China's imperial escape from Beijing — the Qing dynasty mountain resort 7 times larger than the Forbidden City, ringed by eight outer temples that recreated the entire Qing empire in miniature
Chengde (pop. 3.5 million metro) in Hebei Province, 250 km northeast of Beijing, was the summer capital of the Qing dynasty — a mountain resort (Bishu Shanzhuang, or 'Mountain Resort for Escaping the Heat') that Emperor Kangxi began building in 1703 as both a pleasure garden and a political tool. The resort — at 5.6 km², seven times the size of the Forbidden City and the largest imperial garden in China — was where Qing emperors met tributary leaders and foreign envoys in a carefully stage-managed setting. The Eight Outer Temples (Waiba Miao) built around the resort's perimeter reproduced the…
Kangxi chose the Rehe River valley for his summer retreat beginning in 1703 — the site was one day's journey north of Beijing via the mountain passes, giving cooler temperatures in summer and a hunting ground year-round. The resort and outer temples took until 1790 (the reign of Qianlong) to reach their current form, representing nearly a century of construction across three emperors. Politically the site was crucial: the Panchen Lama visited in 1780 for Qianlong's 70th birthday, staying in the Xumifu Shou Temple built specifically for him in Tibetan style; the Sixth Panchen Lama died there o…