Back Up
Back to Main List

Chengde Introduction

For those looking to get away from the heat of Beijing in the sweltering summer months, you may be advised to follow the lessons of history. It was the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911 AD) emperors, starting with the revered Kangxi, that were to truly appreciate the cooling charms of the little village of Rehe or Jehol, that has since come to be known as Chengde. The Qing court were to live here between May and late October every year, until finally the warming comforts of the capital lured them back. Nowadays, Chengde not only still has these cool summers, it also retains the memories of this Qing invasion with some of the best Imperial Garden architecture in China.

It was not just the temperature, however, that drew Kangxi here in the late sixteenth century. With his troops in tow, he passed through the region on the way to the hunting grounds in Mulan, and the peaceful calm of the region appealed to his imperial sensibilities. In 1703, he began the construction of a summer palace, that gradually grew into plans for 36 constructions (temples, palaces, pagodas etc.). A wise ruler, Kangxi perceived the usefulness of the region as a place to entertain emissaries from all over China, especially from the more troublesome regions to the north and northeast. Many of the constructions were later built with this in mind, either in the form of replicas of minority architecture from around the country, such as the "Tibetan Sumero Temple inspired" Puning si, or with obvious naming policies, such as the deviously hopeful Temple for Distant Security.

Qianlong (1736-1796), Kangxi's grandson, was the next to take the throne and he followed in his predecessors footsteps by building another 36 constructions. The golden days of Chengde had arrived, and thousands of visitors, from all over China and beyond, flocked through the region to pay their respects to his imperial majesty. These visitors were charmed with buildings that looked like home and some of the best hunting grounds in China, wooed with dance troops and song and fascinated by seemingly limitless courses of banquets. Some of the most famous visitors included the Sixth Panchen Lama, who was housed in a temple that resembled the Tashilhunpo Monastery on Qianlong's 60th, and Qianlong mother's 80th, birthday. The British emissary Lord Macartney was also to visit in 1793. He was refused the request for open trade, a prelude to the Opium Wars of the 1840s, with the statement that China was fully self-sufficient and not in need of his small country's exports.

The death of Qianlong saw the gradual disintegration of the Qing power structure. A Chinese saying states that a dead caterpillar still doesn't stiffen (Baizuzhichong, sierbujiang), or, more to the point, old institutions take a long time to disappear, and thus it was for the Qing Dynasty. The death of Qianlong in 1796, was preceded by another hundred years of floundering Qing rule. Although later emperors were still to make Chengde their summer home, the area was gradually to become considered unlucky after the deaths, within the villas grounds and in a short period of time, of the two emperors, Jiaqing (1820) and Xianfeng (1862). In the 1860s, the court was, however, moved here permanently, after a joint Anglo-French force began making its way towards Beijing in attempts to gain more control over trade and internal politics.

The twentieth century saw Chengde into serious decline. The court was moved back to Beijing for the Qing Dynasty's last few years, after the death of the wily Empress Dowager Cixi, and the area was left to disintegrate. A 1930s warlord in this region, Tang Yu Liu, did his best to desecrate and loot most of the temples and grounds of the Imperial Summer Villa. The Red Guards of the Cultural Revolution (1966-76) years, also did their bit, attempting to remove this feudal monument of the Imperial era.

The 1980s saw a reversal of opinion on the area. Many of the constructions have been given restoration and remodeling works, some good, some bad. In 1994 the area was named as a UNESCO historical sight, following in the footsteps of the State Council, and giving hope for the future. Nowadays eight of the twelve original outer temples have had some form of work done on them, and all can be visited by taxi, minibus, bicycle, or on foot. The Imperial Summer Villa has also seen restoration, although much of the park area still needs much work.

Unfortunately, this reversal also brings the crowds in the summer months swarming into the town. The town itself is also changing into a light industrial, commercial and tourism center that is a sharp contrast with the glorious architecture and natural scenery to the north of the town. For those looking to get away from the heat of Beijing in the sweltering summer months, then, you may be advised to think twice before following the lessons of history. Think twice and then go.