Photos of Chengde Mountain Resort

Construction of the resort began in 1703 and took 89 years to complete, spanning the reigns of the Qing emperors Kangxi, Yongzheng, and Qianlong. This was the second political center apart from Beijing during the Qing dynasty. The mountain resort is divided into four major areas. On the south side are the palace and lake areas, and on the north side are the mountain and grassland areas. The palace and lake areas house the essence of the mountain resort. The lake area contains many examples of architecture from China’s Jiangnan region just south of the Yangtze River. These are a result of the love the emperors Kangxi and Qianlong had for the Jiangnan scenery.