The Mountain Resort of Chengde, also known as Chengde Ligong or Jehol Temporary Palace, is located in a valley along the west bank of the Wulie River north of Chengde City in Hebei Province. It is the largest existing imperial garden in China. Construction began in 1703 and continued for 90 years through the reigns of three emperors, Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. The Mountain Resort, which maintains the principle of being simple yet elegant, covers an area of 5.64 million square meters and hosts more than 120 buildings that integrate architectural styles from different parts of China.
The Mountain Resort consists of various types of buildings, such as halls, houses, pavilions, chambers, verandas, and temples, to name a few. The resort can be roughly divided into two parts: the palace area and the garden area. The garden area can be subdivided into three parts: the lake area, the plain area, and the mountain area. The four major building complexes of the palace area are the Front Palace (Zhenggong), the Pine Crane Hall (Songhezhai), the East Palace (Donggong), and their annexes. The Front Palace, the main building in the palace area, has a main hall called Danbo Jingcheng Hall (Hall of Frugality and Placidity) where grand celebrations were held. Behind this are the Study of Four Knows, Yanbo Zhishuang Hall (Hall of Cool Mists and Ripples), and Yunshan Shengdi Hall (Hall of the Panorama of Cloud-covered Mountains). These were places for the emperor to reside, handle state affairs, and read books. Most of the landscape and buildings in the lake area are modeled on famous scenic spots south of the Yangtze River. For example, Yanyulou (House of Mists and Rains) is
Modeled on the Yanyulou at the South Lake in Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province. The layout of Jinshan Islet is modeled on Jinshan Hill in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province.
The plain area consists mainly of grassland and wooded quarters. Wanshuyuan (Garden of Ten-thousand Trees) was where Emperor Qianlong received the princes of minority people, religious leaders, and foreign envoys. Wenjinge (Knowledge Imparting Hall) and Yongyou Temple which houses a stupa are also located in the plain area.
The mountain area is located in the western and northern parts, with peaks, crags, and luxuriant forests. Chuifeng Luozhao Pavilion (Pavilion of the Hammer Peak in the Glow of the Setting Sun) is located in this part of the Mountain Resort. Qingchui Peak (Sledgehammer Peak) is bathed in golden sunlight at sunset. Chuifeng Luozhao Pavilion derived its name from this beautiful natural scene.
During the heyday of the Qing Empire, from the reign of Kangxi to that of Qianlong, eight temples were built in the northeastern section of the Mountain Resort: Puren Temple, Pushan Temple, Puning Temple, Anyuan Temple, Putuo Zongcheng Temple, Shuxiang Temple, Temple of Sumeru Happiness and Longevity (Xumifushou), and Guangyuan Temple. Together they are known as the Eight Outlying Temples. The temples can be classified into three architectural styles: Tibetan, Han Chinese, and Han-Tibetan. Puren Temple and Pushan Temple are the earliest Han-Chinese-style temples. Puning Temple is a classic example of the hybridization of Han Chinese and Tibetan styles. The front of this temple features a Han-Chinese garan seven-hall arrangement, while the rear part is in the Tibetan Mandala style characterized by its architectural adherence to the Buddhist universe: the Mahayana Pavilion is placed in the middle, symbolizing the Sumeru Mountain, while the halls built around it signify the Four Buddhist lands.
Puning Temple houses the world's largest gold-lacquered, wooden statue of the Avalokitesvara
Bodhisattva with a thousand eyes and a thousand hands. Anyuan Temple, marked by its black tiles, is modeled on the Gulzha Temple in Yili, Xinjiang. Pule Temple is the only one of the Eight Outlying Temples with a domeshaped roof for its main hall. The Xuguang (Morning Light) Pavilion inside the temple has a coffered ceiling decorated with flying dragons and it houses the largest existing three-dimensional wooden Mandala model.
Putuo Zongcheng Temple is the most Tibetan in architectural features and also the largest of the eight. Dahongtai or the Red Tower, the main part of the temple, is 42.5 meters high and 59.7 meters wide. This imposing structure reminds people of a castle hanging in the air. In the middle of the Red Tower stands Wanfaguiyi Hall (Hall of All Laws into One), a hall with double eaves and a pointed roof covered with gold-coated tiles at four corners. This was where Emperor Qianlong received the Torghut tribal chief Ubashi Khan and his attendants who returned to the Qing Empire after a march of thousands of miles.
Xumifushou Temple was built for the Sixth Panchen Lama—the then political and religious leader of Tibet— who came to congratulate Emperor Qianlong on his 70th birthday. The roof of Miaogao Zhuangyan Hall, its main hall, is covered with gold-coated brass tiles. There are eight dragons cast from eight tons of brass for each of the four roof ridges, which are positioned as if they were flying into a mist of clouds. All these architectural works vividly reflect the unity of different races.
The Mountain Resort and the Eight Outlying Temples form a vast cultural landscape area. As an important place for the Qing emperors to pass the hot summer and conduct state affairs, the resort was a political center next in importance to Beijing. It has witnessed the development and consolidation of China as a multi-ethnic country. Housing many rare historical relics, the Mountain Resort has become a perfect place for scholars to conduct research into the cultural history of the Qing Dynasty.
Built in 1754, Lizheng is the main gate of the Mountain Resort and also known as the first of the 36 Qianlong Scenic Spots. The gate board bears the inscription "li zheng men" in Manchu, Chinese, Mongolian, Tibetan, and Uyghur. The name originates from The Book of Changes (I Ching), meaning "shiny and bright," symbolizing fairness, righteousness, benevolence, harmony, and universal unity.
World History
