Chengde Imperial Mountain Resort - China Culture Center

The Imperial Summer Mountain Resort (Bishushanzhuang) and its Outlying Temples is located in Hebei, 3 hours' drive from Beijing. The size of Chengde Summer resort is as big as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace combined. It is surrounded by a 10 kilometres long wall and covers 590 hectares. It also absorbs the style, arts and culture of many other cultural groups, especially the Tibetans. "Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde" was added to UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1994.

Highlights

* The imperial resort is as big as the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace combined, and surrounded by a 0 kilometers long wall.
* The eight outlying monasteries outside the walled resort are built in the mountains and they absorb the style, arts and culture of many other cultural groups, especially the Tibetans.

Best time to visit

Anytime between mid May - mid October. Snow clad mountains & monasteries in winter are also stunningly beautiful.
Although a summer resort, it would be quite crowded in July and August as many students and their parents visit the place during their vacation.

>> more photos

Set departures
If the below dates do not fit your schedule, book your cusomised tour here.

Children's Discounts

Attractions

Summer Mountain Resort
The Mountain Resort (the Qing dynasty's summer palace) was built between 1703 and 1792. 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. In addition to its aesthetic interest, the Mountain Resort is a rare historic vestige of the final development of feudal society in China.

Outlying Temples (Eight Outer Temples)
Putuozongcheng (Potala) Palace, modelled after Lhasa's Potala Palace, is the largest and the most impressive of the Chengde palaces and was built in 1790 by Qianlong for his 60th birthday. The Potala Temple, its tapering windows and slab-sided walls obviously influenced by Tibet, is in no way "a copy of the Potala Temple in Lhasa". Many windows are blind, and several outbuildings are solid, just intended to add to the massy splendor of the whole.

Xumifushou Miao (Temple of Happiness and Longevity at Mount Sumeru)
Partly inspired by Tashilhunpo in Tibet, this temple was constructed to make the Panchen Lama, number two in the Tibetan religious hierarchy, feel at home during a visit in 1780.

Pule Si (Temple of Universal Joy)
Tibetan advisors were employed in the design of this temple, built to receive annual tributary visits from defeated Mongol tribes. But the most striking element is the copy at the rear of the circular Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests from the Temple of Heaven. Shady benches around the quiet courtyards make perfect picnic stops.

Puning Si (Temple of Universal Peace)
The main Hall of Mahayana is impressive -- story upon story of red walls and yellow roofs, topped with a gold knob surrounded by four mini-pagoda-like points. More impressive still is its contents, a giant copper-colored wooden Guanyin figure more than 22m (73 ft.) high, the largest of its kind in the world. It's possible to climb three levels of interior galleries to look the figure in the eye, as she sits in dusty gloom.

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive Chengde

Coach departs from Beijing to Chengde (3.5 hours) in the morning (Other locales: we welcome those to join us from other locales and meet us in Beijing or Chengde).
Upon arrival, we check in the hotel and have lunch.
In the afternoon, we take a tour in Bishushanzhuang, walled mountain resort with palaces, villas, lakes, gardens, prairies, and mountains. The tour ends up with a moderate hiking on the grassland in the resort.
Dinner and free time.
(Lunch, dinner included)

Day 2 Chengde / Beijing

Breakfast and then visit two of the Outlying Temples: Putuozongcheng and Puning Temple.
Then mount on the Club Rock Mountain (by cable car) for a bird-eye view of the whole city.
Drive back to Beijing at around 19:00.
(Breakfast, lunch included)

Please note that the alternative hotels of similar standards will be used if any of the hotels mentioned in the itinerary is unable to provide enough accommodation.

Beijing price: RMB 2300 Single Supplement: RMB 250

Shanghai price: RMB Single Supplement: RMB

Children's Discounts

Children ages 2-4 pay 30% of total tour price. (Single supplement would be applied if there is a need of extra bed)
Children ages 5-7 pay 60% of total tour price.
Children ages 8-11 pay 80% of total tour price.
Children ages under 2 pay nothing for the tour but may incur the transport costs listed below:
Train tickets cost:
If they require their own berthat on the train they will have to purchase an adult ticket

Air-tickets costs:
10% of adult ticket if the child does not require his/her own seat
50% of adult ticket if the child requires his/her own seat

CCC calculates its trip prices and books its trip accommodations based on dual-occupancy rooms. Therefore, single travelers who is booking this trip as a lone passenger, and for whom CCC cannot find a room-mate when booking or paying for the trip, will have to pay the “Single supplement”. Should a room-mate be found, the Single Supplement paid shall be refunded.

CCC services include:

--Beijing-Chengde-Beijing by coach
--1 night accommodation in a 4-star hotel
--Transfers in customary air conditioned coaches
--Entrance fee for all sights mentioned in the program
--Boating or golf car tour fee in Bishushanzhuang
--All sightseeing and transfers with one CCC English-speaking tour leader & one local English-speaking tour guide
--Gratuities to the guide and driver
--Local travel insurance

Payment Terms and Conditions

Payment must be received before published deadline to receive corresponding price. Please refer to the following terms and conditions associated with each method of payment:

Payment at office: CCC must receive the amount (Cash or from credit card) before the published deadline to receive corresponding price.

Credit card: If paying by international credit card authorization form (moto form), CCC must receive your form 2 days before the published deadline in order to have time to process it, and for funds to be received on/by the published deadline.(click to view details)

Bank Transfer: CCC now requires that your payment must be transferred into Chinese RMB before you wire your bank transfer. We must receive a copy of the bank transfer receipt before the published deadline in order to guarantee your price.

Last minute booking: CCC cannot guarantee that we will be able to reserve tickets and rooms at this late stage but we will try our best. Thank you for your understanding.

CCC will respond to every email concerning payment immediately. If you do not hear from us this may indicate that we may not have received your email and we would advise you to call us to confirm. We cannot guarantee that we receive every email so the onus is on you to ensure we receive the payment information before the published deadlines. Thank you for your understanding.

1. CCC is an internationally licensed travel agency, providing high quality service and tour trips in an informative and friendly environment. Our tours has no forced shopping stops or hidden costs. The tour schedule is not rushed and it is aimed at providing you with a stress-free enjoyable experience.

2. Our guides and experts are well selected and trained and only work for CCC. They are well-educated, friendly, caring and relaxed compared to the guides working for the mainstream travel companies or agencies.

3. CCC has established a solid reputation among the expatriate communities living in China for over a decade. Our clients includes the local expat community, their visiting families and friends and any other travelers to China. CCC trips maintains a well-mixed, like-minded and amiable travelers from all over the world.

4. CCC tours have routes and destinations designed for visitors to China as well as walks and excursions that are geared toward expats and cater to their specific interests and schedules.

5. CCC also caters for private tours and the tour group is able to personalize the tour arrangement with added classes or workshops with our friendly CCC consultants.

6. Booking is easy. Just register online and pay by bank or credit card transfer.

Now just sit back, relax and let us take you on a journey.