The Imperial Summer Villa is located in the city of Chengde in northeastern Hebei Province. Its construction started from the 42nd year of Emperor Kangxi's reign (1702), and completed in the 57th year of Emperor Qianlong's reign (1792). It is China's largest imperial garden, covering an area of 5.6 million sq. meters, and with a wall of 10km. surrounding the garden.

The Summer Villa can be divided into two parts: the palace area and garden area. Temples of various architectural styles and Imperial gardens subtly blend into a landscape of lakes, pasture land and forests. In addition to its aesthetic interest, the imperial summer villa is a rare historic vestige of the final development of feudal society in China.

The former was located in the southeast part of the Mountain Resort where the main buildings include Zhenggong (Front Palace), Songhezhai (Pine and Crane Hall), Wanhesongfeng (Whispering Pine Valley), and Donggong (Eastern Palace). The Hall of Danbo Jingcheng (Frugality and Placidity) is the main hall of the Front Palace. It is also known as Nanmu Hall because it was built of the fine-grained fragrant hardwood called nanny. The Hall of Wanhesongfeng standing on a hillock by the lakeside and encircled by green pine groves, is a grand scenic spot.

And the garden area is composed of the lake, plains and mountains. The lake is filled with crystal-clear rippling waters. Three pavilions were built upon a long bridge that spans the lake. To the north of the pavilions, lies an island by the name of "Moon Color and River Sound". The buildings on the island include Jingji Shanfang , Yingxin Tang, Lengxiang Ting etc. The plains lie to the north of the lake area. The Garden of Ten Thousand Trees is located in its northeast. Shimadai (Ground for Practising Horse-Ride) in the southwest is a vast stretch of flat land covered with green grass, where one can go for a gallop. Stupa at the Yongyou Temple (Temple of Eternal Blessing), the largest building in the plain area, was built in the style of the Pagoda at Baoen Temple (Temple of Paying Debt of Gratitude) in Nanjing City, and the Liuhe Pagoda (Six-Harmony Pagoda) in Hangzhou City. The mountains account for 4/5 of the Resort in area, with a terrain sloping from the northwest to the southeast. Ranged from south to north, are 4 successive valleys: Zhenzi yu (Hazels Valley), Lishu yu (Pear Trees Valley), Songlin yu (Pine Trees Valley) and Songyun xia (Pine Clouds Valley). On the summit of the mountain rising from Zhenzi yu, perches a large pavilion with a rolling roof, and commanding a distant view of Qingchui Peak (Club-shaped Peak) sparkling with golden and violet rays under the setting-sun light.

Putuo Zongcheng Temple

Located to the north of the Imperial Summer Villa, the Temple for Potarka Doctrine (Putuo zongcheng zhiTemple) was built in 1767 and became the largest of the eight remaining outer temples in Chengde, with an area of 220,000 square meters. Despite much renovation, it is still possible to understand the awe that visiting dignitaries, mainly from the far western provinces and Mongolia, felt for the temple.

The temple itself was designed as a replica of Lhasa's Potala Palace, in miniature. Most of the 60 or so halls that make up the complex are kept to this Tibetan style, and apart from the dark red main building, most of the buildings are with white walls and flat roofs. The temple was originally built for minority group leaders from all over China to celebrate the 60th birthday of the Qing Dynasty Emperor Qianlong (1711-1799), and it came to serve as the locale for religious ceremonies and as the meeting point for Qing emperor's to meet minority dignitaries.

Tips: Head up the road from the Northwest Gate of the Villa, over the river until you reach Shizigou lu. Turn right and the temple is located between the Shuxiang Temple and the Xumifushouzhi Temple, about 600 meters down this road.

Temple for Distant Security (Anyuan miao)

The Temple for Distant Security (Anyuan miao), is located to the east of the Summer Villa, on the Dongpin Hillock near to the Wulie River. Designed as many of the temples in Chengde to appease the more troublesome sectors in the Chinese empire through minority architectural similarities, the temple was built in the style of the Xinjiang Gurza Temple, which no longer exists. The complex is thus also called the YiIi Temple after the Xinjiang valley of the same name.

Built in the year of 1764, the temple covers 26,000 square meters, although now, sadly, most of the site is run down. The original complex consisted of three layers of walls, and various gates. Nowadays the most interesting construction is the central, three-floor Hall of Appeasing the Borders (Pudu dian), that contain a few gilded statues of Buddha, including Ksitigarbha. The main building is distinctive in having a black-tiled roof, unusual among temples and royal constructions.

In front of the Hall of Appeasing the Borders is a stele that contains the calligraphic style of Qianlong (1711-1799), engraved in Han Chinese, Manchurian, Mongolian and Tibetan.

How to get temple for distant security: All of the eastern temples can be reached from the railway station, by not crossing the river, but heading northwards (turn right off Chezhan lu, before the bridge).

Temple of Universal Happiness (Pule si)

To the east of the Summer Villa, and south of the Temple for Distant Security, the Temple of Universal Happiness, also known as the Round Pavilion, is the resorts most modern looking complex. It was built, under orders from Emperor Qianlong, in 1766, in order to receive visiting dignitaries of minority cultures, including the Mongols and the Tibetans. The present complex has been well renovated, but retains its mix of Han and Tibetan style architecture.

The front section is of Han Chinese origins, and contains the usual Hall of Heavenly Kings (Tianwang dian), a Bell and Drum Tower (Zhonggu lou) and the Hall of Ancestors (Zongyin dian). Most of these buildings are fairly standard, although still worth looking into.

The back section holds the Tibetan architecture, and is of a far more interesting and colorful style. The main building here is the central, triple-tiered Xuguang Pavilion (Xuguang ge), which is highly reminiscent of buildings within Beijing's Temple of Heaven (Tiantan). Within this main pavilion is the temple's namesake, a copper statue of the Buddha of Happiness (Huanxi fo).