Location: Chengde
Top Things to do in Chengde
- 1. Imperial Summer Palace of Mountain Resort
- 2. Temple of Universal Peace (Puning si)
- 3. Eight Outer Temples in The Bishu Villa
- 4. Potala Palace (Putuo Zongcheng Temple)
- 5. Museum of Summer Resort
- 6. Chengde Qingchui Mountain (Hammer Rock)
- 7. Temple of Universal Happiness (Pule si)
- 8. Eight Outer Temples
- 9. Shuxiang Temple
- 10. Qingchuifeng National Forest Park
Top Restaurants in Chengde
The 10 Best Things to Do in Chengde, China
Chengde (Chinese: 承德), previously known as Jehol or Rehe, is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, situated northeast of Beijing. The name means "to convey virtue" (meaning "to convey to others the virtue of the emperor"). It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by the Qing emperors as summer residence. The urban center had a population of approximately 450,000 as of 2009.
Restaurants in Chengde
1. Imperial Summer Palace of Mountain Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 402 reviews
China's largest imperial garden and the former summer capital of the Qing dynasty is surrounded by lakes, forest and Mountains.
Reviewed By garyje - Ireland
My wife and i visited this on a tour of China, it was another Nice palace, we enjoyed the walking in the Gardens and taking in the beautiful landscapes,
Also marvelled at the crowds of Chinese Men all in dark suits that where visiting, it's funny the things that stick in your head, but thats one
2. Temple of Universal Peace (Puning si)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 60 reviews
Reviewed By Vladimir M - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Puning Temple of Chengde ("Temple of Universal Peace"), Hebei province, China is a Qing dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built in 1755, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The temple was modeled after the Samye Monastery, the sacred Lamaist site in Tibet.
The Puning Temple also houses the world's tallest wooden sculpture of the bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara. It’s 22.28 meter high and weight 110 ton. This is the reason that this temple often nicknamed the "Big Buddha Temple"
Be sure to look this statue!
3. Eight Outer Temples in The Bishu Villa
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 74 reviews
Reviewed By anneetmichel - Tours
The origin of these temples is more interesting than the actual buildings which are nicer to be seen from far than actually visited in detail. Emperor Qianlong (major Qing dynasty, the last one) wanted to treat his western colleagues from Tibet (an old chines preoccupation) and had built these copies of major buddhist temples to honour his dominated "guests". However the buildings require urgent care and restoration. The inside visit are exhausting (many stairs), relatively expensive and beside of the landscape of limited interest. We regreted to have not devoted more time to the park of the summer palace instead.
4. Potala Palace (Putuo Zongcheng Temple)
Overall Ratings
4 based on 70 reviews
Reviewed By Vladimir M - Dubai, United Arab Emirates
The Putuo Zongcheng Temple of Chengde, Hebei province, China is a Qing dynasty era Buddhist temple complex built between 1767 and 1771, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. The temple was modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet.
Be sure to visit this temple. And it's better if you can climb up to the roof!
5. Museum of Summer Resort
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 52 reviews
Reviewed By Wunderlust2K10 - Toronto, Canada
As this is where the emperors of times past when to relax and do business during the summer, a simplified version of the Forbidden City was built to house them. Now this has been converted to a museum of sorts. Tourists can wander through the exhibit to see how the emperor and their courtisans lived. Unfortunately there is minimal information in english (mostly the introduction and single line blurbs describing the occasional artifact).
If you are interested, do some quick Reading about China's more recent imperial history and dowager "Ci Xi" before you actually visit. This will help you understand the site better.
6. Chengde Qingchui Mountain (Hammer Rock)
Overall Ratings
4 based on 29 reviews
Reviewed By mosto - Hong Kong, China
Visited the Qingchuifeng (Sledge Hammer Peak). It was really nice and the cable ride up was really scenic esp in spring when flowers are in bloom. The scenic area is well maintained and the hike up to the Sledge Hammer Peak ("SHP")is quite steep. Best go in the morning to avoid crowds because the top of the mountain where the SHP is located is quite narrow and the side barriers are very low. If any person slip or fall in front or at the back of you, it may cause fatal accident.
7. Temple of Universal Happiness (Pule si)
Overall Ratings
4 based on 21 reviews
Also called the Round Pavilion, this structure was built in 1766 for the representatives of the Kazak, Khalkhas and other dignitaries of minority cultures who wished an audience with Emperor Qianlong.
Reviewed By ChrisMcMillan - Chengde, China
In late March 2007 I visited three of the 'Eight Outer Temples' in the Mountain Resort of Chengde which were done all in one day.
Pule is the smallest and least known of the three we visited. We arrived after lunch on a very warm, sunny spring day. To get there in our CITS coach we drove up a single track road through a small hamlet where we saw China as it would be in history. Small homes with people cooking outside. I don't know if hearing our coach had brought the people out to see it, but we were told that many organised coach parties don't go to this temple.
Driving through the hamlet we saw one or two small 'lap dog' sized dogs wandering about. I didn't recognise them as being any particular breed however.
Pule was built in January 1766 - though this is gleaned from a non-English written web site and I'm sure the whole thing took more than a few weeks to build. Qianlong, one of the Qing Dynasty Emperors was on the throne then. It seems to have some connection with western China tribes.
As with the other two temples and the Summer Palace there are no English signs explaining anything and the guide book I bought in our hotel about Chengde in general looked promising but is lacking coherent English text. Fabulous photos though - as are the postcards.
We also visited the Summer Palace in Chengde, and a group ticket was purchased for all the visits - we visited the Summer Palace the previous afternoon: could be worth checking out this information at your hotel as I certainly haven't seen any information on individual multiple ticketting on English web sites. I have seen one site quoting tickets for the three individual temples and Summer Palace (and for summer and winter prices) plus opening times.
The temple buildings themselves as we walked past them looked a bit sorry for themselves: like many of the places I visited if they hadn't been spruced up already for the Olympics it looked as if they might be in line for it. But that was Xi'an and Beijing.
What really made the temple for me though was all the bright new flags hanging everywhere. These would be prayer flags though I am not sure if it was the same Buddhist sect as that in Puning and Putuozhongsheng. There were some Tibetan prayer wheels in the same courtyard.
We were not told what we were going to look for in this Temple and its quite a narrow ledge one walks along for a few yards along the side of a building when suddenly into view comes the replica of the 'Altar for Good Harvests, Temple of Heaven': perfect in every detail. We saw it as if it were a mountain top and most of it was hidden from our view by a low roof of another building. However the same Chengde web site tells me the dimensions are exactly the same as that at the Temple of Heaven.
However, there is one difference. At the Temple of Heaven the buildings have more 'animals' placed on the roof edges. It is very noticeable in my photo that there are fewer. This denotes that despite the Emperor's visits to Chengde and his authority in *building* the temple, it is not considered so important.
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8. Eight Outer Temples
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 13 reviews
Reviewed By ChrisMcMillan - Chengde, China
There is only one drawback to wanting to visit the 'replica' Potala: you probably need to be as fit to climb the steeply winding and rough pathway as if you were climbing to the original Potala in Beijing. Sadly I had to give up after a short distance because I wouldn't have kept up with the rest of my tour group. Or at least that's what I felt.
This temple, more than the other two probably, it would be wise to take a 'hiking' stick if you have leg or knee problems at all. Or if you have balance problems. The steps are individualistic and the day we were there the sun was so bright that it was difficult to gauge the depth (or otherwise) of each one. Also they weren't exactly steps as one would expect to a building: more depressions in the paving which may or may not have a bit of concrete making it 'proud'. Definitely not a walk to be rushed.
I was told that in the long run it wasn't as difficult as expected because these 'steps' were spaced out. Not all our party made it right up to the Potala for all that: so the steepness is a factor to be taken into consideration (as is the Great Wall: which had also defeated me on time factors).
As with the Pule Temple which we visited later the same day, one does have to work for one's view of the main building of the Potala. I didn't glimpse it until I was safely back on the coach, and scrambled off again to get my photo. Not that I had any great hopes of it being any good due to the great distance. However, I had forgotten the clearness of the mountain air.
We were at this temple late morning and there was a number of tourists about: all Chinese. I don't think I saw anyone from the west. Not long after one starts the climb there is an area with a drinks stall, and a stall sellng 'amulets'. However, (and a lovely change) no one trying to get you to 'buy, buy, buy'.
the whole temple is peaceful, even though at least one of the buildings by the drinks area is open and people can climb to the roof area (not on top of the roof itself but just under the eaves) and I was called to by some young Chinese people.
9. Shuxiang Temple
10. Qingchuifeng National Forest Park
Overall Ratings
5 based on 3 reviews
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