Bishu Shanzhuang, also known as the Imperial Summer Villa and the Mountain Resort, is the centerpiece of Chengde's historical imperial resort area. It's also the biggest Imperial Garden in China, earning it a listing as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The complex's walls enclose 5.6 square kilometers (2.1 square miles) of gardens, lakes and buildings that housed a succession of Qing emperors, serving as a secondary palace where affairs of state were conducted when Beijing's Forbidden City grew too uncomfortably hot in the summer ("Bishu Shanzhuang" translates roughly to "Flee the Heat Mountain Resort"). The Manchu Qing emperors (1644-1911 AD), as something of outsiders to predominantly Han China, were greatly concerned with the question of how to rule a vast, multi-ethnic nation, and Chengde embodies the nature of their approach: The grounds ... more >>

It's an age-old birthday conundrum: What do you give a Son of Heaven who already has everything? If your answer is an enormous scale model of Lhasa's Potala Palace, then you would have been a great Qing Dynasty courtier. Chengde's Putuo Zongcheng Miao (Temple of Potaraka Doctrine), dedicated to Emperor Qianlong on his birthday in 1771, is an astonishing copy of the traditional seat of Tibetan power. Like Puning Si (Temple of Universal Peace), Pule Si (Temple of Universal Happiness) and other Chengde edifices, it served as a symbol of the unifying power of the Qing Empire over a diversity of peoples and cultures. It is also reflective of the long-standing Chinese fascination with Tibetan Buddhism and Lamaism, which had a profound effect on China's own cultural development. During the heyday of the Qing, the temple hosted many visiting dignitaries from the empires b... more >>

The Temple for Distant Security (Anyuan Miao) is located to the east of the Imperial Summer Villa (Bishu Shanzhuang) and north of The Temple of Universal Happiness (Pule Si) on the scenic banks of the Wulie River. Designed, as with many of the temples in Chengde, to appease some of the more troublesome elements in the Qing empire via minority architectural flattery, Anyaun Miao was built in the style of the Xinjiang Gurza Temple (which, sadly, no longer exists) and for a time housed Mongolian troops. The complex is thus also called the Yili Temple after the Xinjiang valley of the same name.  Built in 1764, the temple covers 26,000 square meters (6.4 acres); today, most of the structures are rather run down and a number are gone. The original complex consisted of three outer walls and multiple of gates. The dominant remaining building is th... more >>

  To the east of the Imperial Summer Villa (Bishu Shanzhuang), and south of the Temple for Distant Security, the Temple of Universal Happiness (Pule Si), also known as the Round Pavilion, was built under orders from Qing Emperor Qianlong in 1766 to receive visiting dignitaries from tributary peoples, including the Mongols and the Tibetans. It's a curious and fascintaing mix of Han Chinese and Tibetan elements and features some rather racy images of the Buddha of Happiness and consorts getting Tantric-sexy. The anterior section is Han in style, and contains the Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwang Dian), a Bell and Drum Tower (Zhonggu Lou) and the Hall of Ancestors (Zongyin Dian). The rear section features a distinctly Tibetan-style architecture, rich in intense colors and riveting Tantric figures. The main building here is the central, triple-tiered Xuguang Pavi... more >>

Covering an area of 23,000 square meters (5.7 acres), the Temple of Universal Peace (Puning Si) is the furthest north of the eight temples situated outside the walls of the Imperial Summer Villa (Bishu Shanzhuang) and certainly one of the most impressive.  Also known as the Big Buddha Temple, a reference to the huge statue of the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, Guanyin (a.k.a. Avalokiteshvara)—the world's largest wooden statue—the temple combines Tibetan and Han architectural styles, reflecting both the deep influence of Tibetan Buddhism on Chinese culture and the long-standing Chinese interest in integrating Tibet into a greater Chinese state. The temple was built in 1755 to commemorate the Qing Dynasty victory over a troublesome Mongolian force (the Mongolians had a competitive interest in Tibet's affairs); a stele in front of the main gate commemorates this. ... more >>