Chengde Mountain Resort: A Lounge for a Weary Dynasty

Author: Liu Yaomei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: A quaint and elegant garden, a fragrant incense-filled temple, forming a magnificent and complete group of ancient imperial architecture. It served both to display imperial power and provide entertainment, pushing the architectural arts of classical Chinese gardens and temples to their peak, and also serving as a historical witness to national unity and solidarity. This refers to Chengde. The Chengde Mountain Resort, also known as the Chengde Imperial Summer Villa or the Rehe Palace, is located in the northern part of the central area of Chengde City, Hebei Province. It was the summer retreat and administrative center for Qing Dynasty emperors. Construction began in the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign (1703) and was completed in the 57th year of the Qianlong reign (1792). The total area covers 5.64 million square meters, with a built-up area of approximately 1 million square meters, featuring over 110 structures and 184 scenic spots (including 36 named by Kangxi and Qianlong), with winding palace walls stretching 10 kilometers, making it the largest ancient imperial garden in China. The Mountain Resort is designed in a simple and elegant rural style, taking the essence of natural landscapes and incorporating the beauty of both the Jiangnan and northern regions, forming a grand imperial garden. The palace walls are not painted in bright red; instead, they are built with local natural stone. The palaces are constructed in the form of northern residential quadrangle courtyards, with green bricks, green tiles, and white lime mortar, devoid of colorful decorations, contrasting with the opulent Beijing Forbidden City in both their simplicity and grandeur. The Mountain Resort is divided into two main parts: the Palace Area and the Garden Area. The Palace Area is where the emperor handled state affairs, held celebrations, and resided, covering an area of 1 million square meters and consisting of four groups of buildings: the Main Palace, Songhezi, Wanhe Songfeng, and Donggong. The Garden Area is further divided into the Lake and Island Area, the Plain Area, and the Mountain Area. The Lake and Island Area features scattered islands and shimmering waters, embodying the charm of the Jiangnan region's fish and rice countryside. In the northeastern corner lies the famous Hot River Spring. The Plain Area in the west is covered in lush green grass, resembling the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, while the east is dominated by towering ancient trees, resembling the dense forests of the Daxing'anling Mountains. The entire Mountain Resort simulates the natural geographical features of China, blending the characteristics of northern and southern gardens, integrating architectural styles from all over the country, and creating a beautiful landscape rich in natural charm. On the eastern and northern foothills of the Mountain Resort are located the magnificent complexes of the Eight Outer Temples, which were gradually constructed from the 52nd year of the Kangxi reign (1713) to the 45th year of the Qianlong reign (1780). Their names are: Andai Temple, Puting Temple, Xume Fuji Temple, Putuo Zongcheng Temple, and Shuxiang Temple. The Eight Outer Temples, with their Han-style palace architecture, created a diverse yet unified style of temple architecture in China. The main buildings of the Eight Outer Temples are Putuo Temple, Puting Temple, and Xume Fushou Temple. The main building of Putuo Temple is Xuguang Pavilion, a two-tiered round-topped structure with an elegant design similar to Beijing's Qianren Dian. The main hall of Puting Temple, the Mahayana Hall, houses a 23.511-meter-tall, 110-ton wooden statue of the Bodhisattva Guanyin with a thousand hands and a thousand eyes, making it the tallest wooden statue in the world. Xume Fushou Temple served as the venue for the Sixth Panchen Lama to deliver sermons. Its main hall, Miaogao Zhuanyan Dian, is magnificent, with four golden dragons on each of its four ridges, each in a vivid pose. Putuo Zongcheng Temple was built in the style of Lhasa's Potala Palace and is known as the "Little Potala Palace." The Chengde Mountain Resort and its Surrounding Temples were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 1994.