Chengde (承德)

Chengde is a large city that has had different names in the past. It used to be called 'Jehol' and 'Rehe' and is the place where the Imperial Summer Villa is located. The mountain resort was constructed over many decades during the 18th century and boasts the largest royal garden in all of China. The wall surrounding the Summer Villa is over 10 km long.

Outside the walls are the so-called Eight Outer Temples (外八庙), of which the most famous one is the Putuo Zongcheng Temple. It was constructed to resemble Lhasa's Potala Palace. Not far from these temples is the Puning Temple, where you can see the world's tallest wooden statue of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara.

In the surrounding hills, you'll find hundreds of other palaces and temples. In the hills sits Sledgehammer Peak (磬锤峰), which is a large rock that resembles a sledgehammer. Inside Chengde are many interesting temples as well. An enjoyable way to explore Chengde is by cycling around the city.

The area was inscribed in the UNESCO world heritage list in 1994. Accommodation and restaurants are widely available in Chengde. The city is 200 km northeast of Beijing.