The Mountain Resort is the grandest imperial garden and palace complex in China, which took 87 years to complete from 1703 to 1790 during the reigns of emperors Kangxi to Qianlong. It covers an area of over 5.6 million square meters and features more than 100 buildings including palaces, halls, pavilions, temples and other structures. In addition, there are 72 scenic spots designated by emperors Kangxi and Qianlong in this resort. It is renowned for its beautiful landscape design, which integrates natural features such as hills and lakes into the garden scenery, and is one of the three greatest ancient architectural complexes in China.
The Mountain Resort consists of four main areas: the palace area, lake area, plain area, and mountain area, which together form a miniature version of China’s geography. Similar to the Forbidden City, the palace area of the Mountain Palace follows the “palace in front, sleeping chambers in the back” layout of ancient Chinese architecture. However, unlike the extravagant and luxurious decoration of the Forbidden City, the buildings here are simple and elegant, resembling the design of ordinary residences. The structures are made of blue bricks, gray tiles, and pink walls with wooden pillars, giving a warm and peaceful feeling. The resort is surrounded by trees and a serene environment.
The main palace is the Danbo Jingcheng Hall (Hall of Frugality and Placidity), also known as the Nanmu Hall, which is seven bays long and three bays wide (583 square meters) and entirely constructed of nanmu wood. On rainy days, the nanmu emits a faint fragrance. The main hall of the sleeping chambers is called the Yanbo Zhishuang Hall. It is seven bays long and one bay wide, with a front porch and a back pavilion. The environment outside the hall is simple and elegant, while the interior decoration is luxurious. The central room serves as a hall where the emperor received greetings from his concubines.
The lake area is divided by bridges, embankments, and islands, and features water pavilions, rockeries, boats, and towers designed in the style of Jiangnan gardens. The plain area was used for hunting, feasting, and wrestling. While the mountain area offers beautiful natural scenery, with pavilions and temples built into the hills.
The Mountain Resort inherits and develops the traditional Chinese garden design philosophy of “integrating human-made beauty into nature, conforming to nature and surpassing nature”. It was designed based on the terrain and geographical features, incorporating the essence of both northern and southern Chinese garden art. Therefore, it has been praised as a miniature of China’s geography and the highest example of classical Chinese gardens.
Address: Heartland of Yanshan Mountain in the northern part of Chengde, Hebei Province
