2 Days Classic Chengde Tour with All Highlights
World Heritage Sites Exploration with Imperial Summer Resort & Tibetan Buddhist Temples
Only 3 hours' ride from capital Beijing, Chengde is an underestimated side trip destination which is rich in World Heritage properties and hides surprising beautiful natural scenery. To help you discover the best essences, this 2 day classic Chengdu tour arranges enjoyable visits to major landmarks of World Heritage sites in Chengde, including the Mountain Resorts and most important Buddhist temples in the outlying area. Worry-free private transfer is offered among the top attractions.
Highlights of this tour
- Visit Chengde Mountain Resort - the largest imperial summer resort & a World Heritage to know about authentic royal life of Qing Dynasty and admire brilliant ancient architectural settlement;
- Explore chief Buddhist temples of the “Eight Outer Temples”, learn Buddhist arts and culture, and relationship with feudal regime;
- Marvel at natural power and human wisdom of Two-Pagoda Peaks.
Basic Trip Information
- Price:
- from
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- 1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one double-bed room in a 4-star hotel and traveling in low seasons;
- 2. This price is subject to change according to your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate.
- Travel Route:
- Chengde
- Travel Length:
- 2 Days and 1 Night
- Tour Code:
- CD-CDT-02
- Group Size:
- You, your family, friends or group
- Experience:
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- Departure:
- Any day you want
Full Itinerary Day by day
- Day 1 Chengde Arrival & Tour (L)
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Welcome to Chengde, the private backyard garden of Beijing. Upon arrival, your tour guide and drive will meet you at the airport or train station in Chengde, and then escort you to Chengde city.
On the way, you will drop by Two-Pagoda Peaks, the largest unexplained natural sight of Chengde. Two giant rocky peaks stand together with two similar ancient pagodas on the flat tops. Formed by water and wind erosion, the twin stone pillars have existed over forty million years. And, the two brick pagodas were confirmed to be constructed during Liao Dynasty over 1,000 years ago, one is well-preserved with a golden statue of sitting Buddha and another one is already in ruin. Whether you take a leisure hike or cable car to visit this spot, you must wonder about how the Khitans completed such work in the ancient time without obvious access up to the summit.
And then, drive about half an hour to Chengde Mountain Resort, a famous royal summer resort of Qing Dynasty that has been evaluated as one of China’s Four Famous Gardens & one of Three Greatest Ancient Architectures and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site with Eight Outer Temples around. Built between 1703 and 1792 for a total of 89 years by Kangxi and Qianlong Emperors for temporary stay during autumn hunting, the resort is a huge complex consisting of scenic areas of palaces, administrative and ceremonial buildings, gardens and different natural landscapes. Many emperors of the Qing Dynasty spent nearly half a year staying here, processing government affairs and enjoying summer holidays. Kangxi and Qianlong Emperor even named 36 scenic spots each to express their great affection for it.
You will enter from Lizheng Gate to firstly visit the Palace Area. Take your time to visit Chengde Mountain Resort Museum (former Zheng Palace), Songhezhai and Wanhesongfeng Hall to trace back to previous royal offices and living quarters. Next, walk to enjoy peaceful green lakes embraced by many shoreside lush trees and ancient buildings, which will refresh your mind and offer you a pleasant summer retreat like Chinese ancient royals. Have a leisurely stroll along the lakes and visit Yanyu Tower to view elegant Jiangnan-style architectures with handwriting of Qianlong Emperor. Plain Area is where the ancient emperors held horse racing, met and feted the nobility of the minority and religious leaders and foreign envoys. You can walk through vast grassland and dense forests in Wanshu Garden and see the Mongolian yurts and Liuhe Pagoda, a nine-storey Buddhist stupa built by Qianlong Emperor to repay thanksgiving of his mother which imitated the shape of Great Bao’en Temple in Nanjing.
After about 3 hours’ sightseeing, you will be escorted to your hotel for rest.
Nightlife ideas: go to enjoy the evening show of "Grand Ceremony of Kangxi" which fully demonstrates the historical scene of the heyday of the Qing Dynasty, and expresses the brilliant life of Emperor Kangxi.
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- Day 2 Chengde Tour & Departure (B, L)
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After breakfast, you will go to visit the major temples of the Eight Outer Temple. Begin visit from Putuo Zongcheng Temple, the biggest architecture complex among the Eight Outer Temples, which are components of World Cultural Heritage with Chengde Mountain Resort. The temple, located near the resort, was built to celebrate Qianlong Emperor’s 60th birthday and his mother Empress Dowager Chongqing’s 80 birthday. Modeled after the Potala Palace in Tibet, this Tibetan Buddhist temple cluster is also known as “Little Potala Palace”.
Enter the front gate, you will start visit from a red-walled Tablet Pavilion with three archaic steles from Qianlong Emperor, and followed by Five-Pagoda Gate, a typical Tibetan Buddhist doorway set with five different colored Lamaist pagodas. Continue to visit Glazed Archway, an artistic Qing Dynasty multi-colored gateway, guarded by two stone-carved elephants at sides. Hike further to visit the flat-roofed white oblong towers spreading on the hillside and finally get to the majestic Great Red Palace, the main body and most eye-catching building of Putuo Zongcheng Temple. In this highest spot, you can see colorful pray flags and impressive circled red walls covered by lots of small glass windows and glazed Buddhist niches. Go upstairs to visit Wanfaguiyi Hall, enjoy unique Chinese and Tibetan style architectures like the exquisite undulating ridges, eaves lined with ancient animals and hanging Tibetan Buddhist bells on each corner, golden rooftop with shinning fish scale-like tiles. From the elegant Cihangpudu Pavilion, you can catch a panoramic view of the “Little Potala Palace” and Mountain Resort and Qingchui Peak (Hammer Rock) nearby.
Later, move to Puning Temple (Temple of Universal Peace), an over 250-year-old Buddhist temple found by Qianlong Emperor to commemorate two victories of the ethnic rebellions. This magnificent temple simulated from the Samye Monastery, a sacred temple of Tibet. It is a fusion of both Chinese and Tibetan featured architectures. The highlight is the 27.21-meter and 110-ton gold lacquered wooden statue of Thousand Armed and Eyed Bodhisattva enshrined in the Dachengzhige Pavilion.
Your last stop is Pule Temple (Temple of Universal Happiness) in the Qingchui Peak National Forest Park, another outlaying temple outside the Mountain Resort. It was built in 1766 during the Qianlong Emperor period for showing respect of minorities’ religion and reinforcing central authority’s rule. Among various mixed Han and Tibetan style structures, the round-domed Xuguang Pavilion is the most esthetic framework, a replication of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. This umbrella-shaped Buddhist hall is surrounded by 8 glazed Lamaist stupas, mainly features complicated bracket system and circular ceilings with fine dragon and phoenix patterns. Admire the traditional Chinese architectural techniques and make pilgrimage to the statue of Cakrasamvara Tantra worshiped in the central Mandala.
Tour ends. You will be transferred to the airport or train station to catch your flight or train to the next destination.
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