Chengde, known as Rehe in ancient times, was once the summer capital and second political center of the Qing Dynasty, witnessing the hundred-year glory of the  High Qing era (the era when the Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong Emperors reigned). The long history created a rich and diverse cultural heritages of multiple ethnic groups in Chengde. Today, it takes only one hour by high-speed railway from Beijing to Chengde. Here, you can experience the profound heritages of the imperial gardens and listen to the ancient chants of temples. It’s certainly a great choice for a Beijing surrounding tour.

Chengde Mountain Resort

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

Puning Temple

Puning Temple is one of the Eight Outer Temples (Wai Ba Miao in Chinese) in Chengde, Hebei Province, and is also the most famous among them. It is located on the Wulie River in the northern part of the Chengde Mountain Resort. The temple is known as the Big Buddha Temple because of the large gilded wooden statue of Buddha inside.

Puning Temple was built in the 20th year of the Qianlong reign (AD1755) and covers an area of about 23,000 square meters. It is the most complete and spectacular temple complex among the Eight Outer Temples. At that time, the Qing government pacified the northern rebellion and conferred titles on the upper-class nobles of the four Oirats tribes in the Summer Resort. They followed the example of the Samye Monastery in Tibet and built this temple. The Qing government hoped that the people on the border would "live in peace and happiness forever", hence the name "Puning Temple".

The temple has a unique architectural style, combining the layout of Han Buddhist temples and Tibetan Buddhist temples. The southern part is laid out in the "seven-hall garan" style of Han temples, with the mountain gate, the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tian Wang Dian), Mahavira Hall (Da Xiong Bao Dian) and other halls distributed along the central axis, with bell and drum towers and east and west side halls on both sides. It is 150 meters long and 70 meters wide.

The northern part is a Tibetan-style temple with the Mahayana Pavilion (Da Cheng Zhi Ge) at the center, surrounded by many Tibetan-style buildings such as the Red Terrace, White Terrace, and four white Lama towers. The north, west, and east sides of the Mahayana Pavilion are symmetrically built with the four large continents, eight smaller continents, and four Lama towers, with a suitable layout and beautiful shapes.

Address: Puning Road, Shuangqiao District, Chengde, Hebei Province.

Jinshanling Great Wall

Jinshanling Great Wall is located in Luanping County, Chengde, Hebei Province, adjacent to Miyun District of Beijing. It is 130 kilometers away from downtown Beijing and was first built in the first year of the Hongwu reign of the Ming Dynasty (AD1368) by the famous general Xu Da. In the first year of the Longqing reign (AD1567), the anti-Japanese general Qi Jiguang, the governor of Jizhen, and the governor of Jiliao, Tan Lun, continued and rebuilt the Great Wall on the basis of Xu Da’s construction.

Jinshanling Great Wall starts from the famous ancient pass: Gubei Kou in history, and ends at the towering Wangjing Tower to the east, with a total length of 10.5 kilometers. There are five passes, 67 enemy towers, and three beacon towers along the line. It is known for its wide field of vision, dense enemy towers, exquisite architecture, sound defense system, and well-preserved status. Jinshanling is 700 meters above sea level, and the mountains to the north look like waves. The Simatai Reservoir to the east is as calm as a mirror, and the Miyun Reservoir to the south is sparkling. The Great Wall winds between the mountains and the water, creating a magnificent landscape. The dense and exquisite enemy towers in this area are diverse in form, making it the essence of the Great Wall.

Address: Luanping County, Chengde, Hebei Province.

Mulan Paddock

Mulan Paddock, a royal hunting ground in the Qing Dynasty, is located in Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County, northeast Hebei Province (Chengde City). It borders the grasslands of Inner Mongolia and has been a place of abundant water and grass and abundant animal reproduction since ancient times. "Mulan" is a Manchu phrase, which means "hunting deers". It is a unique hunting method during the autumn hunting season. "Mulan Paddock" means "the ground to hunt deers".

In 1681, Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty opened a hunting ground of more than 10,000 square kilometers here to train his army. In the first half of the Qing Dynasty, the emperor led the princes, ministers, and elite soldiers of the Eight Banners to come here every year for autumn hunts, known as "Mulan Autumn Hunting”. From Emperor Kangxi to Emperor Jiaqing, the Qing Dynasty held 105 autumn hunting events here for more than 140 years, leaving historical relics such as Liangbintai(a command post in ancient Chinese military), Jiangjun Paozi (the General Lake), twelve joint camps, the North Grotto Temple, Qianlong Yihu Cave, Cuihua Palace, and Kouken Tomb, as well as many beautiful and moving legends.

Address: Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County, Chengde, Hebei Province

Saihanba National Forest Park

Saihanba National Forest Park is located in the northernmost part of Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County, Chengde, Hebei Province, adjacent to Hexigten Banner and Duolun County of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region to the north and west, and adjacent to Yudaokou Pasture and Hong Song WA National Nature Reserve to the south and east. It is 240 kilometers away from Chengde City and 460 kilometers away from downtown Beijing. It is part of the royal hunting ground of the Qing Dynasty-Mulan Paddock. The park has a rich variety of flora and fauna and is known as the "source of water, homeland of clouds, world of flowers, ocean of forests, and paradise of rare and exotic animals".

Saihanba means "beautiful high ridge". In history, Saihanba was a natural garden with abundant water and grass, dense forests, and a variety of animals. However, in the late Qing Dynasty, as the national power declined, the forest resources of Mulan Paddock were severely damaged. The whole Paddock was barren, with sandstorms and no wild animals. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, with the strong support and care of leaders at all levels, a human miracle of transforming nature was made in Saihanba with more than 40 years of time, two generations' youth and sweat, and eventually a forest covering thousands of hectares was built.

In May 1993, Saihanba National Forest Park was established on the basis of Saihanba Mechanical Forest Farm in Hebei Province, with a total area of 1.42 million mu, including 1.1 million mu of forest landscape and 200,000 mu of grassland landscape. The forest coverage rate is 78%. It is the largest national forest park in Northern China with both forest and grassland landscapes. The park has rich scenic resources and unique landscapes, attracting many tourists with its four-season tourism characteristics: in spring, people can come for tree planting and outings and in summer, it's a place to avoid the heat and relax. While in autumn, visitors have a golden time for sightseeing and in winter, it's a place for skiing and hunting.

Address: Northern Weichang Manchu and Mongol Autonomous County, Chengde, Hebei Province