{"id":13504,"date":"2017-07-24T09:00:46","date_gmt":"2017-07-24T13:00:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/?p=13504"},"modified":"2017-07-22T16:32:53","modified_gmt":"2017-07-22T20:32:53","slug":"a-short-visit-to-chengde","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/chinese\/a-short-visit-to-chengde\/","title":{"rendered":"A Short Visit to Chengde"},"content":{"rendered":"

You’re probably familiar with the Summer Palace in Beijing<\/a>, but did you know that the real<\/strong> summer palace is actually in a city called Chengde<\/strong> (\u627f\u5fb7 – ch\u00e9ng d\u00e9)? While Chinese emperors and their families definitely spent some time at the sprawling complex in the capital, the heat got so intense there during the summer that an escape was sought in the cooler mountain air. Let’s learn more about the summer residence of emperors and what else you can do with a short visit to Chengde.<\/p>\n

Summer Mountain Resort<\/h2>\n
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Beautiful Summer Mountain Resort.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Kangxi Emperor<\/strong> (\u5eb7\u7199\u5e1d – k\u0101ng x\u012b d\u00ec) was the 4th emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He must not have appreciated the Beijing summer heat, because in 1703 he chose Chengde as the site for his Summer Mountain Resort<\/strong> (\u907f\u6691\u5c71\u5e84 – b\u00ec sh\u01d4 sh\u0101n zhu\u0101ng). The name can literally be translated as “mountain villa for avoiding the heat,” and that was precisely the purpose of having it constructed. It took around 90 years to complete, so a few emperors ended up using it.<\/p>\n

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Inside the Palace Area.<\/p><\/div>\n

The hard work over several decades paid off. The Summer Mountain Resort is an epic complex full of palaces, temples, lakes, gardens, forests, and more. It covers an area of 6.1 square kilometers (2.35 square miles). There are four areas here – Palace, Lake, Plane, and Mountain. The Palace Area was the residence of the royal families and also the location of important ceremonies and political events.<\/p>\n

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Some replica yurts in the plains.<\/p><\/div>\n

The vast Plain Area resembles the grasslands of Mongolia, and there are even a few replica yurts here to add to that image.<\/p>\n

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What an incredible place!<\/p><\/div>\n

Throughout the massive complex, you can see the impressive combination of Chinese palace architecture, gardening, and the natural environment. It’s a perfect example of the ancient system of feng shui<\/strong><\/em> (\u98ce\u6c34f\u0113ng shu\u01d0) at work.<\/p>\n

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A must-see in China.<\/p><\/div>\n

The Summer Mountain Resort and its outlying temples were designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994, described as “a rare historic vestige of the final development of feudal society in China.” It’s an important piece of Chinese history and culture and well worth a visit if you get the chance.<\/p>\n

Eight Outer Temples<\/h2>\n
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Little Pltala<\/p><\/div>\n

Just outside the walls of the Summer Mountain Resort, you’ll find the Eight Outer Temples<\/strong> (\u5916\u516b\u5e99 – w\u00e0i b\u0101 mi\u00e0o). Actually, there are twelve temples in total, but it seems as if they never got around to changing the name.<\/p>\n

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Different styles are seen in the temples.<\/p><\/div>\n

The temples were built in various styles to appease the many ethnic groups of China, such as the Mongols and Tibetans. By building these grand temples, the emperor was able to safeguard his summer retreat.<\/p>\n

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A few scenes from the temple.<\/p><\/div>\n

The most famous of these is the Putuo Zongcheng Temple<\/strong> (\u666e\u9640\u5b97\u4e58\u4e4b\u5e99 – p\u01d4 tu\u00f3 z\u014dng ch\u00e9ng zh\u012b mi\u00e0o). If it looks familiar, that’s because it’s actually a replica of the Potala Palace in Tibet. It’s even called “Little Potala<\/strong>” (\u5c0f\u5e03\u8fbe\u62c9 – xi\u01ceo b\u00f9 d\u00e1 l\u0101). It was built between\u00a01767 and 1771, and it remains one of the largest temple complexes in China.<\/p>\n

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It really is a massive temple.<\/p><\/div>\n

Nearby, you can also visit the Puning Temple<\/strong> (\u666e\u5b81\u5bfa – p\u01d4 n\u00edng s\u00ec). This was also modeled after a Tibetan temple – the Samye Monastery. It is home to the world’s tallest wooden statue of the\u00a0Bodhisattva Avalokite\u015bvara, which is why some refer to it as the “Big Buddha Temple.” It’s possible to visit both temples and the Summer Mountain Resort in one day, but it’ll be a big one. You’re much better off spacing them out over two days if you want to see them all.<\/p>\n

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See it in the distance?<\/p><\/div>\n

From the temples, you’ll see the interesting “Sledgehammer Peak<\/strong>” (\u68d2\u69cc\u5cf0 – b\u00e0ng chu\u00ed f\u0113ng). This large rock formation on a hill is said to resemble an inverted sledgehammer. If you’re so inclined, you even even hike up to it.<\/p>\n

Travel Info<\/h2>\n
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Hostel and restaurants.<\/p><\/div>\n

There’s a small airport in Chengde, but you’re much better off getting here by train. There are several trains running every day from Beijing, and the journey takes about four hours. A high-speed rail will come through town within a few years as well. There’s one hostel in town for budget travelers, and quite a few hotels of varying quality.<\/p>\n

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Mmm… venison.<\/p><\/div>\n

There are plenty of good Chinese restaurants to choose from here. Make sure you try the local specialty –\u00a0venison<\/strong> (\u9e7f\u8089 – l\u00f9 r\u00f2u), as Chengde has always been a popular hunting destination.<\/p>\n

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If you’re sweating in Beijing this summer, why not do as the emperors of the Qing Dynasty did and head for the hills in Chengde? Even with just a weekend there, you can check out the Summer Mountain Resort and Little Potala. You may not get to spend the entire summer roaming the beautiful grounds, but at least you’ll be able to say you’ve seen it!<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\"A

You’re probably familiar with the Summer Palace in Beijing, but did you know that the real summer palace is actually in a city called Chengde (\u627f\u5fb7 – ch\u00e9ng d\u00e9)? While Chinese emperors and their families definitely spent some time at the sprawling complex in the capital, the heat got so intense there during the summer…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":55,"featured_media":13509,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[378701,94561,127422,481502,481508,481507,127362,314232,11528,255180,127424,481505,481506,481504,127431,481503,127438],"class_list":["post-13504","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-culture","tag-buddhism","tag-buddhist-temple","tag-chengde","tag-chengde-summer-mountain-resort","tag-chengde-travel-blog","tag-chinese-architecture","tag-chinese-culture","tag-chinese-gardens","tag-chinese-history","tag-hebei","tag-hebei-province","tag-little-potala","tag-puning-temple","tag-putuozongcheng-temple","tag-qing-dynasty","tag-real-summer-palace","tag-summer-mountain-resort"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t