Chengde 承德 Travel Guide

Chengde is a little visited gem just a few hours from Beijing and can even be seen as a day trip although an overnight stay is more preferable. The summer resort for Beijing’s Manchu Emperors, the palace here is a breathe of fresh air after the scale of the Forbidden City in Beijing. The surrounding temples built to host visiting dignitaries are outstanding both architecturally and in their setting. If China hasn’t templed you out yet Chengde is a must.

The collection of temples in such a small area and in such a range of styles offers a good insight into the architecture. Being only four hours outside of Beijing means there isn’t the same tourist pressure you get at Beijing’s main sights.

The Summer Resort, Bishu Shanzhuang, manages to feel modest in size but is actually part of China’s largest imperial garden surrounded by a 10km wall. If you can’t make it to Lhasa the Putuozongcheng Temple is a scaled down copy of the Potala Palace built to host a visit by a Dalai Lama and is the largest of Chengde’s temples. Club Rock and Toad Rock make a pleasant walk with good Scenery and views over the city. Puning Temple was built in 1755 and is Chengde’s only active temple and has a mixture of Chinese and Tibetan style buildings.

Chengde is a superb side trip from Beijing, an ideal way to escape the summer heat of the city and offers stunning temples and gardens at a much more relaxed pace than Beijing. The train trip from Beijing is also worth taking for the mountain scenery.

We recommend the Qiwanglou Hotel, a former communist part retreat right by the gate of the Imperial Summer Resort and built in the traditional Chinese style with lovely gardens.

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By Phil Stanley & Headseast – TCTC Destination Expert.