Mountain Resort at Chengde
Chengde in northeastern Hebei is the site of the mountain resort of the Qing emperors.
The magnificent Mountain Resort was built during the Qing Dynasty, together the 12 Buddhist temples at its periphery. It served as the second political center of the Qing imperial court and early Qing emperors often spent their summers. The Mountain Resort together with the palaces have made Chengde a famous historical and cultural city, and one of China's leading scenic spots. The imperial Mountain Resort was included in the World Heritage List in 1994.
The construction of the Mountain Resort went on for some 90 years—starting from 1703, rebuilt and expanded during the reign period of Emperor Qianlong. It is China's largest existing imperial garden, covering an area of 5.64 million sq. m, double that of the Summer Palace, and eight times that of Beihai Park in Beijing.
The Mountain Resort is divided into two parts: the palace area and garden area.
