Hebei
河北 · Héběi
Chengde Mountain Resort · Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0
1Cities
15Sights
Cities in Hebei
1–2 daysChengde承德The Qing emperors’ summer retreat, ringed by Tibetan-style temples.Top sights
避暑山庄Chengde Mountain ResortThe Qing emperors’ summer capital: a walled park of palaces, lakes, pavilions and wooded hills, the largest surviving imperial garden in China; a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
普陀宗乘之庙Putuo Zongcheng Temple (Little Potala)The largest of the Outer Temples, built in 1767–1771 as a copy of Lhasa’s Potala Palace, with a great red terrace climbing the hillside and a gilded hall on top.
普宁寺Puning Temple (Big Buddha Temple)An active Buddhist temple from 1755, Chinese in front and Tibetan behind, whose tall pavilion holds a 22-metre wooden Guanyin with many arms, one of the largest wooden statues in the world.
须弥福寿之庙Xumi Fushou TempleBuilt in 1780 to host the Sixth Panchen Lama for the Qianlong Emperor’s 70th birthday, modelled on Tashilhunpo Monastery, with gilded dragons on its main hall’s roof.
金山岭长城Jinshanling Great WallA dramatic Ming dynasty section with dense watchtowers along a mountain ridge, partly restored and partly wild; one of the most photographed stretches of the Great Wall.