Charming Chinese Cities

Author: Sui Xiaozuo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-11-01
Features: Chengde, a summer resort in the northern part of Hebei Province, is a city archive of urban type. Chengde is 340 meters above sea level, surrounded by mountains on all sides. The city is north of the Chengde Mountain Resort and has the "Eight Outer Temples" in its periphery, making it a picturesque mountain city in the northern frontier. The city was established in the first year of the Yongzheng reign (1723), when the Qing government created the first local administrative body here, known as the Rehe Prefecture.
Location: Chengde is located in the northeastern part of Hebei Province, north of the Luan River and on the west bank of the Wulie River. It is 250 kilometers away from Beijing.
Historical Tunnel: The area around Chengde has been inhabited by people of various ethnic groups throughout history. During the Shang Dynasty, it was the home of northern ethnic groups such as the Shanrong and Donghu, and it was part of the territory of Yanhou, one of the feudal lords of the Western Zhou Dynasty. In the Warring States period, this area was under the jurisdiction of the three prefectures—Yuyang, Youbeiping, and Liaoxi—established by the State of Yan. After the unification of China by the Qin Dynasty, it remained part of the Yuyang, Youbeiping, and Liaoxi prefectures. From the Western Han Dynasty to the Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was inhabited by ethnic groups such as the Xiongnu, Wuhuan, and Xianbei, and was part of Youzhou. In the early Tang Dynasty, the Rolaoduwei and Songduwei were established to govern the ethnic minorities in this area. During the Liao and Jin periods, it was primarily inhabited by ethnic groups such as the Xianbei, Kemu Xi, and Khitan. After the Yuan Dynasty unified China, the area around Chengde belonged to the Xingzhou of Shangdu Road, including Xing'an County and Yixing County. In the early Ming Dynasty, it was under the jurisdiction of Beiping Prefecture, later changed to the Beiping Military Commission. After the establishment of the Qing Dynasty, Chengde developed further due to its unique geographical location.
In the 20th year of the Kangxi reign (1681), after suppressing the Revolt of the Three Feudatories in the south, the Qing Dynasty shifted its attention to the north for political reasons. A hunting ground () was established outside Gubeikou to train the Manchu and Mongol Eight Banners troops and maintain their combat readiness. Starting from the 41st year of the Kangxi reign (1702), eight palaces were built along the routes from Beijing to Chengde and from Chengde to the hunting ground. Before the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign (1703), there was only a small settlement called Shangying in what is now Chengde City. In the 42nd year of the Kangxi reign, the Chengde Palace was begun to be built north of Shangying, which later became the Chengde Mountain Resort. By the early 47th year of the Kangxi reign, it had taken shape, and it was fully completed in the 55th year of the Qianlong reign (1790). During this period, from the 52nd year of the Kangxi reign (1713) to the 45th year of the Qianlong reign (1780), the ancient architectural complex of the Eight Outer Temples was constructed.
Starting from the 47th year of the Kangxi reign (1708), the Kangxi Emperor and the Qianlong Emperor spent four to five months, and sometimes up to half a year, in the Chengde Mountain Resort every summer, with very few exceptions. The Chengde Mountain Resort became the emperor's most frequent activity site. While enjoying the summer vacation, the Qianlong Emperor also handled a large amount of government affairs. At that time, upper-class figures from Mongolia, Qinghai, and Xinjiang, such as the Mongols, Uyghurs, and Kazakhs, as well as upper-class figures from Tibet, Sichuan, and Taiwan, such as the Tibetans, Miao, and Gaoshan people, came to the Chengde Mountain Resort to pay homage and receive imperial rewards, discussing state affairs.
After the mid-Qianlong period, envoys and even kings from neighboring countries such as Korea, Laos, Annam (Vietnam), and Burma visited the Chengde Mountain Resort for friendly visits. Even British envoys came to the mountain resort to meet the Qianlong Emperor and request trade. The Chengde Mountain Resort thus became the second political center of the Qing government.
With the completion of the Chengde Mountain Resort, local administrative bodies and Eight Banners garrison institutions were gradually established. In the first year of the Yongzheng reign (1723), the first local administrative body, the Rehe Prefecture, was established here.