InDecemberof1994,theMountainResortanditsoutlyingtempleswereaddedtotheUNESCOlistofWorldHeritageSites.Theeconomyandcultureofdifferentethnicgroups,includingtheHan,Xiongnu(Huns),XianbeiandKhitanpeoples,andMongols,allflourishedinthisregion.
ClassicalImperialGardens
Chengdehasalonghistory.TheLongshan,orBlackPotteryCulture,archeologicalsiteverifiesthattherewashumanactivityherewaybackinthetransitionalperiodbetweentheNewStoneAgeandBronzeAge.Throughouthistory,thecentralgovernmentofdifferentperiodssetupadministrativedepartmentsinChengde.Theeconomyandcultureofdifferentethnicgroups,includingtheHan,Xiongnu(Huns),XianbeiandKhitanpeoples,andMongols,allflourishedinthisregion.
Inthe17thcentury,theQingDynasty(16441911)establishedtheMulanHuntingGround,around350kilometersnortheastofBeijing.Itspurposewastotrainthearmyandstrengthenfrontierdefense.Everyautumn,theemperorledhisprinces,ministers,andsoldiersthatnumberedtensofthousandsonhuntingexcursionstoMulanHuntingGround.ChengdeMountainResortwasbuiltatalocationmidwaybetweenthecapitalandMulanHuntingGroundasaplacetostopandrestforadayortwoonthejourney.
Constructionoftheresortbeganin1703,andtookatotalof89years,spanningthereignsofEmperorKangxi(1654-1722),EmperorYongzheng(1678-1735),andEmperorQianlong(1711-1799).Theplateauisinacoldtemperatezoneandhasacontinentalmonsoonclimate,whichmakesitcoolinsummer.TheMountainResortwasaseasonalresidencefortheemperorssucceedingKangxiasitprovidedanescapefromthesummerheatinBeijing.ItwastherethatChina鈥檚rulerswoulddealwithstateaffairsandreceiveforeignenvoysandleadersofethnicminorities.ChengdewasthusapoliticalcenterofsignificancesecondonlytoBeijing.
AstheemperorwenttoChengdeeverysummer,leadersofethnicgroupsandcourtministersalikejostledtoconstructtheirownresidencesthere.Consequentlythecity鈥檚populationrapidlyexpandedanditseconomythrived.Thecitybustledwithcarriagesandpeopleonfootgoingabouttheirbusiness,anditsstreetswerelinedwithrestaurantsandteahouses.Chengdewas,andindeedis,agoingconcern.
LocatedinthenorthernpartofChengde,theMountainResortisthelargestexistingcomplexofimperialpalacesandgardensinChina.Itfitsinperfectlywiththesurroundingnaturallandscape.Theresortisdividedintofourparts,namely,thepalace,lake,plains,andmountainouszones.Themountainsareinthenorthwestandthewatersceneryinthesoutheast,soformingaminiatureofChina鈥檚naturallandscape.ThecomplexrepresentsamasterpieceofChineseclassicalgardenart.
BothEmperorKangxiandEmperorQianlongspentabouthalftheyearattheMountainResort.Theretheydealtwithimportantpolitical,militaryandforeignaffairs,andhandledrelationswithethnicgroups.EmperorQianlongreceivedtheSixthPanchenLama,thethenpoliticalandreligiousleaderofTibet,here,andalsothefirstdiplomaticmissionfromtheU.K.
EmperorJiaqing(1760-1820)andEmperorXianfeng(1831-1861)bothdiedhereofillness,anditwasalsositeofthefamousXinyouCoup(1861),whichchangedthecourseofChinesehistory.ItwasthenthatEmpressDowagerCixi,oneofthefewwomeninChinesehistorytowieldpower,tookthehelmofthestatepowerandbecamethetruerulerofthelateQingDynasty.
TheEightOuterTemples
Thisnameismisleading.DuringtheQingDynasty,ChengdewaslocatedontheborderwithlandsinhabitedbyethnicgroupssuchastheManchuandMongols.Tounitethemandfacilitatetheirleaders鈥檝isitstotheemperor,theQinggovernmentconstructed12templesaroundtheMountainResort,modeledontheLamatemplesinTibetandMongolia.BecauseeightoftheseweredirectlyundertheadministrationoftheQinggovernment,andlocatedoutsidethecityofBeijing,theybecameknownastheEightOuterTemples.Today,alloutlyingtemplesaroundtheMountainResortarejointlyreferredtoastheEightOuterTemples.
AtthestartoftheQingDynasty,TibetanBuddhism(alsoknownasLamaism)wasprevalentinMongolianandTibetanregions(includingQinghaiandpartsofXinjiang).ItsmanydevoutfollowersadoptedTibetanBuddhistdoctrinesastheirspiritualpillar.Lamadignitarieswerealsopoliticalleadersofconsiderablewealth,andadministratorsoftemplesandseminaries.TheQinggovernmentadoptedaconciliatorypolicywiththeaimofenhancingmanagementofthefrontierareaandsafeguardingnationalunity.Respectforreligiousbeliefsandlocalcustomswasintegraltothispolicyandtoconsolidatingrelationsbetweenthecentralandlocalgovernments.
In1713,MongoliandignitariesproposedbuildingatempleoutsidetheMountainResortasavenueforthegrandcelebrationofEmperorKangxi鈥檚60thbirthday.Theemperorreadilyagreed.ThePurenTemple(TempleofUniversalBenevolence)andPushanTemple(TempleofUniversalGoodness)thusbecametheearliesttobebuiltoutsidetheMountainResort.
Inthe10ormoreyearsthatfollowed,groupsofTibetanandMongolianleadersandvariousforeignenvoyspaidvisitstotheQingemperortoshowtheirrespectandparticipateinvariousceremonies.TheQinggovernmentaccordinglybuilt10largetemplesinsuccessioninChengde,wheredignitariescouldparticipateinreligiousactivities.ThesetemplessurroundtheMountainResortlikestarstwinklingaroundafullmoon,animagewhereintheMountainResortissymbolicofimperialpower,thetemplesofthecountry鈥檚differentethnicgroups,andwhichasawholesignifiesnationalunityandethnicsolidarity.
ThetemplesarespecificallyTibetanandHaninstyle,andsomecombinethetwo.Theirconstructionfeaturesrefinedtechniqueswhichcreateanimpressionofimperialgrandeur.TheyareregardedasmodelsthatcombinetheessenceofHan,TibetanandMongolianarchitectureandculture.
MulanHuntingGround
SituatedinWeichangManchuandMongolianAutonomousCountyinChengde,MulanHuntingGroundwaswhereQingDynastyemperorsledhuntingparties.Itisabout135kilometersfromdowntownChengde.
MulanHuntingGroundfeaturesfertilegrasslandsandmanywildlifespecies.In1681,EmperorKangxidevelopedanddesignatedthis14,000sqkmareaastheimperialhuntingground,thelargestinChinesehistory.Italsodoubledasaplaceformilitarytrainingexercises.InthefirsthalfoftheQingDynasty,eachautumntheemperorwouldleadprinces,ministersandeliteforcesonhuntingexpeditions.Overthe140yearsfromtheruleofKangxitothatofJiaqing,Qingemperorswentonasmanyas105huntsthere.
EmperorKangxienclosedthispieceoflandforpoliticalreasons.MulanislocatedbetweenBeijingandMongolia.Itthereforeoccupiesanimportantstrategicposition.ThehuntstheQingemperorsorganizedeveryyearwereactuallyapretextformilitarymaneuvers.TheiraimwastodeflectanddiscourageattacksfromMongolsandinvasionsbyTsaristRussia,andmeanwhile,toenhanceethnicunityandfrontierdefenseatthenorthernborder.MulanHuntingGroundthusactedastheQinggovernment鈥檚launchpadforpoliticalandmilitaryactivities.
IntheMuseumofChengdeMountainResorthangsapaintingtitledEmperorQianlongHuntinginMulaninAutumnwhichvividlydepictsagrandhuntingscenario.Afterthehuntagrandbanquetwouldbeheld.TheemperorwouldinvitehisministersandMongolianaristocratstodrinkandenjoysonganddanceperformances,andpresentrewardsforoutstandingmilitaryexploits.
ThecommonpeoplewereforbiddenentrytoMulan,eithertohuntorfelltrees,until1826.Itwasthenopenedtoall,andpeoplereclaimedtheland.Thatyearmarkedthebeginningofthedeclineofthisoncegrandimperialhuntingground.
TodaythelargestartificialforestfarminChinastandsonwhatwasMulanHuntingGround.Itisnowdesignatedanationalscenicspot.Locatedatanaltitudeofover1,000meters,MulaniscomposedoftheSaihanbaNationalForestPark,YudaokouGrasslandandForestScenicZone,andtheHongsongwaNaturalConservationArea.Besidesmarvelingattherollinghillsandlushgrasslandthatstretchtothehorizon,visitorscanalsotakepartinhuntingactivities,trylocaldishes,andenjoyfolkactivities.
(CompiledbyChinaToday)
ChengdeMountainResort:TheresortshowcasesthebestfeaturesofclassicalChinesegardens,andisconsidered,alongwiththeForbiddenCityinBeijingandConfucius鈥橳empleinQufu,amongthetopthreeimperialarchitecturalcomplexesinChina.TheMountainResortsuperblycombinesrefinedbutluxuriantgardensandrollingmountains,andfeatures120examplesofclassicperiodarchitecture.
EmperorKangxiandEmperorQianlongeachnamed36oftheresort鈥檚72famousscenicspots.Buildingsinthecomplexaretastefullylaidoutandconstructedinwaysthatcomplementtheterrain,socreatingaharmoniousscenicbackdrop.DifferentfromthepalacesintheForbiddenCity,withtheiryellowtiles,redwallsandgorgeouspaintingsontheceilingandbeams,theMountainResortpalacesandwallsarebuiltmainlyofgraybricksandnaturaltimber,soconveyingstarkelegance.Thecomplexrepresentsaperfectfusionofnorthernarchitecturaltechniquesandsouthernagriculturalstyle.
Transportation:BusNo.5,10,or15.
PutuoZongchengTemple,so-calledMiniPotala,coversthelargestareaofalltheMountainResort鈥檚EightOuterTemples.
TheoutlyingtemplesaroundtheMountainResortthatareopentovisitorsincludethePuningTemple,PutuoZongchengTemple,XumiFushouTemple,PuleTemple,andAnyuanTemple.
PuningTemple,whichmeansTempleofUniversalPeace,isafamoussiteinNorthChinaforBuddhistactivities.ItisanidealplacetolearnandstudyBuddhistculture.
PutuoZongchengTemplewasmodeledafterthePotalaPalaceinTibet.Itishencealsoknownasthe鈥渕iniPotala.鈥滳overingthelargestareaofalltemplesaroundtheMountainResort,PutuoZongchengwasoriginallydedicatedtoEmperorQianlongatthecelebrationofhis60thbirthday.DalaiLamasalsostayedhereontheirvisitstotheQingemperorsinChengde.
XumiFushouTemplewasoriginallybuiltfortheSixthPanchenLama.HecamefromTibettoChengdetoconveyhiscongratulationsatthebirthdaycelebrationofEmperorQianlong.
AnyuanTemple,alsoknownasIliTemple,wasbuiltforthe2,000migrantsofaMongoliantribefromXinjiangtoconductreligiousactivitiesinChengde.
PuleTemple,literallytheTempleofUniversalHappiness,wasbuilttocommemoratethereturntothemotherlandofethnicgroupssuchastheTurgut.ThemainbuildingisXuguangPavilion,agabledcircularconstructionhighlyreminiscentoftheHallofPrayerforGoodHarvestsinBeijing鈥檚TempleofHeaven.WithinthemainpavilionisastatueofMandkesvara,orYabyum,ofEsotericBuddhism.
Transportation:TheoutlyingtemplesareintheeastandnorthofChengdeandalsonearthecitycenter.Transportationisconvenient.VisitorscantakebusNo.6toPuningTemple,PutuoZongchengTemple,andXumiFushouTemple,andbusNo.10toPuleTempleandAnyuanTemple.PuningTemple,inthenorthernpartoftheChengdeMountainResort,isalsoknownasBigBuddhaTemplebecauseithousesthe22.28meterhighwoodensculptureoftheBodhisattvaAvalokite艣vara.TheQinggovernmentadoptedaconciliatorypolicywiththeaimofenhancingmanagementofthefrontierareaandsafeguardingnationalunity.
MulanHuntingGroundispartoftheBashangGrasslands.BashangGrasslands
TheBashangGrasslandscompriseWeichangBashang(MulanHuntingGround),FengningBashang,ZhangbeiBashang,andtheHeavenlyRoad.TheyformanimportantpartoftheInnerMongolianPlateau.Amongthem,FengningBashangisthenearesttodowntownBeijing,andMulanhasthemostbreathtakingviews.ThelattersitsatthejunctionoftheInnerMongolianPlateauandmountainousareasofnorthernHebeiProvince,whereforestsmeetmeadows.Itiscoolinsummer,andencompassesvastgrasslandsdottedwithcolorfulflowers.Atmidwintervisitorscanenjoyviewsofsnowcappedmountainsandgrassland.
ThebestseasontovisitthegrasslandisfromJulytoOctober.Duetothehighaltitudeandbigdifferencesindayandnighttemperatures,visitorsareadvisedtobringwarmclothing.
Transportation:TakeatrainorcoachtoMulanHuntingGroundfromBeijingorChengde.Werecommendaself-drivingtour.