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Chengde, CHINA 2009


Chengde (Chinese: 承德; pinyin: Chéngdé) is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province,
People's Republic of China, situated northeast of Beijing. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort,
a vast imperial garden formerly used by the emperors of the Qing Dynasty.

In 1703, Chengde was chosen by the Kangxi Emperor as the location for his summer residence.
Constructed throughout the eighteenth century, the Mountain Resort; literally meaning
("avoiding the heat mountain villa") was used by both the Yongzheng and Qianlong emperors.

1. Summer Palace : The Emperor spent his summer here to escape the heat of Beijing.
Those days it took 8-9 days to reach Chegde from Beijing. Built between 1703 and 1792,
the Mountain Resort took 89 years to complete. It covers a total area of 5.6 km²,
almost half of Chengde's urban area. It is a vast complex of palaces and administrative
and ceremonial buildings. Temples of various architectural styles and imperial gardens
blend harmoniously into a landscape of lakes, pastureland and forests.

2. Little Potala Temple : The Putuo Zongcheng Temple is a Qing Dynasty era Buddhist temple
complex built between 1767 and 1771, during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735-1796).
It is located near the Chengde Mountain Resort. Along with the equally famed Puning Temple,
it is one of the Eight Outer Temples of Chengde. The temple was modeled after the Potala Palace of Tibet,
the old sanctuary of the Dalai Lama built a century earlier. Hence the Putuo Zongcheng has been
nicknamed the "Little Potala Palace".

Chengde, Hebei Province
Chengde, Hebei Province		 Offices and courtyard of the Emperor
Offices and courtyard of the Emperor		 Sweeper
Sweeper		 Jump
Jump		 Hard rocker and a brick wall
Hard rocker and a brick wall
Emperor's dining hall
Emperor's dining hall		 Gardens of the Summer Resort
Gardens of the Summer Resort		 Tranquility (CWS8744)
Tranquility (CWS8744)		 Peaceful abode (CWS8749)
Peaceful abode (CWS8749)		 Lake and bridge (CWS8756)
Lake and bridge (CWS8756)
Palace lake and trees (CWS8759)
Palace lake and trees (CWS8759)		 Summer Resort (CWS8766)
Summer Resort (CWS8766)		 Tree reflections (CWS8778)
Tree reflections (CWS8778)		 Walk in the gardens (CWS8779)
Walk in the gardens (CWS8779)		 Boathouse (CWS8767)
Boathouse (CWS8767)
Boathouse (CWS8777)
Boathouse (CWS8777)		 Summer Resort (Bishushanzhuang) CWS8784
Summer Resort (Bishushanzhuang) CWS8784		 Summer Resort (Bishushanzhuang) CWS8785
Summer Resort (Bishushanzhuang) CWS8785		 Grasslands
Grasslands		 Hot spring
Hot spring
Water mill
Water mill		 Hot spring pond (CWS8794)
Hot spring pond (CWS8794)		 Red carps at hotspring (CWS8796)
Red carps at hotspring (CWS8796)		 Pretty
Pretty		 Borrowed for a pose
Borrowed for a pose
Entrance to the Little Potala Temple
Entrance to the Little Potala Temple		 Entrance gate
Entrance gate		 Lioness statue
Lioness statue		 Entrance gate
Entrance gate		 Building facade
Building facade
At the top of a Kuanyin temple
At the top of a Kuanyin temple		 View from the top
View from the top		 The Little Potala Temple
The Little Potala Temple		 Little Potala Temple
Little Potala Temple		 A stage performance
A stage performance
Little Potala Temple
Little Potala Temple		 Little Potala Temple
Little Potala Temple		 Another view
Another view		 Peeking through
Peeking through		 Standing tall
Standing tall
Chengde rural scenery
Chengde rural scenery		 Rural Chengde (CWS9054)
Rural Chengde (CWS9054)		 Rural Chengde (CWS9086)
Rural Chengde (CWS9086)		 Rural Chengde (CWS9094)
Rural Chengde (CWS9094)		 Rural Chengde (CWS9117)
Rural Chengde (CWS9117)

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