City guide · 承德 Chengde
Chengde
The Qing summer capital and imperial hunting preserve, a mountain resort linking to the Bashang grasslands
Chengde lies in northeastern Hebei, in the eastern section of the Yan Mountains, about 230 kilometres from Beijing. The Wulie River runs through the city, and the Mountain Resort occupies the northern half of the urban area — the largest surviving imperial garden in China; around it stand twelve temples including the Outer Eight Temples (eight survive), whose forms blend Han, Mongol and Tibetan architecture. Two hours north lie the Mulan Hunting Grounds and the Saihanba forest farm; forest, grassland and the imperial hunting preserve complete the narrative of this northern summer capital. Chengde is the most direct city in which to observe the Qing dynasty's governance of a multi-ethnic empire, and the gateway for summer escapes and eco-travel from Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei.
History
How the city came to be
Chengde was in ancient times the land of the Shanrong and Donghu peoples, and in the early Qing a Mongol pastoral area. In the forty-second year of Kangxi (1703) the Qing court began building the summer palace here (the Rehe Palace); in the eleventh year of Yongzheng (1733) the name Chengde Zhou was bestowed, meaning "inheriting the ancestors' virtue"; in the Qianlong reign large-scale construction produced the Mountain Resort and the Outer Eight Temples, and Chengde became the summer capital where Qing emperors escaped the heat and handled ethnic and religious affairs, for over a hundred years. Major events such as the reception of the Sixth Panchen Lama and of the British Macartney Embassy took place here. In 1933, after the fall of Rehe in the War of Resistance, Chengde was occupied by the Japanese army. After the founding of the People's Republic, Chengde became a city under Hebei Province; in 1994 the Mountain Resort and its surrounding temples were inscribed on the World Cultural Heritage list.
- 1703The Kangxi Emperor began building the Mountain Resort (the Rehe Palace)
- 1733The Yongzheng Emperor bestowed the name Chengde Zhou
- 1749–1792In the Qianlong reign the Resort was expanded and the Outer Eight Temples were built in large numbers
- 1780The Sixth Panchen Lama arrived in Chengde; the court built the Xumifushou Temple to receive him
- 1793The British Macartney Embassy had an audience with Qianlong in Chengde
- 1933In the Defence of Rehe, Chengde fell for a time
- 1945Chengde was recovered
- 1994The Mountain Resort and its surrounding temples were inscribed on the World Heritage List
Stories
Stories of the city
Chengde's 'Little Potala Palace'
History · Chengde Mountain Resort
To consolidate Qing cultural and religious influence in Mongolia and Tibet, the Qianlong Emperor ordered the Putuo Zongcheng Temple built next to the Chengde Mountain Resort, modelled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa — hence its name, the 'Little Potala'. Together with the resort, the Eight Outer Temples became the political stage where Qing emperors received Mongol princes and Tibetan religious leaders.
People
People connected with Chengde
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Local life
Food and local daily life
Chengde Mountain Resort
Must-try
- Gaidao rou (Chengde smoked pork)
- Fried buckwheat jelly (jian wantuo)
- Almond milk (xingren lu)
Gaidao rou (smoked pork with lotus-leaf pancakes, a Qing court dish), fried wantuo (buckwheat wantuo, also eaten cold), almond milk / almond tea (from Chengde mountain apricots), venison / wild mountain greens (in season, at licensed restaurants)
| Where to eat | Lizhengmen Street around the Mountain Resort, long-established restaurants and the snack streets in town |
|---|---|
| Dining etiquette | For game such as venison, choose licensed restaurants, and don't buy products from protected wild animals |
| Typical price per person | CNY 50–90 |
| Tips | Book ahead in the summer peak season; apricot kernels come sweet and bitter — bitter kernels shouldn't be eaten raw or in quantity. |
Prices are typical rates as of October 2026, not exact quotes; CNY equivalents are approximate where exchange rates fluctuate.
Zheng Zhou · CC BY-SA 4.0