Brief / profile
Known as "the temporary palace of Chengde”, the Chengde Summer Resort is the largest existing imperial garden and also one of the top 10 scenic spots in China. Boasting the beauty of scenery in both north and south China, it covers an area of 5.64 million square meters, almost half of the urban area, twice that of the Summer Palace, and eight times that of Beihai Park in Beijing. This attraction is a vast complex of palaces and administrative constructions. In this resort, imperial gardens and temples of various styles blend harmoniously. Besides the appealing scenery, the Summer Resort is also a priceless historic heritage.

Location
This summer resort lies in the north of Chengde City, Hebei Province.

Why got its this name
Originally called Rehe Imperial Palace, the Chengde Summer Resort got its name from the inscription by the Emperor Kanxi on its front gate.
4. Function or value in the past
In the Qing Dynasty, emperors used to come here in summer to escape heat and handle political affairs.

History
The history of the Chengde Summer Resort can be traced back to the beginning of the Qing Dynasty. It was originally constructed in 1703. After nearly 90 years’ construction, this resort became the world’s largest imperial garden. It was Kangxi who first discovered this grand place during his hunting trip over 200 hundred years ago. Since Kangxi, his successors handled the government affairs here in summer and autumn. Therefore, this resort became the political center only second to Beijing at that time. In 1994, the Summer Resort was listed as the world’s cultural heritage by UNESCO.

Architecture / Structure / Each scenery
This scenic attraction can be divided into 2 parts: the garden zone and the palace zone. The garden zone is made up of 3 sections: the Lake zone, Plain zone and Mountain zone.
1. The Lake zone is in the northern part of the palace zone. There’re 3 islands called Happy Island, Island for Enjoying the Water Songs under the Moonlight, and Green Surrounded Island respectively in the middle of the lake zone. Green waves rippling on the lake accompanied by the swaying willows create a fantastic picture.
2. Plain zone is a zone for emperors in the Qing Dynasty to hold feasts and recreational activities. This area can also be divided into 3 parts: an arboretum to the east, a piece of grassland to the west and temples and other buildings to the north.
3. Mountain Zone is in the northwest of the Summer Resort, possessing 4 great valleys: Pine-cloud Valley, Pear Valley, Pine Valley and Filbert Valley. You can appreciate the mountainous scenery here.
As for the palace zone, it consists of Main Palace, Pine-Crane Hall, Pine Soughing Valley and East Palace. All the buildings here are built by green bricks and glazed tiles, forming a splendid and fabulous picture and visitors can greatly enjoy another aspect of the Summer Resort here.

Present condition
At present, most people will consider spending holidays in the Summer Resort once summer comes. Every year, many tourists come here for relaxation and enjoyment.

Transportation
Tourists can take bus No 5 or No 11 at the Chengde Railway Station to the Summer Resort and you just need to spend over 10 minutes.

Admission fee
The admission fee is usually RMB 50 and RMB 90 during the tourism period.

Note
If you have some question, you can call The Mountain Resort Management Office at 86-314-2160513 for inquiry.