Chengde Mountain Resort
Chengde Mountain Resort
The Chengde Mountain Resort lies in a long and narrow ravine by the Wulie River in Yanshan Mountain. The resort itself is enclosed by a 10-km-long and 1.3-m-wide stonewall that runs up and down the terrain in a way like the Great Wall. The resort is generally divided into two sections, the palace area and the garden area. The garden area, which extends from southeast to northwest, falls into three scenic parts: lake, grassland and mountains, which are clustered with 120 buildings and 72 tourist attractions. With gardens within gardens, and scenery within scenery, the entire resort forms a richly variegated, three-dimensional painting scroll.
Palace Area
Chengde Mountain Resort
The palaces in the Mountain Resort are in three building complexes: first, the main palaces, arranged symmetrically on an axial line, with three gates (Gorgeous Front Gate, Meridian Gate and Palace Gate) and the main palace — Hall of Frugality and Placidity, forming the front, and a number of courtyards forming the residential quarter for the emperor and his consorts; second, the Pine and Crane Chamber, which lies in the east of the main palace and is smaller than the later; and third, the eastern palace, which is situated to the east of the Pine and Crane Chamber, and whose main structure, the Tower of Clear Voice, was a three-floor theater (which was destroyed in 1945).
The Hall of Frugality and Placidity, the main hall of the front palace, covers an area of 583 sq m. Its window panels, partitioning walls and screens are inscribed with such patterns as bats and crocket and such Chinese characters as "萬" (ten thousand) and "id" (longevity). As it was rebuilt with nanmu wood in 1754, or the 19th year of the Qianlong reign of the Qing Dynasty, it is also known as the "Nanmu Hall". In times of rain the nanmu wood would emit a heady fragrance. This was where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty held courts and major ceremonies and received generals and officials, chieftains of ethnic minorities and foreign envoys. Hanging of the central wall of the hall is a horizontal board inscribed with four Chinese characters in the handwriting of Emperor Kangxi that are meant to remind the monarchs to live a thrift life in honor of their lofty political aspirations. All the windows and doors of the hall are built of nanmu without being painted, showing a simple and elegant style.
Lake Area
The general term for the lakes in the Mountain Resort is Sai Lake. The lakes are interconnected by causeways, islets and bridges from north to south, forming many small lakes named Changhu, Chenghu, Ruyihu, Shanghu, Xiahu, Yinhu and Jinghu. There are eight islets on the lakes that are linked with causeways and bridges and decorated with quite a few pavilions and chambers. Most of these buildings on the lakes are imitations of houses found in the areas south of the Yangtze River. The lakes, which are overgrown with reeds, combine to form a vast expanse of water, and the causeways and banks wind their way through a series of sandbars and islets. A cruise on the lakes will bring visitors in contact with the scenery of this world of water.
Grassland and Undulating Hills Area
In the north of the lake area is a vast expanse of grassland, with an area of 600,000 sq m. It is a fair region, whose receding expanses, marked with gentle elevations and depressions, depicts the scenery of the north of the Great Wall. The Stupa in the Yongyou Temple towers over the rich meadows in the northeast. In the center of the grassland is the Garden of Ten Thousand Trees, where ancient trees swell up to noble heights. The western part of the Mountain Resort is all forested hills and valleys, covering an area of about 4.4 million sq m, or 78 percent of the total area of the entire resort. Mountain ranges roll across a world of gullies and ravines cocooned under a forest of pine trees. With a tranquil environment, this place used to have 40 or so buildings. Some of these buildings have been restored, such as Nanshan Jixue Pavilion, Simian Yunshan Pavilion and Chuifeng Luzhao Pavilion.
Chengde Mountain Resort
Eight Outer Temples
The Eight Outer Temples refer to a group of monastic complexes situated outside the Mountain Resort of Chengde. Built between 1713 and 1780, these temples are mostly oriented to the resort in the manner of stars surrounding the moon. Whether observing these temples from within the resort, or vice versa, one can derive immense artistic enjoyment from what meets the eyes. Among these temples are the Temple of Universal Peace, Temple of Universal Happiness, Temple of Putuozongsheng (Potarak Doctrine), and Sumeru Temple of Good Fortune and Longevity.
Travel Service
Transport: Bus No .5
Tel: 0086-314-2161132
Opening Hours: 06:00-18:00