Chengde Mountain Resort
避暑山庄
The Qing imperial summer palace, China's largest surviving classical imperial garden and a World Heritage Site; its lake area imitates Jiangnan and its mountain area the northern frontier, so you can tour it all in a single day.
The Chengde Mountain Resort was begun in 1703 (the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign) and completed 89 years later under the Kangxi and Qianlong emperors. It covers 5.64 square kilometres, twice the size of Beijing's Summer Palace. The grounds are divided into four sections: palace, lake, plain and mountain. In the palace area, the Danbo Jingcheng Hall, built of golden nanmu wood, was where the emperor received ministers and foreign envoys. The lake area imitates Jiangnan gardens: the Misty Rain Pavilion copies Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, Jinshan Island copies Jinshan in Zhenjiang, and the Wenjin Pavilion is one of the repositories for the Siku Quanshu (Complete Library of the Four Treasuries). In the plain area, Wanshu Garden was where Qianlong hosted Mongol princes and the British Macartney Embassy. The mountain area covers 80% of the grounds. You can ride the mountain loop bus (about RMB 60 per person) to pavilions such as the Four-Sided Cloud Mountains and the Southern Mountain Snow, to look out at the Outer Eight Temples and Qingchui Peak. Recommended route: enter via Lizheng Gate, then the palace area, walk around the lake (about 2 hours), the plain area, take the loop bus through the mountains, and exit via Dehui Gate or Lizheng Gate. The full visit takes about 4 to 5 hours. Tickets cost RMB 130 in peak season (April to October) and RMB 90 off-season, and advance booking with real-name registration is required. Electric carts and boats cost extra. The park opens at 08:00, and in peak season ticket sales end at 17:00. Note that the park is very large, so wear comfortable shoes; bring sun protection and water in summer. The lake area is crowded, while the mountain area is quiet. The best times for photography are early morning and evening.
Opening hours
Peak season 8:00am–5:30pm (last entry 5:00pm); off-season 8:00am–5:00pm
Nearby sights
- Nanyingzi Street
- Puren Temple
- Rehe Confucian Temple
- Chengde City God Temple
- Pule Temple
- Xumi Fushou Temple
- Chengde Museum
- Anyuan Temple