Guide: July and August are the most beautiful months on the grassland. During this time, over ten resorts on the grassland come alive with bonfire parties, ethnic songs and dances, horse racing, shooting, archery, paragliding, and other recreational activities. There are also water activities such as speedboat rides and fishing in the lake. Staying in the uniquely charming...
The Kuixing Tower Scenic Area is located atop Banbi Mountain in the southern part of Chengde City. Covering an area of 50,000 square meters, its 800-meter-long surrounding wall is built from tiger-skin patterned stone and blue bricks with crenellations that wind along the mountain cliffs like a giant dragon, complementing the main tower and enhancing the grandeur of the landscape. The main scenic area consists of several groups of Qing-style imitation architecture, spanning a much larger area than the original site…
Introduction The Meridian Gate is the main entrance to the Mountain Resort. Built in the 19th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1754), it is the first scene of the “Thirty-Six Views of the Qianlong Emperor.” In front of the gate stand stone lions and a dismounting stele, with a red screen wall facing the entrance. The gate features 0 above and 3 doors below, presenting a grand and spacious structure. The central door is inscribed with the three characters “丽正门” (Meridian Gate) handwritten by Emperor Qianlong, taken from the *Book of Changes* “the sun and moon shine from the heavens…”
Introduction Located to the east of the Wulie River in the city area, it stands about 110 meters high and resembles an arhat with both hands resting on his knees, hence the name. From a certain angle, this arhat looks remarkably lifelike, with well-proportioned features and a natural expression. Chengde City, Hebei Province…
Guide This scenic area combines high mountains, forests, grasslands, clear springs, and peculiar rocks. The wonders of nature have created numerous landscapes here at the Liaohe River Source, such as the Crocodile Gazing at the River Stone, the Seal Trying on Its Crown Stone, the Divine Turtle Stone, the Stone River, and dozens of other rock formations, all strikingly lifelike. The “Nine-Dragon Coiled Poplar” is a unique highlight of the area—this tree…
Guide: Puren Temple was built entirely in the style of the traditional Han Chinese Buddhist monastery layout known as the "Seven Halls of a Sangharama." The temple complex extends from south to north and includes the mountain gate, flagpoles, bell and drum towers, and more. The main hall is called the Mahavira Hall, bearing a plaque inscribed with the four characters “Ci Yun Pu Yin” (Compassionate Clouds Shelter All). Inside, the three Buddhas of the past, present, and future—Kasyapa, Sakyamuni, and Maitreya—are enshrined, flanked by statues of the Eighteen Arhats. In front of the hall stands a stele of Puren Temple, personally commissioned by Emperor Kangxi, which holds significant artistic value.
Guide: The temple is divided into front and rear sections. The front section mainly consists of the mountain gate, bell and drum towers, the Hall of Heavenly Kings, and the Hui Cheng Hall, among which the Hui Cheng Hall is the main hall of the temple. Inside, it enshrines the Three Bodhisattvas—Guanyin, Manjushri, and Samantabhadra. In front of the statues are three-tiered nanmu wood Buddhist shrines on both sides, and there are also nanmu wood longevity pagodas, each housing the Buddha of Infinite Life. The rear section mainly includes the Treasure Appearance Pavilion...
The Twin Towers Mountain Scenic Area is located within Shuangluan District of Chengde City, ten kilometers southwest of the world-famous Chengde Mountain Resort. Covering a total area of 3,000 hectares, it is the largest natural scenic attraction in the Chengde urban area. Twin Towers Mountain is one of Chengde’s renowned peaks, boasting beautiful surroundings. The Luanhe River winds eastward behind the mountain, and the hillsides are lush with flowers and trees...
Introduction Shuixin Pavilion is located to the north of the East Palace in the Mountain Resort. It serves as a key passageway between the palace area and the lake district. Constructed in the 48th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign during the Qing Dynasty (1709), it was inscribed with an imperial plaque. In the 19th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign (1754), it was designated as the eighth scene of the “Thirty-Six Views of Qianlong.” The pavilion spans the Lower Lake and the Silver Lake, built over the water as a bridge, with three pavilions atop it…
Introduction The Four-Knowledge Study is located behind the Hall of Diligence and Sincerity in the Mountain Resort. It is a five-bay main hall. Emperor Kangxi originally named it “Yiqingkuang” (Depend on Clarity and Spaciousness), and in the 51st year of Qianlong’s reign (1786), he added the name “Four-Knowledge Study.” The “Four Knowledges” are derived from the “Appended Statements” in the Book of Changes, which states, “The noble man knows the minute, the manifest, the gentle, and the firm—he is the hope of the multitudes.” The building is surrounded by corridors...
Introduction Songhe Studio is located to the east of the main hall of the Mountain Resort. It was built in the 14th year of the Qianlong reign during the Qing Dynasty (1749). Empress Dowager Xiaoshengxian (Qianlong’s mother) and imperial concubines resided here. In those days, “green pines curled around the courtyard, and white cranes danced in front of the hall.” Emperor Qianlong named it after the symbolic longevity of pines and cranes, making it the third scene of the “Thirty-Six Scenes of Qianlong.” This architectural complex includes...
Introduction Winds Through Myriad Valleys and Pines is located north of Songhe Studio in the Mountain Resort. Constructed in the 47th year of the Kangxi reign during the Qing Dynasty (1708), it is the earliest group of structures in the palace area. Comprising buildings such as the Hall of Winds Through Myriad Valleys and Pines, Jian Shi Studio, Jing Jia Chamber, Yi He Study, and Peng Lang Xian Ying, it is perched on a ridge with the lake behind, featuring a flexible layout and embodying characteristics of southern-style gardens. The surrounding area boasts numerous ancient…
Introduction Wan Shu Yuan is located in the northeastern part of the plain area of the Mountain Resort. It lies against the mountain foothills to the north and borders Cheng Lake to the south, covering an area of 870 acres. An imperial tablet inscribed with the name “Wan Shu Yuan” by Emperor Qianlong marks it as the 20th scene of the “Thirty-Six Views of Emperor Qianlong.” The area features lush green lawns and ancient, dense trees, and to this day, a stone tablet engraved with Emperor Qianlong’s poem “Eight Rhymes on the Green Carpet” remains in the southern part of the garden. No permanent structures were built within the garden...
Guide The park’s vegetation belongs to the warm temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest. The forests are dense, with a rich variety of species and extremely abundant resources. There are 1,870 species of higher plants, including 10 listed as nationally protected, among which there are 178 rare wild flowers. Wuling Mountain has long been known as the “Mountain of Medicine,” with 903 species of Chinese medicinal plants. Due to its high elevation and dense forests, the area...
Guide On the east side of the pavilion stands a stele pavilion housing the “Wénjīn Pavilion Stele Record.” The structure appears two-storied from the outside but has three levels inside, built with brick and wood. A plaque inscribed with the characters “Wénjīn Pavilion,” handwritten by Emperor Qianlong, hangs above the entrance. In front of the pavilion lies a pool of clear water, reflecting the rockery and the pavilion’s image. On the eastern part of the rockery is a moon-viewing terrace, while on the western side stands a charming pavilion. The layout is meticulous and the surroundings serene. This pavilion, along with…
Potala of Rival Good Fortune Temple is the last of the Eight Outer Temples to be built, and thus incorporates more traditional Han Chinese architectural elements into its Tibetan style. For instance, the front section of the temple follows a fully Han Chinese design. The main structure of the entire complex is the Miaogaogangzhuang Hall within the rear Dahuangtai (Great Red Platform), a three-story pavilion that retains Tibetan architectural features. The roof of the hall is cast with eight gilded copper dragons, each weighing about one ton, exquisitely crafted and lifelike. A highlight is a two-story small building at the northeast corner of the Dahuangtai, known as the Jixiang Faxi Hall, which served as the bedroom of the 6th Panchen Lama. At the northernmost end of the temple stands an octagonal glazed glazed Wan Shou Tower, topped with yellow glazed tiles. Its delicate structure and elegant color scheme break the spatial outline of the entire temple complex and enrich the artistic effect of the architectural ensemble.
Introduction Tranquil Mist and Vast Coolness is located behind the main hall of the Mountain Resort, the Hall of Diligence and Sincerity. It served as the bedroom palace for Qing emperors. Constructed in the 49th year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign (1710), it is the first scene of the “Thirty-Six Scenes of Kangxi.” The building is seven bays wide and three bays deep. Emperor Kangxi named it so because “the surroundings are picturesque, with a ten-mile stretch of flat lake that brings a refreshing breeze.” On both the east and west sides of the main hall…
Introduction Yanyu Tower is located on Qīnglián Island, north of Rúyì Peninsula in the Chengde Mountain Resort. During his southern tour, Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty admired the picturesque scenery of Yanyu Tower on Nanhu Lake (also known as Yuanyang Lake) in Jiaxing, Zhejiang, so he had its design copied and then had a tower built in the resort following the original blueprint. Construction began in the 45th year of Qianlong’s reign (1780) and was completed the following year. The tower faces south to north: at the front are three rooms that serve as the gate hall…
Introduction: Yongyou Temple Pagoda, also known as the Six Harmonies Pagoda, is located northeast of the Wan Shu Yuan (Ten Thousand Trees Garden) in the Chengde Mountain Resort. In the 16th year of the Qianlong Emperor’s reign during the Qing Dynasty (1751), the emperor made a southern tour and was struck by the elegant and towering beauty of Hangzhou’s Six Harmonies Pagoda and Nanjing’s Bao'en Temple. To honor his mother, he had two similar pagodas built in the capital. The following year, he constructed Yongyou Temple in the resort, and in the 19th year of his reign, he had this pagoda erected here. Later, one of the two pagodas in the capital was destroyed by fire, and the other collapsed. While investigating the causes, the Qianlong Emperor also took them as a cautionary lesson, reinforcing the Yongyou Temple Pagoda in the resort. The reinforcement work was not completed until the 29th year of his reign, taking a full ten years. Today, most of the Yongyou Temple structures have been lost, with only a few stone stelae remaining. Among them, the stele from the 29th year of Qianlong’s reign features inscriptions on both sides: one side bears the “Imperial Inscription on the Yongyou Temple Pagoda,” and the other the “Imperial Hundred-Verse Poem on the Chengde Mountain Resort with Preface,” which serve as important historical materials for the study of the resort’s construction. The Yongyou Temple Pagoda is an octagonal, nine-story, dense-eave structure, standing 66 meters tall atop a high platform. The first level of the pagoda has surrounding verandas. The inner walls of the pagoda feature stone carvings and Esoteric Buddhist murals. The bracket sets and beams of each story are made of glazed tiles. The spire is gilded bronze, weighing approximately 400 kilograms. This pagoda rises prominently above the flat expanse of Wan Shu Yuan and stands as one of the scenic highlights of the Chengde Mountain Resort.
Introduction Moonlight Over River Sounds is an oval-shaped island located to the north of Shuixin Pavilion in the Chengde Mountain Resort. It was built in the 42nd year of Emperor Kangxi’s reign during the Qing Dynasty (1703). The lakeside three-bay gate hall was inscribed by Emperor Kangxi with the name “Moonlight Over River Sounds,” inspired by Su Shi’s “Former Ode on the Red Cliff” and “Later Ode on the Red Cliff.” When the moon rises over the eastern hills, the lake is bathed in silvery light and all is quiet—only the gentle lapping of water against the shore can be heard...