#chengde

One day in Chengde

Imperial palace The park was enormous but we managed to have a good walk around. As it was mid April the trees were in full bloom and in addition we had blue sky so the experience was very nice. Also we went late afternoon so it was not very crowded. You can rent boats on the water and take a ferry around and at the edge of the park there was a beautiful pagoda. If the ticket was not so expensive I would have come to this park two times as it was just lovely to wander around. Almost 200 CNY to enter. Hiking Then we did a hike to the Sledgehammer peak, it can be seen from most part of the city and we just wanted to challenge ourselves with an hike. The taxi driver let us off by the cable car entrance, it was 50 one way and 80 for both ways. However we had decided to walk. We got pointed in the right direction by and started off. 
It is a really nice hike in nature and some parts with steppes they have made. We ended up spending 4 hours in total as we brought snacks and made a stop on the way and a longer stop on the peak. When walking you will pass another Stone Mountain called frog rock, from there you have to walk down a lot before you walk up up up to get to the peak. This part is quite steep. Almost on the top there is a resting area with a nice pavilion. On the peak it self there is not room for many people and it was super windy when we were there. Because there were not many people we could actually sit up there for a while and enjoy the view from every side of the peak, having the city on one side and just mountains on the other side. Potala palace This place is definitely worth a visit. Although it is said to be a replica of the Potala in Tibet it is still an amazing place on the outside it looks different from other temples in China however as you go Inside and up to the terrace I got a feeling I have seen it before. As many temples in china look the same with some unique features.
We got a lot of good photos here and the weather was really good. The ticket was 80 rmb to enter and although we came just before closing time we still got to see what we came to see with no feeling of rushing. There is a lot of stairs to go to the top but it is worth it. As we came mid April the tourist season was hot started for full yet so it was not very crowded. #chengde #travel #instatravel #china

Chengde Museum - learn more about this city!

Getting There - If you’re staying closer to the scenic area - Putuo temple, Waiba temple, Puning temple, I’m pretty sure the museum is at a walking distance from your hotel :) if not, you can take a taxi / Didi / Huaxiaozhu there. Attractions - I loved the fact that it is all about Chengde and the region it encompasses the history of this city! But don’t expect to have explanations in English 😅 some of the exhibitions have a short explanation at the beginning, but others don’t. Food & Restaurants - There’s a coffee shop in the ground floor. Shopping - The museum store has a lot of souvenirs, and I recommend getting a postcard or a notebook of the city so you can stamp the museum red ink stamp on it :) Tickets - You can make a reservation online or when you get there, scan the QR code and reserve one. It’s free of charge! There wasn’t an option for passport holders, so if you’re a foreigner, just ask the guard to write down your information so you can enjoy it! Opening hours: 9:00am-5:00pm (last admission is at 4pm) - but just in case, check in advance to see if there have been any changes.#chengde #chengdemuseum

Putuo temple, aka the “Little Potala Palace”

Getting There - The best and easiest way is to go there by car / taxi. Tickets - For 80 yuans, you can get a ticket to Waiba temple (down the road and much smaller), and the Putuo Zongcheng temple (which is the one known as the Little Potala Palace). Attractions - so many things to see, but the Red Roof (if I’m not mistaken) was inspired in the Tibetan Potala Palace, so the architecture and the colors - maroon, white, yellow and green - really stand out when compared to other temples. Hotels - there are some hotels nearby, and I definitely recommend the Puning Mountain Resort Hotel if you want to stay at a place that has beautiful Chinese architecture. Food & Restaurants - When you go out from the temple complex, there are many shops selling noodles, almonds, and so on. Shopping - There are many shops inside the temple complex and outside selling fans, bracelets, and so on. #chengde #putuotemple

Hidden Treasure

This hotel was recommended by a friend and it did not disappoint. We traveled to Chengde by train from Beijing and then took a taxi to the hotel. The staff were available on WeChat to answer any questions we had. Once we arrived we were show to our room which was across from the pool and deck. The view was perfect and the infinity pool cool and perfect for swimming and taking in the view. We ate all our meals at the hotel and the food was delicious. There were friendly dogs in the gardens. during the evening and on the weekends, the gardens filled up with visitors coming for a barbecue dinner, so grab a table early! After dinner we went for walks nearby. This was the perfect outdoor weekend getaway from Beijing. Super peaceful and delicious 😋 #weekendgetaway #gooutside #chengde #hebei

Chengde's must visit place: Bishushanzhuang

A former royal garden built by Dynasty Qing' king. A very huge place with a museum and garden for you to visit. Suitable to visit by all types of travellers. You can reach there by public bus from Chengdenan HSR station. For foreign visitors, just use Beijing Pass for the bus ride. #chengde #chengdemuseum

TEMPLES TO EXPLORE

The Putuo Zongcheng Temple of Chengde, Hebei province, China, is a Qing dynasty-era Buddhist temple complex built between 1767 and 1771 during the reign of the Qianlong Emperor. #temple #buddhist #buddhism #china #chengde #asia

potalaka - means small potala, is actually a copy of the original Potala palace from Lhasa. it's almost the same as on the picture of 50 rmb, as u can see. this place is huge. usually I don't like to go with guided groups but this time I had to so I didn't have time to really look around. it was very stupid to go with the group, bit at least the guide was good and told lots of stories some of them may not be true though. #potalaka #chengde #happynewyear #happynewyear

wow, so Chengde is the place I remember as official place where I first (and hopefully the last) time tried donkey meat (sorry vegans) actually I didn't know what kind of meat it was and it was surprisingly delicious but when I asked whether it was beef or pork I was answered that it was donkey. It appears that donkeys ate usual food here. nevertheless I have to admit I like Hebei food a lot and got used to it as well. certainly recommend this place. #chengde #china #deliciousfood #couplestrip #happynewyear #happynewyear