several lakes, a steppe and a forest. On the best "natural" spots, pavillions and temples were added. For example the tall and elegant Yongyou si Pagoda.
The next day I walked to some of the outlying temples. Most prominent is the Putuozongsheng, modelled after Lhasa's Potala Palace. It's a strange sight to see it here, in northern China, as well as the neighbouring Xumifushoumiao (a recreation of the Tashilhunpo monastery in Xigaze). Both are well looked after and brightly painted, but lack the atmosphere of an active buddhist monastery.
More photos can be found in the Picture Gallery
Reviews
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I have been living here in Chengde for several years, there is now 2 KFC's, the new Hondorf (a German/Australian) restaurant, and as of two weeks from now we will have a 24 hour McDonald's. |
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Firstly I should say that visting Chengde, as I did, in early december, is in my view an excelllent time f year to see the town, Although getting to the coldest part of the year (below freezing most ofthe time), everfything was still open and the icy backdrop makes for some stunning views. You also manage to avoid any huge crowds at this time.
The town itself is not particulalry pleasant - lots of tacky neon lighting and ugly buildings. although there is a certain charm about the character of the place that is lacing in Beijing. Finally, don't miss the train ride from Beijing - 4 1/2 hours through some stunning scenery!! |
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I visited the Site in September 2007 by travelling the newly completed Freeway from Beijing. The trip took about 2.5 hours, and was WELL worth it. In my mind, the site blows away the Forbidden City of the Temple of Heaven.
I loved the replica temples and the park was just beautiful in the summer. I have trvelled quite a bit in China, and this is the site I would recommend over any I have seen |
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I just returned from Chengde and besides the natural beauty and the the huge number of tourists, many,many of them Chinese, what struck me was that the theatricality of Chinese politicians was not new with Mao, or with the preparations for the coming Olympics, but has long been a part of Chinese politics. Could you imagine in the years following the Civil War in the US the Federal government creating an homage to the re-unification of the states?
To respond to Paul Tanner who commented earlier - Chengde probably does serve the government of the PRC in exactly the same way it served the Qing emperors,i.e. to make a case for the unification of all the minorities, but that fact only makes the sight more interesting. The signage and our tour guides did not hide the fact that the Qing dynasty had an ulterior motive and educated visitors can certainly make the connection to present day China. |
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I was in Chengde recently in September 2006.The journey by road was extremely tiresome about 6 hours.The expressway is still under construction.Contrary to reports the day weather was very warm.Only at night it was cool but not cold.I was fascinated that school basketball courts were actively used till late night about 9 pm.The outlying temples in particular the replica of the Tibetian temple was superb.I was fascinated by the sheer size of the statues and the gold plated roofs some of which were damaged by the Japanese.The climb was tedious but the views of Chengde from the top of the temple was marvellous.I would advice travellers to spend at least 3 days 2 nights to enjoy the city's highlights. |
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Bill Richardson (USA):
The Mountain Resort in Chengde for famed for its reputation as the private resort for Chinese emperors during the summer. The place is much more than a summer royal residence. Its more like a museum of Chinese landscapes and architectures. You can find both the architectures of Southern China (pagodas and gardens) and the grass landscapes of northern China in the site. The different religious temples and sites surrounds the Mountain Resorts also adds up to its magnificence. |
| Date posted: August 2006 |
Zack Culvert (USA):
This being a summer resort, should not be visited in the winter,like I did. Much of it was closed, and the alleged scenic beauty was not apparent. Do spend a little time to learn the history, and study the seven different schools of Buddasm ( Tibetan, Mongolian, etc.) that resulted in seven different temples built by the Qing emperor to unite the people, including a replica of Tibetan Patala Palace |
| Date posted: June 2006 |
aaron carter (canada):
hi! my name is aaron carter. i am 13 years old and i live in beijing. i went chengde for the first time in my life this year (2006). i went to chengde because our school wanted to let us see how interesting the ancient chinese really are. when i went to chengde i saw lots of world heritage sites including the Mountaineering Resort (sorry if thats not spelled right), the Summer Palace and still working temple. |
| Date posted: May 2006 |
Jeff Blyth (USA):
I went to Chengde on a survey trip for an update of my film on China for Disney's EPCOT Center. I wasn't able to film there for the original film ("Wonders of China") and we simply didn't have enough room to fit it into the updated film either, but that doesn't mean the locale isn't spectacular. I ran into an old man in the park who was a retired school teacher and he volunteered to be my guide. He was a wonderful source of local information and could not have been more open and friendly. I've exchanged a number of letters with him since then and hope to look him up when I return to Chengde in the autumn of 2006 for a new filming assignment. |
| Date posted: February 2006 |
Paul Tanner (UK):
 Apparently the original Qing name for this site meant “The Mountain Resort for Escaping Summer Heat”. You too might find it a pleasant escape from Beijing – it is only a few hours away by bus or train. Its main part consists of pavilions, temples, gardens, streams and lakes not that different (albeit writ very large!) from what you might have seen at the Old and New Summer palaces in Beijing – but attractive enough. It was constructed across the 18th century and consisted of 2 parts divided apparently by a “mini Great Wall” – inside were copies of 72 Chinese beauty spots and temples and a “Garden of 10000 trees”. Outside the wall (the "Outlying Temples" of the modern title) were 12 Tibetan Buddhist temples - 8 of which remain (photo). These included “reproductions” (more or less) of the Dalai Lama’s residence, the Potala and the Panchen Lama’s residence at Shigatse.
However, as you wander around, you might not be aware either of the original “Political” purpose for the creation of the site nor for the possible “political” ramifications of its current restoration and elevation to UNESCO inscribed status. Was it entirely coincidental that the Potala in Lhasa was inscribed in the same year (1994)as this site? Has UNESCO allowed itself to become a pawn in China’s nationalistic policy of fully incorporating Tibet within the borders of the PRC? Indeed can “Inscription” ever be purely a “neutral” or rather a "Universal" rather than a "Nationalistic" political and cultural act?
I quote from 3 different sources :-
“The resort was a summer palace built by the Qing Emperors with a political motive, to appease and unite the minority peoples living in China's border regions and to consolidate national unity. Each year the Qing Emperors spent a good deal of time at the resort handling political and military affairs and receiving foreign envoys and the chiefs of minority peoples”. (“Justification by State Party” – ie the Chinese Government)
“Standing for the different architectural style of various Minorities in China, the Eight Outer Temples is the symbol of the country's unity and minorities' solidification” (China Travel Service)
“this article focuses on a particular leisure park dense with both historical and contemporary meaning: the Mountain Resort at Chengde. At this site a seemingly innocent restoration and preservation project, supported and sanctioned by the international community, produces a host of other effects. Tibet is fixed within a multicultural national heritage enterprise .... and foreign tourists are encouraged to appreciate the unity of the Han and minority populations that make up the People’s Republic" ("World Heritage, National Culture, and the Restoration of Chengde” by James L Hevia – if you want to read the whole article go to
http://positions.dukejournals.org/cgi/reprint/9/1/219 ) |
| Date posted: January 2006 |
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