Chapter Two
The Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde
Chengde Mountain Resort is located in the north of Chengde city, Hebei Province, 230km away from Beijing city. It is one of China’s four famous gardens. The others are Suzhou Humble Administrator’s Garden, Suzhou Liu Garden and Beijing Summer Palace. Listed in the World Culture Heritages, Chengde Mountain Resort was used to be a palace for Chinese emperors avoiding the hot summer in Qing Dynasty. If you plan to have a China tour, the information about Chengde Mountain Resort is beneficial to you.
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| Lotus Pond |
The history and construction of Chengde Mountain Resort
Chengde Mountain Resort is found from 1703, after three generations of emperors in Qing Dynasty, Kangxi, Yongzheng and Qianlong. It took 89 years to build.
It is composed of emperor palace, emperor garden and magnificent temples. The overall arrangement can be generally divided into two parts, palace area and garden scenic spots. And the garden scenic spots is divided into lake region, plain area and mountain area. 72 classic scenic spots made by emperor Qianlong are inclusive of garden scenic spots, including numerous palaces, halls, buildings, pavilions, terraces, waterside pavilions and other Chinese style architectures. Nowadays, this mountain villa is still remained intricate and elegant royal garden and a 70 meter-high pagoda. Lash grass growing, green mountains towering, the canyons scenery tranquility, all these make the mountain villa still a summer resort today. The most characteristic of Mountain Resort is gardens decorating mountains and vice versa. You won’t miss Chengde when you take a Classic China tour.
The Climate of Chengde Mountain Resort
Chengde Mountain Resort is located in the belt of transition between Inner Mongolia Plateau and North China Plain. The monsoon mountain climate of it belongs to temperate continental climate, with four distinct seasons. Winter there is warmer than other same latitude areas because the mountains around the villa stop the attack of cold current from Mongolia Plateau. Summer is cool basically without sweltering hot weather and rainfall is concentrated. It is a wonderful tourism summer resort. Welcome to take a Chengde tour in hot summer.
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| Pavilions on the Water |
The Best Traveling Time
Late summer and early autumn is the best season to visit Chengde Mountain Resort when you take a China tour. At that time, whole China is in hot summer, while the temperate inside villa is lower 3 or 5 degrees than outside villa. Chengde Mountain villa is a well-deserved summer resort. Moreover, you can see the lotus blossom filled with the ponds in villa. The Resort lotus run a high reputation in the world because they are best cultivars of lotus for emperors from other places and sightworthy. Besides, the flower season lasts long time from early July to late September.
Please note that November to next May is the season of forest reservation, so people are not allowed to climb the mountains in villa with their Chengde tours.
The Transportation of Chengde Mountain Resort
Chengde Mountain Resort is situated in the urban Chengde city with convenient transportation. There is no airport in Chengde at present but many trains pass through Chengde city, such as Beijing-Chengde rail, Beijing-Tongliao rail, Chengde-Shijiazhuang rail and Chengde-Shenyang rail. When you take a Chengde leisure tour, you can reach the Resort by No.5, No.7 and No.11 bus or by a taxi there after you get off your train.
Local Specialty
By you China Chengde tours, you may buy various kinds of native products in Chengde mountain resort tourism designate stores, such as mushroom, almond, filbert and hawthorn. There are also many tourist souvenirs with local characteristics, such as jade ware, Tengshi cloth paste painting, root carving and walnut skin handicrafts.
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| Filbert |
Traveling Line
Mountain Resort area is vast. If you have only one day to take a Chengde tour, the following line can cover the most essences of the villa.
Lizheng Gate----Neiwu Gate----Danbojingcheng Palace----Sizhi Reading Room----Yanbo Zhishuang Palace---Yunshan Shengdi Building----Cailing Cross----Ruyi shoal----Yanyu Building---Canglang islet----long lake---Wenjin Castle----Rehe Spring----Jinshan Pavilion----Shuixin waterside Pavilion----- Ruins of Eastern Palace----Dehui Gate.
Other choice of lines:
East line: Get in from Dehui gate, cross Eastern Palace. Along the east line, the scenic spots can be seen are Shuixin Water Pavilion, Wen Garden, Qingshu Mountain House, the Moonlight and Sound of Water, Jiede Hall, Huiwan Zongchun Temple, New Place, Golden Mountain, Xiangyuanyiqing, Rehe Spring.
Mid-court line: Go down Wanhe Songfeng Step Level Road to Ruyi Lake, cross the arch bridge, through Zhijingyun embankment, Cailing Cross, Ruyi shoal, to the end Qinglian Islet (Yanyu Building).
West line: Out of the Palace Gate Xiuyun, down Yulin Slope, along northward the west line of Ruyi Lake to Shuiliu Yunzai. Eastward to Pingxiang bank or still northward to Wenjin Castle. West line is the traveling line of Huzhou area, also an arterial traffic connecting the four functional partition of whole garden.
Notes:
1. Open hour: 8:00am-17:30pm.
2. Gate ticket: high season(1 April to 31 October) 120RMB/ person.
Low season(1 November to 31 March) 90RMB/ person
3. The holiday villages need to book in advance in summer because of huge house demand at that time.
4. Following a tour guide is the best choice to visit Mountain Resort. It is not only increasing your Chinese history knowledge but also insuring that you would not miss the essential points which are out-of-the-way.
5. The scenery of Huzhou area is the most beautiful place in Mountain Resort. Rowing a boat on the lake is a good idea to experience the landscapes of lakes and mountains. You can rent a boat on the west bank of Ruyi Lake and many kinds of boats can be chosen by yourself.
6. Some palaces are restored to be museums to exhibit the history and royal artworks of Qing Dynasty, such as Zheng Palace, Songhe Zhai, Eastern Palace and Wanhe Songfeng.
7. Taking a round hill touring car is a easy way to visit the most scenic spots in Mountain Resort. Please remember safety first!
8. Taking good care of yourself and your carry-on luggage when traveling.
