Hanming

Palace Performance

by Willettsworld

I arrived at the main gate of the Mountain Resort Main Palace at about 8am and walked through, after buying my ticket, and saw a small crowd gathered inside a small courtyard watching some girls dancing in traditional costumes to loud music. I think the dancing was some kind a ceremony to welcome to Emperor to the Mountain Resort as a guy and woman wearing some impressive looking clothes then walked down from behind where the dancers had performed and were greeted by another guy. I have no idea how often this performance happens or what it means but it was a nice surprise, all the same.

Yongyou Temple

by Willettsworld

This temple lies on the eastern side of the Mountain Resort with the resort walls. It was built in 1751 and means "Temple of Eternal Happiness and Blessing". The temple is dominated by a 9-storey, 67 metre-high octangonal pagoda which is modelled on the Liuhe Pagoda in Hangzhou and Baoen Temple in Nanjing. The Xiexin Hall on the temples western side was where the emperor used to rest and change his clothes when worshipping his ancestors.

Mountain Resort of the Emperors

by Willettsworld

In 1703, Chengde, (located approx 150 miles, 250km north-east of Beijing), was chosen by the Kangxi Emperor as the location for his summer residence. Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the Mountain Resort (known in Chinese as Bishu Shanzhuang, literally "avoiding the heat mountain villa") was used by both the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors. Since the seat of government followed the emperor, Chengde was a political centre of the Chinese empire during these times. The town of Chengde built up to the south of the Mountain Resort and is a good place to stay overnight. The whole Resort can be divided into four areas: these are the palace area, lakes area, plains area and mountain area. Outside of this are the "Eight Outer Temples" of which Puning Temple with its 22-meter high Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara statue and Putuo Zongcheng Temple, modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet, are the most famous. Chengde has a different feel to it than other large Chinese towns as it's fairly modern but with plenty of sights.

Chengde

by nepalgoods

"Summerresidence of Emperor Qianlong"

The former Jehol became important, when in the 18th century the Chinese Emperors built a summerpalace there.

Specially Emperor Qianlong built some temples, which remind you of famous Tibetian temples, like the Potala in Lhasa.

1820 Emperor Jiaqing was killed by a flash. After that the Emperors left Chengde.

Today are only the garden and some ruins of the palace left. But you can still visit 4 or 5 of the temples. The ruins of the other temples are now in a military restricted area.