UNESCO World Heritage Site: Chengde Mountain Resort

The UNESCO World Heritage Site 'Mountain Resort' is a must-visit attraction for tourists visiting Chengde for the first time. As the largest existing royal garden in China, it is eight times the size of the Beijing Forbidden City and was the place where the Qing emperors spent their summers and handled state affairs. It was started in 1703 (the 42nd year of Kangxi) and took 89 years to complete through the three dynasties of Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. Many significant historical events in China have taken place here. The architecture itself inherits the tradition of Chinese classical gardens and is an outstanding example of natural landscape gardens. Among them, Qianlong built 36 representative buildings in the Mountain Resort. This tour route selected some of the 'Qianlong's Thirty-Six Sceneries'. For example, the Smoke and Rain Building and the Lion Forest of Wenyuan, which mimic the architecture of Jiangnan gardens, or the Four Knowledge Book House used by the emperor to meet ministers and worship Buddha. There are also many worthwhile cultural relics in the Mountain Resort Museum. Perhaps because it was a weekday, there were not many tourists, the climate was pleasant, and the roads here were flatter than those in the Beijing Summer Palace, making it easier to walk. Overall, the visit was very good 👍🏼 However, I personally think it is better to reserve enough time.