Chengde Mountain Resort is in Chengde, Hebei Province. Construction began in 1703 and took three Qing emperors — Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong — 89 years to finish. It was where Qing emperors spent their summers handling government affairs and escaping the heat.

It's huge — 5.64 million square meters, bigger than eight Forbidden Cities put together, or two Summer Palaces in Beijing. It's the largest surviving imperial garden in China.

The resort is divided into four areas: palaces, lakes, plains, and mountains. Unlike the fancy, golden Forbidden City, this place is more natural and low-key, keeping the beauty of the landscape while imitating scenes from both the south of China and the northern grasslands. Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong each named scenic spots here — 72 in total. In 1994, the resort and its surrounding temples were added to the UNESCO World Heritage list。

A Mountain Resort, Half of Qing History (Story)

The Chengde Mountain Resort was more than just a summer getaway — it was the Qing Dynasty's "second political center."

One little-known reason for its construction was to avoid smallpox. In the early Qing, smallpox outbreaks were rampant. Mongolian princes and nobles were terrified of catching the disease when they came to Beijing to pay tribute. To keep good relations with the Mongol tribes while ensuring everyone's safety, Emperor Kangxi decided to build a political hub outside the capital. He found that Chengde's Rehe area had a pleasant climate, sparse population, and sat on the key route between Beijing and the Mongolian plateau — perfect for quarantine measures. So he ordered the construction of this mountain resort.

Later, Emperor Qianlong received several important visitors here: the Torghut tribal leader Wobaxi, who had returned from the west; the Sixth Panchen Lama, who traveled thousands of miles from Tibet; and the British diplomatic mission led by Lord Macartney. This resort witnessed the glory of the Qing Dynasty at its peak, but also its decline — it was here that Emperor Xianfeng signed unequal treaties, and where Empress Dowager Cixi plotted the Xinyou Coup. As the saying goes — "One mountain resort, half of Qing history."

Quick Tip

Book your tickets in advance through the official "Chengde Mountain Resort and Surrounding Temples" WeChat public account using your real name. It's best to enter after 3:30 PM — the light is beautiful and the queues are shorter. Be sure to buy the mountain shuttle bus ticket (60 RMB) — the mountain area makes up four-fifths of the resort and is too large to cover on foot. And wear comfortable shoes — you'll be walking an average of 20,000 steps a day!