The Other Summer Palace: A Weekend Getaway in Chengde
Just 250km northwest of Beijing, Chengde is the perfect distance for a weekend getaway. The Kangxi Emperor picked Chengde as the site for his summer retreat in 1701 and ordered the construction of an elaborate mountain resort, the Bishu Shanzhuang (避暑山庄, literally "avoiding the heat mountain villa"). The huge Summer Mountain Resort includes lakes, plains, and mountainous areas, with pavilions and temples dotted throughout. The Resort was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. Outside the walls of the Resorts are the Eight Outer Temples, built to reflect different architectural styles from around China. By far and away the most spectacular is the Putou Zongcheng Temple, a mini reconstruction of the Potala Palace in Lhasa (in reality not really that mini).
The Summer Mountain Resort is, as the name suggests, most popular in summer (April to November) and if you visit in the winter months as I did, the more mountainous areas of the park may be closed to visitors, which dampens the experience somewhat. Entry to the park costs RMB 160 in summer and RMB 90 in winter, and a full visit would take around 4-5 hours.
There are several trains from Beijing to Chengde everyday. The quickest, the K7711 departing Beijing Station at 7.56am, takes 4 hours 35 minutes. Hard seat tickets cost RMB 40.5 each way. It is also possible to take a coach from Sihui for RMB 80, the journey taking about four hours depending on traffic, although I haven't tried this myself.
Like many other second/third-tier Chinese cities, the pace of modern development hasn't been particularly kind to Chengde, and the approach to the train station is a tangle of building sites and unsightly unfinished apartment complexes. Since, excellent historical sites aside, the rest of the city is rather unlovely, it is very much possible to make an efficient one night weekend visit.
Take the aforementioned K7711 from Beijing, arriving in Chengde at 12.31pm. Go straight to your hotel and drop off your bags, then head out to explore the Summer Mountain Resort. Refuel with a dinner of homemade dumplings and hearty Dongbei dishes at local chain Daqinghua (大清花饺子馆). As a former popular hunting area, Chengde is also well-known for venison, which is prepared a number of ways - roasted, braised, or with noodles. Chengde's nightlife scene isn't exactly hopping (in fact, the tourist infrastructure in general is pretty underdeveloped for a city with a UNESCO World Heritage Site), but in summer you can grab some beers and chuan'r by the river in the centre of the city or perhaps even go crazy, local-style, at a KTV if there's a big group of you. Either way, save your energy, because you're going to want to get up early the next morning to visit some of the Eight Outer Temples and the Qingchuifeng National Forest Park if you're into some hiking. When you're ready to head back to Beijing, grab tickets for either the 1.13pm Y514 (arrives 6.01pm, note that this train stops at Beijing East near Dawanglu, not the main Beijing station) or the 7.15pm K7712 (arrives 11.38pm).
Where to stay
The downtown Chengde branch of national chain Super 8 (rooms from RMB 158 per night) is in a prime location just 5-10 minutes walk away from the Summer Mountain Resort. There is an admittedly slightly Bates Motel vibe about the place, but rooms are otherwise clean and functional. There are plenty of small restaurants nearby and a supermarket across the street. For something a bit more upmarket, but still within most traveler's budgets, try Qi Wang Lou (rooms from around RMB 300 per night). Located right on the walls of the Summer Mountain Resort, the rooms feature a blend of Qing dynasty architecture and modern conveniences, all set within beautifully landscaped gardens.
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Photos: Wikimedia, Robynne Tindall
